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What Is Solar Energy and What Can It Do For You?

We have all heard of solar energy and seen the collection panels on some buildings. You may still wonder, though: what is solar energy?

Simply put, solar energy is the harnessing of the sun's power. It can either be used immediately or stored in cells for later use. Solar energy can be used in three distinct ways: passive solar energy, active solar energy, and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.

What is Passive Solar Energy?

Passive solar energy uses the position and orientation of rooms to maximize the sun's warming effect on the room. It also utilizes effective insulation and air-tight construction to decrease heat loss from solar-warmed rooms. Passive solar usage can be done with very little time or money; in fact, new homes being built today are built with these principles because they help save energy costs.

What is Active Solar Energy?

Active solar energy involves the conversion of solar energy into heat that can be used to warm the air and the water in your home. Air can be warmed with free solar energy and distributed with the use of fans and pumps. Solar energy is already being used successfully to heat water in many homes around the world.

What is PV Solar Energy?

Photovoltaic (PV) solar energy uses sunlight to convert the energy of the sun into useable electricity. While PV cells don't require direct sunlight, the charge will be greater when the light is stronger. This is the type of energy that is being used when you see the large collection panels on top of a building.

PV energy is also being used in many small electronics already, such as calculators and outdoor lights. It is increasingly being used to provide power to homes that may not have access to the power grid. For homeowners who want to switch to clean, renewable energy rather than utilizing the existing power grid, panels are becoming easier to find and less expensive to install.

What is Solar Energy's Future?

Many experts predict that as the fossil fuels get closer to complete exhaustion, solar energy will become one of the primary alternative energies that we use to power our lives. Solar energy is still more expensive than fossil fuels overall, but that is predicted to change in the very near future. Will we all have solar-powered homes one day? Only time will tell how much we choose to embrace the clean, renewable energy source that surrounds us every day.