There are two kinds of solar water heating systems namely direct and indirect systems. Direct systems heat the current household water in solar collectors. Water is pumped to a tank after heating. Indirect systems use heat transfer fluid. The fluid is heated in solar collectors, then pumped to a storage tank. There are many solar applications that a homeowner can rely on to get the most benefits out of passive solar energy like passive cooling, passive solar heating and daylighting. Active solar energy involves the use of mechanical devices in collecting, storing and distributing solar energy inside the home. Solar Energy Fire Hazards Since most solar collectors basically concentrate the sunlight that they are able to collect from the sun, it can be a fire hazard, especially since fire can very easily start if there were very high concentrations and levels of solar energy. These high and dangerous levels of solar concentrations could easily ignite combustible materials, making it a possible hire hazard on any home. Solar Energy Benefits One of the main advantages and benefits of using solar energy is that it uses one of the best sources for renewable and clean energy, which is the sun. The sun is known produce solar energy that is over 10,000 the energy that our planet could produce. This means that there is no real shortage on viable solar energy that you can use in the future. Know Your Solar Energy System Before anything else, the very first thing that you must do is you must make sure that you know what different solar energy systems there are that you can choose from. Basically, there are two different types of solar energy systems, and those are the photovoltaic (PV) panels and solar thermal systems. You can choose to make your own or just purchase one from top manufacturers. The Stand Alone System There are small stand-alone electric systems that are very good at giving economical electricity. These systems are mainly used to power RV, lighting, backup power systems, portable power systems and cabins.