What is Solar Energy?

One hot topic in the news today is the use of solar energy to cut down or eliminate the use of electricity and fossil fuels. Some people may be wondering just what is solar energy and why is it important to us?

Solar energy in simple in simple terms is energy the sun releases – all that glorious sunshine is actually energy that can be harnessed for use in your home.

Explaining how solar power is created and understanding the facts about solar energy is better suited for a science class, but a simple version of it is that stars are giant gas balls with a lot of nuclear fusion going on inside them (the Sun is just a giant star).

Some material is lost during that process and is pushed out into space as radiant energy. Eventually this energy makes its way to Earth in the form of Sunbeams.

Scientists have estimated that Sun produces more energy in one second than people have used since the beginning of time.

If all of that energy were to be collected and used to power our homes and businesses imagine the amount of money and resources the Earth could be saving.

In one day the Sun produces enough energy to supply the entire United States for one and a half years. That is a lot of energy going to waste.

Solar energy can be captured using solar panels and then converted into energy used to bring power into homes and businesses.

It can also be collected with the panels and used in a more passive manner, such as direct heat for a water heater or building.

There are many, many uses for solar energy and the good thing is that it is going to be around for a long, long time.

Now you may be wondering why the sun is a good source for energy considering that it is expensive to collect it and put to use. There are several reasons solar energy is a great energy source.

The main reason is that the Sun is going to be around for billions more years, according to scientists. It is doubtful that the Earth will use up the Sun’s energy.

Solar energy is a free source of energy that renews itself constantly. After the initial investment to capture the energy, there are no more costs involved.

Solar panels collect the energy from the Sun on a daily basis and store it for use when the skies are overcast or other weather issues prevent Sunbeams from reaching the Earth.

Solar energy is a clean, non-toxic form of energy that doesn’t pollute the Earth’s atmosphere. It is safe and harmless.

Many of our energy forms today leave behind toxic chemicals that seep into our water supply or fumes that poison the air we breathe. Solar energy doesn’t do any of that, in fact it doesn’t leave a carbon footprint at all.

Consider your alternatives when looking into power sources now that you can answer the “what is solar energy” question. Create a world that you and your family know will be here for future generations.

We recommend you checkout this awesome guide for building renewable energy solutions, including a complete solar power system for less than $200:  Earth4Energy Renewable Energy Solution.