What is Solar Power?

what is solar energy?

Solar power is energy generated from the heat or light from the sun which can be used to produce heat, light, hot water, electricity, and cooling in a wide variety of applications .  When we say something is solar powered, we mean that the energy it uses was converted directly from solar energy or sunlight energy. Solar energy is often referred to as an "alternative energy" to fossil fuel energy sources such as oil and coal.

The history of photovoltaic technology

We've used the Sun for drying clothes and food for thousands of years, but only recently have we been able to use it for generating power.
The history of photovoltaic technology goes back more than one hundred years but it wasn't until the middle of the 20th century that scientists at Bell Telephone found that an element called silicon produced an electrical charge when exposed to sunlight. However, the earliest solar cells were expensive and not very efficient, converting only a fraction of the sun's light into electric current. Today, solar panel technology has vastly improved efficiency.

What is solar power offering that makes it such an appealing energy source?

•Solar energy is a completely free and inexhaustible fuel source
•No fuel, waste, or pollution is expelled in its usage.
•In remote areas, or small villages, solar power can be the saving grace. Sometimes it is the only realistic way to provide energy to a place that is not capable of drawing energy from other sources.
•It can be used for low-power purposes as well as larger ones- from battery chargers, hand-held calculators, and solar powered garden lights to air conditioning, cars, and satellites.
•Solar energy can be an integral part of any combination of clean, renewable energy sources to meet the nation's need for electricity while reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
tags: solar power, solar panels, solar power systems, home solar energy, solar cell