Solar Energy

solar energy – solar energy is the energy radiated by the the Sun in the form of light and heat. Certain amount of that energy emitted by the Sun reaches the Earth which then gets transformed in to different kinds of energy – naturally or by intentionally set ways from human activity. Natural transformation of solar energy to other types of energy is: transformation to heat when solar light and radiated heat from the Sun warms up Earth surface, ocean water, other objects in the Earth’s surface; transformation to stored chemical energy – biomass (the mass of leaves stems etc. in plants); turning that biomass in to natural oil reserves; transformation to mechanical potential energy (evaporated water moving from oceans and ground to clouds) and kinetic energy (formation of wind, other air currents). Transformation of solar energy under the guidance of human activity is: heating things on purpose under solar light (food, other), drying, making electricity from sunlight and sun radiated heat. More specifically solar energy is used as a term to describe the human activity of transforming solar energy in to heat and electricity. In the case of electricity it can be done via first turning it in to heat and then electricity or directly in to electricity through the photovoltaic effect. Solar energy the same way as solar power as expressions can be used to describe the whole industry of generating electricity from Sun radiated energy and and the sub industries around that that manufacture the components for that.
Real life examples of usage of the term:
“… Harnessing solar energy in the Sunshine State has always seemed …”
“… The future of the solar energy industry is reportedly touching off a high-stakes policy debate …”
“… look at numbers of needed solar energy capacity and land required …”
Solar energy on wikipedia