Solar thermal energy (STE) is a form of energy and a technology for harnessing solar energy to generate thermal energy or electrical energy for use in industry, and in the residential and commercial sectors.
Santa Maria, CA. Sponsored Topics. Santa Maria is a city in Santa Barbara County, on the Central Coast of California. Santa Maria's population in the 2010 census of 99,553, confirmed what had been known, that it had surpassed that of Santa Barbara (the county seat), making it the largest city in the county.
Santa Maria Valley grapes are also used by wineries throughout Santa Barbara County and at many wineries outside of the county. The Santa Maria Valley name is used on labels from wineries that are based far away from the Santa Barbara County sunshine.