04 Dec 2017 05:56
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World is realizing the impotence of solar energy as the sources of fossil fuels are drying up. Solar energy has also become very important because it is a clean source of energy whereas burning of fossil fuels produces a lot of pollution. Sun has been burning and producing light and heat for billions of years and it will continue to do so in future also. There are many fun facts associated with solar energy. Here are a few of these fun facts.
1. It takes nearly 7 minutes for sun light to reach earth from sun. Light travels at a speed of 186000 miles per second so it covers a distance of 90 million miles between sun and earth in only 7 minutes.
2. Solar energy is composed of not just light but also heat. So you are actually heating up your home when you move the curtains to allow the sunlight inside your rooms.
3. Sun gives out more energy in a day than mankind consumes in a whole year. Despite this fact, mankind is always short of energy and looking for ways to get more energy. This is because it is still not possible for modern science to trap and store a large part of solar energy for the service of mankind.
4. Sunlight is made up of small particles called photons. Solar panels fitted with solar cells are put up on the rooftops of large buildings to receive sunlight and convert it into electricity for the use of human beings. When photons strike a semiconductor, they produce a small electrical charge. In modern photovoltaic cells, silicon is the semiconductor that is used to convert light energy into electrical energy.
Because of advances in technology, prices of electricity made using solar energy have come down drastically in recent years.