Solar Energy

Solar energy is the radiant energy from the light and heat of the Sun, harnessed using a range of technologies. Active solar approaches use mechanical or electrical equipment: photovoltaic systems convert sunlight directly into electricity, concentrated solar power uses mirrors or lenses to focus sunlight and generate heat that drives a turbine, and solar water heating systems capture the sun's heat for domestic or industrial use. Passive solar approaches instead rely on building design choices made without mechanical equipment, such as orienting windows and glazing for daylighting, using thermal mass materials to store and release heat, and shaping a building to encourage natural air circulation. As a renewable resource available wherever sunlight reaches, solar energy is used at scales ranging from rooftop installations on individual buildings to large utility-scale power plants. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/