meaning of active and passive use of solar energy
In fact, the characterizations active and passive do not refer to the performance of the respective systems but they describe the technical means which are applied in each case. Passive use of solar energy can be as effective as, or even better than active use of solar energy. Moreover, because of lacking mechanical devices and the absence of auxiliary energy, passive systems have the chance to be more economic.
Active Solar Energy. Active solar energy technologies convert the energy of the sun into usable light and heat. An active solar system has the capacity to store energy for later use by storing it in batteries. An active solar energy system uses electrical or mechanical equipment or processes to increase the usable heat in a system.