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SOLAR ENERGY
The Sun
 The
Sun is the closest star to Earth - a comparatively near 149.6 million
kilometers (93 million miles) away. It is a huge source of renewable
energy.
Solar energy is transmitted to Earth through space. It takes eight
minutes for the sunlight to reach us. It is then absorbed by our
atmosphere, oceans and plant life.
The Sun is the power source for all life on Earth. Without it no
life would be possible.
Using the Sun's Energy
Sunlight contains electromagnetic energy. It is possible to convert
this energy into electrical energy using photovoltaic cells. These
are made of a material called silicon and produce an electric current
when exposed to sunlight.
 The
sun's energy has become an interesting source of renewable power.
It can be used to heat homes, to power ovens, electric generators,
cars, weather stations and satellites orbiting the earth.
It can even be used for large power stations. There is a Solar
Power Station in France. It's called a Concentrated Collector and
uses lots of mirrors.
The Sun's energy can be deflected and concentrated from a wide
area. 63 large mirrors follow the sun, reflecting the energy to
9,500 smaller mirrors. These are focused on a single target. The
energy concentrated on the target is 3000 times that recieved by
any single mirror, producing temperatures of up to 3,800ºC.
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