The Sun is a giant ball of gas at the center of our solar system. It provides light and warmth for most living organisms, and many plants use it as a source of energy. Now, engineers are finding ways to use the sun as a way to power man-made creations. Solar power is when humans use the sun to create electricity and power our devices.
Solar power is a renewable energy source. This means that we will never run out of energy created by the sun. The vast majority of the energy we use today comes from non-renewable resources. These resources will eventually run out; there is a limited supply of them. The most common and well-known type of nonrenewable resources is fossil fuels. The three fossil fuels are coal, natural gas, and oil. Coal is made up of remains of ancient animals and plants and it looks and feels a lot like a hard rock. It has a lot of the element carbon in it, and when humans burn it for energy, a large amount of carbon is released and this contributes to global warming and climate change. Natural gas is a mixture of a bunch of different types of gas and is usually found deep in the ground, sometimes near oil. Oil comes from the remains of ancient marine creatures like algae and bacteria. All of the fossil fuels are not only limited in quantity, but they are very bad for the environment. This is why many scientists are turning to renewable energy sources like solar power.
Energy from the sun is harvested by solar panels. They allow particles of light called photons to knock electrons free from atoms. Electrons are negatively charged particles and when they are knocked free, it creates a flow of electricity. Solar panels are made up of many smaller units called photovoltaic cells and these create an electric field necessary for the generation of electricity. A couple of other components are necessary as well for electricity to be generated like metal conductive plates.