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Building-integrated photovoltaics: Building-integrated photo- voltaics (BIPVs)areapromisingoptionforhouseholdsin remote,

mountainous,andruralareaswithnoaccesstothe electric grid,asarraysofPVpanelsaremountedontheroofor the


externalwallsofbuildings [34]. Zeroenergysolarhouses, where energyrequiredbythehouseholdappliancesisgener-
ated bythesolarpanelsatthesamepremises,couldbe another option.Incasetheenergygeneratedatsuchhouses exceeds
thetotalhouseholdenergyconsumption,thesurplus energy canbefedbacktotheutilitygrid [35]. _ Crop andgraindrying:
Theuseofsolardryersinagriculturecan prove tobeextremelyefficientduetothelowmanufacturing and
operatingcost.Solardryersareabletoprotectgrainand fruit, dryfasterandmoreuniformly,andproduceabetter quality
productthanopen-airmethods. _ Greenhouseheating: Solargreenhousesutilizesolarenergyfor both
heatingandlighting.Asolargreenhouseequippedwith thermalmasscanbeusedforcollectingandstoringsolarheat energy.
Thegreenhousecanalsobeinsulatedtoretainthisheat foruseduringthenightandoncloudydays.Thiswillgreatly reduce
theneedtousefossilfuelsforheating.Agasoroilheater may serveasabackupheaterortoincreasecarbondioxidelevels
inside thegreenhouseinordertoinducehigherplantgrowth. _ Heating andcooling: Technologieslikeflatplateandevacuated
tube solarheatingandcoolingarecurrentlybeingusedin multiple applications.Theseincludesolarwaterheatingsys- tems
forcommercial/residentialuse,theheatingofswimming pools, andsolarairheatingsystems.

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