Solar energy has been of intrinsic use to humanity for a wide variety of purposes. It has prime characteristics that people soon realized how to take advantage of; it is abundant, unlimited and free. Although conversion from solar energy to electricity and thermal energy is not new, the technology has experienced a huge development in the last decade.
The use of solar energy for water heating is already common. According to the latest survey on household energy by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, over 60% of households use solar water heaters, which is the highest level in region.
With an acknowledged scarcity of conventional energy resources, high population growth and volatile energy prices, many worry that there is a future energy crisis developing in the Palestinian Territory. Solar energy is one of the most interesting and promising renewable energies in Palestine, therefore this chapter focuses in looking into its different applications.