Solar energy has the highest potential for providing electricity and heat compared to other RES. Solar energy can be used to heat buildings without additional technologies, as well as it can be converted into heat and electricity with special technologies designed for this purpose.

Compared to other RES, the use of solar energy is a relatively contemporary solution for energy generation. Extensive development of solar energy technologies and installation of solar panels in the world only started in around 2005, while in Latvia, it started even later – around 2012. However, solar energy is currently the third most widely used RES in the world. Although the use of solar energy has begun to flourish, only 1% of all electricity generated in the world in 2019 was generated using solar energy technologies.

In Latvia, the use of solar energy is developing more rapidly as a microgeneration solution in households and individual solar plants for companies, which is mainly intended to ensure their own consumption.

Solar energy technologies convert sunlight and solar heat that reach the Earth into energy. Solar panels that capture photovoltaics from sunlight are used to generate electricity. Heat energy can be obtained with solar collectors, which make the solar heat that reaches the Earth usable for home heating or hot water preparation.

All solar technologies work on a similar principle – the basic technology captures solar radiation (heat or light), concentrating it at some point and converting it into heat or electricity. It is especially important to position the technologies correctly so that the sun shines on them for as long as possible. Most often, solar panels and solar collectors are recommended to be placed to the south with a slope of 42˚ to the horizon.

Solar energy technologies are constantly being developed to increase the amount of energy generated or to make the plant more environmentally friendly and easier to recycle. Solar panels and collectors that follow the sun's rays are also developed so that they remain perpendicular to the rays for as long as possible. In this way, following the sun, it is possible to generate up to 30% more electricity than with a statically placed solar panel.

Elektrum Solar is an opportunity to use independently generated electricity by using sunlight.

• If you have a property with a possibility to install solar panels on the roof or ground, you can generate green electricity independently and use it free of charge for at least 25 years from the first day of installation of solar panels.