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    Solar

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Solar

    Uploaded by

    api-581666302
    141 views2 pages

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    solar

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    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    141 views2 pages

    Solar

    Uploaded by

    api-581666302

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    Solar

    We get most of our energy from the sun. We call it


    solar energy. It travels from the sun to the Earth in
    rays. Some are light rays that we can see. Some rays
    we can’t see, like x-rays.
    The sun is a star. It is a giant ball of gas. It sends out
    huge amounts of energy every day. Most of the
    energy goes off into space. Only a small part reaches
    the Earth, but this amount is large enough to provide
    energy for many things! Solar energy is light energy.

    Solar Energy
    We use solar energy in many ways. All day,
    we use sunlight to see what we’re doing and
    where we’re going.

    Sunlight turns into heat when it hits things.


    Without the sun, we couldn’t live on the
    Earth—it would be too cold. We use the sun’s
    energy to heat water and dry clothes.

    Plants use the light from the sun to grow.


    Plants take the energy in light and store it in Some people hang clothes outside to dry in the sun.
    their roots and leaves. That energy feeds every
    living thing on Earth. We can also burn plants to make heat.

    The Sun’s Energy is in Many Things


    The energy from the sun makes rain fall and wind blow. We can capture that energy with dams
    and wind turbines.

    Coal, oil, and natural gas were made from prehistoric plants and animals. The energy in them
    came from the sun. We use that energy to cook our food, warm our houses, run our cars, and
    make electricity.

    24 ©2021 The NEED Project Elementary Energy Infobook www.NEED.org


    Solar Energy is Renewable
    Solar energy is free and clean. There is enough for everyone, and we will never run out of it. Solar
    energy is renewable. The sun will keep making energy for a very long time.

    Why don’t we use the sun for all our energy needs? The hard part is capturing the sunlight. It
    shines all over the Earth and only a little bit reaches any one place. On a cloudy day, most of the
    light never reaches the ground at all. Because of this, solar energy provides a very small amount
    of the energy the United States uses each year.

    We Use Solar Energy


    Lots of people put solar collectors on their roofs. Solar collectors capture the sunlight and turn
    it into heat. People can heat their houses and their water using the sun’s energy.

    Solar cells can turn solar energy into electricity. Some toys and calculators use solar cells
    instead of batteries. Solar panels are made of many solar cells. Some people put solar panels on
    their homes. These solar panels can make enough electricity for a house. Solar panels are good
    for houses, buildings, and
    equipment without access to
    power lines.

    Today, solar energy provides


    over two percent of the
    electricity we use, but the
    amount we use is growing
    each year. In the future, it
    could be a major source of
    energy. Scientists are looking
    for new ways to capture and
    use solar energy.

    Solar Panels

    Solar panels on a home’s roof turn solar energy into electricity.

    ©2021 The NEED Project Elementary Energy Infobook www.NEED.org 25

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