Solar energy is radiation from the sun that is collected by solar panels and converted into energy. It has benefits of being renewable and requiring little maintenance, but has drawbacks of high upfront costs and only being useful when the sun is shining. Current uses include powering small electronics, while potential uses could expand to residential homes and developing nations.

1. Solar Energy
by: Turner Barbur

2. Source:
• Sun

3. What is it?
• Solar energy is radiation light and
heat from the sun.

4. How Is it collected,
stored, or distributed?
• Solar energy is trapped in the solar
panels where it is then converted to
energy.

5. Benefits
• Never runs out
• Generate own electricity
• Creation requires little maintenance

6. Drawbacks
• Cost of equipment
• Pollution can effect it
• Only useful when the sun is shining

7. How is it currently being
used?
• Calculators, watches, aircraft warning
lights, road traffic warning signals.

8. Potential uses
• Residential homes
• Developing nations

9. Extra Information
• Sunlight takes 8.3 minutes to reach
earth’s outer atmosphere
• In one hour, enough sunlight strikes
the Earth to provide the entire
planet’s energy needs for one year
• Leonardo Di Vinci was one of the first
people to design an industrial use for
the sun.