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With the world nearing an energy crisis we are always looking for alternative energy sources. One of the alternatives that has been look at for quite some time now is solar energy. So what is solar energy you might ask? The simple answer is it is energy derived from the power of the sun. The sun’s energy gives us warmth, light, and grows our food.
There are two types of solar energy, thermal energy and electric energy. Thermal energy provides heat. Electric energy is actually derived by using solar cells to capture the sun’s energy and convert it into direct current electricity. Electric energy powers all of our electric devices.
Solar energy is a clean, renewable energy source. By using solar energy systems like solar panels we can heat buildings and homes, generate electricity to run our TVs, lights, computers and other electrical devices, cool our homes and even drive our cars. Solar water heaters have been in use in the US since the 1980s.
Solar energy is free, is in unlimited supply and does not emit green house gas emissions. It can keep us from depleting other energy sources and help us to stop using harmful sources like fossil fuel.
The disadvantages of using solar energy is that some places have limited sunshine to use it and the expense it cost to convert homes and buildings for solar energy. But regarding the cost of converting to solar energy, the cost of the other energy sources on our planet will be much higher.
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