Solar energy refers to the thermal radiation energy of the sun, mainly manifested as the so-called solar rays. In modern times, it is used to generate electricity or provide energy for water heaters.

Since the birth of life on the earth, people have lived mainly by the thermal radiation energy provided by the sun, and since ancient times, people have also known how to use sunlight to dry things as a method of making food, such as making salt and drying salted fish.

With the decrease of fossil fuels, solar energy has become an important part of human energy utilization and has been continuously developed. There are two ways to use solar energy: photothermal conversion and photoelectric conversion. Solar power generation is a new renewable energy. Solar energy in a broad sense also includes wind energy, chemical energy and water energy on the earth.

Extended data

Advantages of solar energy:

(1) Universality: the sun shines all over the earth, and there is no geographical restriction. No matter land or sea, no matter mountains or islands, it can be directly developed and utilized, which is convenient to collect and does not need mining and transportation.

(2) Harmless: the development and utilization of solar energy will not pollute the environment, and it is one of the cleanest energy sources, which is extremely valuable in today's increasingly serious environmental pollution.

(3) Huge: The solar radiation energy reaching the earth's surface every year is equivalent to about 65.438+0.3 trillion tons of coal, which is the largest energy that can be developed in the world today.

(4) Long-term: According to the rate at which the sun produces nuclear energy, the storage of hydrogen is enough to last for several billion years, and the life of the earth is about several billion years. In this sense, it can be said that the energy of the sun is inexhaustible.

Reference link: Baidu Encyclopedia-Solar Energy

Resource link: Baidu Encyclopedia-Energy