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The phrase "solar energy" means that we are harnessing the power from sunlight to give us the energy we need to light and warm and cool our houses, cook our food, and grow our foods. Another word for solar power is solar radiation. It is the sun's rays that reach the earth.

Solar energy can be converted to electricity by directly supplying energy to your home through the use of solar panels on the roof, or by supplying energy to a large power plant that will, in turn, supply many homes with electricity. When a power plant used solar power to produce electricity, there is a middle step that your direct supply would not have to take: that is converting the sunshine to steam first, which will then power the electric plant that will then send out electricity to many homes.

WHEN WAS SOLAR ENERGY FOR ELECTRICITY CREATED?

Solar energy was created by Bell Telephone researchers in the 1950's and was used at that time to power U.S. space satellites.

ADVANTAGES TO DIRECT SOLAR ENERGY

Direct solar energy is your house getting electricity directly from the sun shining on your roof where your solar panels are located. This means that you don't need generators in order to power your home. Photovoltaic cells are easy to install. There are no by-products from this type of energy, nothing will go into the land, water, or air because you are using solar power for your electricity. Photovoltaic cells are like batteries, and produce DC electrical current. They may now be powering your portable calculators or watches.

DISADVANTAGES TO SOLAR ENERGY

Since we not all areas of the earth have sunshine every day, and since some places may be cloudy or dark or overcast on some days, energy from the sun would not be efficiently collected on those days. So, there must be a very large area of solar panels that can convert small amounts of sunlight to electricity. Also, we need to be able to store solar energy before it is converted to electricity. Sunshine, like wind, is not constant. Also, it is initially expensive for individual homeowners to set up and install a solar powered system, although the savings will occur over a long period of time.

While there is no waste or by-products of using solar energy to make our electricity, there is waste and by-products to dispose of that are created in the manufacture of the pieces and parts we need to harness solar energy, such as solar panels. Also, there is habitat destruction for huge areas of desert lands that will contain massive solar thermal farms.

HOW CAN WE CONVERT SUNSHINE TO ELECTRICITY?

Sunshine is sunlight, which contains photons, which are energy-carrying cells. Photos must be absorbed through solar panels in order for us to make electricity from the sun. when enough of these are absorbed in the semi-conductor, there is an imbalance created within the molecules by the electrons suddenly moving. The electrical charge is created by this imbalance and movement.

Passive space heating is like when you car or your attic overheats in summer. Active space heating is like when you have a system in place to absorb heat and distribute where you want it to go.

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