Our planet receives enough energy from the sun to sustain all our energy needs. But only one tenth of Earth’s energy needs is supplied by solar energy. The potential for the future is mind-boggling.
Here are a few more thought-provoking solar energy facts:
- Solar is the most abundant energy source in the world.
- Solar power is measured like all electricity – in watts. One thousand watts equal one kilowatt, 1,000 kilowatts equal one megawatt, 1,000 megawatts equal one gigawatt, and 1,000 gigawatts equal one terawatt.
- The earth receives about 1,366 watts of direct solar radiation per square metre.
- Because pollution-free solar energy plants have no mechanical moving parts onsite, the operational environment is much safer than other energy plants.
- Solar chemical processes can make solar energy storable and transportable.
- In certain areas, 60 to 70% of water used domestically for temperatures as high as 60 degrees Celsius can be made available by solar heating.
- Combined with storage, solar energy can provide electricity 24/7, even on cloudy days and at night.