Solar Power – How the Sun Powers the World
The sun is a powerful energy source that can be harnessed to produce electricity . One hour of sunlight provides more than enough energy to power the world for a year. Solar energy is nonpolluting, renewable and sustainable. It reduces dependence on finite fossil fuels and helps mitigate the climate change threat. Sunlight The sun is a massive ball of nuclear energy that constantly radiates heat and light to the Earth. This radiant energy, called solar energy, is a renewable resource that can power our planet for billions of years. Humans have used the sun’s rays (solar radiation) for thousands of years to dry food and warm their homes. Over time, people developed technologies to collect this energy for electricity. Each solar cell contains a semiconductor material such as silicon that absorbs sunlight and creates an electrical current. Metal contacts at the top and bottom of each cell direct that current to an external device—which can be as small as a calculator or as large as ...