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Although the sun is over 150 million kilometers away, it is still incredibly powerful. Just the small amount that hits the Earth is enough to meet all power needs many times over. Interested in solar power? Not sure what equipment or technology is available in the current day and age? Read on to find out more…

Helping the Earth
For thousands of years the human race has been using the sun for such things as drying clothes and growing food, however, only recently have we been able to use the sun to generate power that we can convert into electricity for use on whatever we like. There are 3 main ways that we are utilising the sun’s immense energy:

1. Solar Water Heating – solar water heating is used to heat water on the roof of your home. Less gas and electricity is used to heat the water in your home, as water is pumped through special pipes in the solar panel. These pipes are painted black due to the fact black attracts the sun more than any other colour/shade. Solar water heating is perfect in countries such as USA and Australia; however, with technological advances it is quickly becoming useful in less sunny countries such as the UK.
2. Solar cells – these are the same solar cells that are found in some calculators. Solar cells are perfect in sunny climates as they can be used to power household necessities like light bulbs.
3. Solar furnaces – these use mirrors to concentrate the sun’s energy into a very small space. Solar cookers are found across the world and are used to cook food and drinks such as tea and coffee, although they aren’t very time efficient.

There are many advantages to using solar energy to create electricity – some are listed below:

• It’s free and it doesn’t require fuel or produce waste/pollution.
• If you live in a location that can’t be accessed easily then solar power is a vital new breakthrough in technology due to the fact electricity cannot easily be supplied to certain areas of the world.
• Excellent for lower home energy bills when used to power low-energy equipment such as garden lights and battery chargers.

In the current economic climate there has never been a more important time to try and reduce energy costs. Whilst it’s true that the initial cost of solar equipment is quite high, in the long-run you can save a lot of money on your heating bills. A renewable energy source such as solar power is a great way to lower energy bills such as electricity and an excellent way to help protect the environment.

The Environment
The environment is constantly in the news – with global warming becoming the new phrase on everybody’s lips it’s even more important to show that you are doing your bit to protect Mother Earth. If saving money and saving the planet interests you then consider investing in equipment that utilises the power of the sun.