Facts About Solar Energy

What Is Solar Energy?

Facts about solar energy include a variety of sub-topics. The goal of this article is to provide basic facts about solar energy to help you form an idea of how it may be useful to you - and to the future of Planet Earth. But, you should be aware that there are both positive and negative facts about solar energy to consider. 

Let's start with the answer to a basic question: what is solar energy.

Solar energy comes from the light of the sun, not from heat. Therefore, even cold climates can produce power when the sun is shining.

One of the most interesting positive facts about solar energy is its vast potential. The amount of sunlight that comes to earth in a single day - if it could be harnessed - would supply all the electricity needs for every human being on the planet for an entire year. Furthermore, it's a renewable energy resource that will last for several billion more years. We can't deplete it someday - which could eventually happen with other energy sources like oil and coal.

One of the most important facts about solar power is its positive effect on our atmosphere. It doesn't pollute or generate carbon dioxide, which many believe is changing global climate - and not for the better.

There's also no noise pollution with solar energy. Electricity is created silently when sunlight hits a solar panel. The sunlight reacts with materials in the panel to produce an electrical charge. This charge can be converted to direct current (DC) to be used in homes. If a home with solar panels generates more power than the home uses, the homeowner may be able to sell some of the excess to a power company for use on its electrical power grid.

Electricity created by home solar energy can be used in dozens of ways - just like electricity from the power company. Heating water, running appliances and providing light are all possibilities for home solar energy. By making your home energy independent in this way, you also make your country more energy independent - freeing it from the need to import oil from other nations. When you have home solar energy, you don't need to worry about power outages - or rate increases by your utility company.

Another of the more interesting facts about solar energy is its potential in the transportation industry. Practical solar applications for mass transit in the U.S. are probably years away. Solar technology for cars has been developed, but it's not nearly advanced enough for the needs of modern vehicles yet. Meanwhile, an aircraft powered strictly by solar energy has already flown across the entire United States.

While many facts about solar energy are positive and promising, there are others that need to be understood in the debate about the role solar will play in the energy future of the United States and the rest of the world.

Solar panels take up a lot of space. That means solar energy "farms" would have to be huge to provide a significant percentage of a large city's electricity supply.

There's a large investment or up front cost to installing solar - especially in a home. It can take years to recover this investment, even though solar equipment is nearly maintenance-free once it's installed. Plus, some geographical areas are more suited to solar power than others. If you live in an area where it's often cloudy, solar energy may not be sufficient for your needs. Furthermore, your output from solar panels will be reduced if they are shaded by trees or other structures.

These are just a few of the facts about solar power you need to consider. For more information click on solar energy uses, pros of solar energy and solar energy homes.

To learn more, click on solar energy uses, pros of solar energy solar shingles, and solar energy homes.