Where Does Solar Energy Come From?

[Dominick Penny]

Solar energy is making a big impact today. In the world we live, we
have put major strain on natural resources. But, there is a renewable
energy source, which is becoming a viable source to meet the needs of
humanity, it is called solar energy. But, where does solar energy come
from?
Imagine a home that is powered by a residential solar energy system.
This home has electricity 24 hours a day. You could watch TV all day,
keep all the lights on, and not have to worry about an electricity
bill! So, how does this work? Where does solar energy come from?
In discovering where does solar energy come from, let us consider that
we are in that solar powered home. Imagine for a moment that you want
to watch TV. You press the televisions power button. Instantly like
magic the TV comes to life. It comes on exactly as it would in a home
powered by conventionally produced energy.
This energy is in the form of electricity. It doesn't matter whether
it is from solar power, fossil fuels or even nuclear power. It is all
the same - electricity. The electricity in residential solar energy
systems doesn't come from an external power station situated on Earth
though. It gets more interesting!
The electricity had to come from somewhere, and as we trace back, we
find that the electricity in the TV came from batteries. These are
loads of batteries that hold onto this solar power, which we will come
to in a moment.
A battery is like a cupboard. It holds things; most importantly it
holds energy in the form of electricity. This is important as we will
see in a moment, as this source is not a 24 hour power, so we need a
way to store it. Batteries make this possible, but where did this
solar energy come from?
As we travel further, perhaps to the roof of the residential solar
energy powered home or even somewhere else on the property, we will
find solar panels. Solar panels are amazing gadgets, as they do
something amazing.
Solar panels have a big area. They convert something into electricity.
But, how did they do this? Light is needed. And solar panels
ingeniously convert light into electricity. This light comes from a
very big power station. In the case of Earth, this power is from our
very own Sun.
The Sun is like a humongous power station that constantly does a
reaction that lets out light. This light beams to Earth, and a solar
powered home can make use of this to create electricity around the
home. It is truly marvelous, and is going to the basics that most of
life on Earth uses - that is to utilize the power of the Sun. As
plants do.

Create Electricity At Home: http://groups.google.com/group/homeenergymi/