Solar energy is the name of energy which has been made using the power of the sun. It is given out by the sun in the form of heat and light and it is what fuels the solar system. Without heat and light this planet would not be as we know it. There would be no trees or plants, as they need light to grow, and therefore there would not be enough oxygen for man to have evolved in the way that we have.

The suns energy is very powerful and lately we have been trying to find ways of better using that energy. It is a very useful energy source as it is renewable and in fact makes up most of the renewable source that we have – as it also is a factor in wind power and hydroelectric power.

Solar energy technologies use the suns energy for heat and light. It has been known for years that it is worth using the suns energy, and houses have been built to face the sun in order to aid with their heating and lighting, long before electricity was invented.

Now technology has advanced, but with the environmental damage that fossil fuels are producing, solar power is one of the ways that people are trying to use a renewable resource. Solar powered products convert the heat and light from the sun into electricity. Many people are familiar with solar powered calculators and maybe even solar powered pond pumps but it is becoming more popular for people to have solar panels on their houses to either heat their water or to covert to electricity to use throughout the house. It is common to use photovoltaics to do this, which convert light into electricity.

It is becoming more popular to use solar power for many things now such as mobile phone chargers, speed detectors on roads and outdoor lights. In countries where there is a lot of sun then these are useful and using them for outdoor related things is a great idea, as you are most likely to be outdoors and needing them when the sun is shining.


Quick Tip #1

Solar energy is best for countries that get a lot of sunlight. It can be a great source of electricity and help add to the current supply, providing a cheaper and renewable source that causes no pollution.


Quick Tip #2

In India it is possible for the country to be able to produce more energy from the sun than they would ever use. This is because they receive a huge amount of sunlight and their population is not massively in demand of electricity.