| What Is Solar Energy? | | | | maintenance, and they use no consumables. |
| Solar energy is the harnessing of light and heat | | | | What Types of Solar energy are there? |
| energy from the sun to provide power that we can | | | | Technically speaking, most forms of energy on earth |
| use in our everyday lives, in forms such as heating, | | | | derived originally from the sun, even fossil fuels that |
| lighting and power for televisions, refrigerators, lights | | | | are the products of photosynthesis. However, in this |
| and electronic devices. | | | | paper, we discuss solar power in the form of using |
| Click Here To Learn How To Build Your Own Solar | | | | sunlight directly to provide power and heat. |
| Panel & Generate Your Own Energy | | | | There are three common forms of solar energy: |
| In one day, the sun sends to the earth more energy | | | | 1) Passive Solar |
| than the entire world’s population could consume | | | | Passive solar is the intelligent use of insulation, |
| in 27 years! Even better, solar energy generates no | | | | window placement, thermal mass and seasonal |
| CO2 so does not contribute to global warming and | | | | variations to reduce the costs of heating, cooling and |
| climate change. In operation, solar energy is silent and | | | | lighting buildings. |
| clean, emits no pollutants or waste, and requires no | | | | 2) Thermal Solar |
| fuel or ongoing consumables. | | | | Thermal solar collects heat radiated from the sun and |
| How is Solar Energy Environmentally Friendly? | | | | uses it to provide room heating, hot water for |
| Solar energy is a renewable energy that does not | | | | domestic use and swimming pools, heat for industrial |
| burn fossil fuels. Better still, solar energy generates | | | | processes, etc. |
| no CO2 so does not contribute to global warming or | | | | 3) Photovoltaic or PV |
| climate change. In operation, solar energy is silent and | | | | Derived from “photo”, meaning light, and |
| clean, emits no pollutants or waste, and requires no | | | | “voltaic”, meaning electric, photovoltaic solar |
| fuel or ongoing consumables. | | | | converts sunlight directly into electricity. This |
| Is Solar Energy Really Free? | | | | electricity can then be used to charge electrical |
| After the initial cost of buying and (if necessary) | | | | devices or DC storage batteries (in stand-alone PV |
| installing your equipment, yes, solar power is free and | | | | systems), or inverted to AC and used in homes or |
| without ongoing costs. With no moving parts, solar | | | | fed into the mains grid (utility interactive PV |
| systems should last many years and not require any | | | | systems). |