What is solar radiation?

Solar radiation is light – also known as electromagnetic radiation – that is emitted by the sun. While every location on Earth receives some sunlight over a year, the amount of solar radiation that reaches any one spot on the Earth’s surface varies. Solar technologies capture this radiation and turn it into useful forms of energy.

How does solar energy travel through space?

Waves of solar energy radiate, or spread out, from the Sun and travel at the speed of light through the vacuum of space as electromagnetic radiation. The majority of the Sun’s radiation reaching Earth is in the form of visible light we can see and invisible infrared energy that we can’t see.

How does solar energy work?

Solar energy is constantly flowing away from the sun and throughout the solar system. Solar energy warms Earth, causes wind and weather, and sustains plant and animal life. The energy, heat, and light from the sun flow away in the form of electromagnetic radiation (EMR).

What is solar radiation & how is it produced?

Solar Radiant or light energy is produced in the Sun as a result of nuclear fusion reactions and is transmitted to the earth through space by electromagnetic radiation in quanta or packets of energy called photons.

Do solar panels generate electricity at night?

Solar panels generate no electricity at night time. Solar panels can't store energy, so you have to use the electricity they generate when the sun is shining. You need batteries to store the energy generated. These are expensive. – Solar cells convert the light from the sun into electricity.

How can solar energy be used in a specific location?

Solar radiation can be captured and turned into useful forms of energy, such as heat and electricity, using a variety of technologies. However, the technical feasibility and economical operation of these technologies at a specific location depends on the available solar resource. Every location on Earth receives sunlight at least part of the year.