Global Warming Today - Solar Energy

Solar power is the energy derived from the sun in the forms of heat and light and is the conversion of sunlight into electricity using photovoltaics. Solar power or solar energy is the conversion of sunlight into electricity by something called photovoltaics concentrating solar thermal devices.

Solar distillation and disinfection is a way of turning dirty water in to water that is drinkable and is used world-wide for millions of people. Solar cookers have been created and can concentrate sunlight for cooking, and drying, other technologies can concentrate the suns rays for other industrial purposes such as high temperature material testing, chemical production and metal smelting. Many prototype vehicles have also been created using the sun for power. The power from the sun is also used in agriculture as in greenhouse, industry, and thermal mass which conserves heat and in swimming pools where solar water heaters warm the pool.

The energy from the sun provides 174 PW out of this 6% is reflected and 16% is absorbed. Cloud, dust and pollutants can reduce the amount that is absorbed further these also diffuse 20% of the incoming light and filter some of the portions of its spectrum. The sunlight that is absorbed by the oceans and lands masses can maintain the surface temperature at 14 degrees. While the conversion of the suns energy in to chemical energy through such processes as photosynthesis can produce food, wood, and biomass from which fossil fuels can be produced .The water cycle is caused by the absorption of solar energy by atmospheric convection and evaporation also condensation of water.

Approximately 3852 zettajoules (ZJ) are absorbed by the earth’s atmosphere, oceans and landmasses every year. In 2005 the total electricity used was 0.0567 ZJ. And the total energy used was 0.487 ZJ.