Solar energy is a well known concept around the world although not many people completely understand it.People have used solar energy for billions of years with some people doing it even without their knowledge.One of the initial incidences when solar power was used was back in the 1800’s when explorers collected heat from the rays of the sun using a box and used it to cook.Solar energy entails harnessing heat and light from the sun and using it for various uses both in homes and in industries.According to studies, a very tiny portion of the heat from the sun is actually being converted into energy.This has been attributed to the fact that some people do not have the technology required to fully collect energy while other people, especially in developed countries, do not feel the need to collect energy from the sun when they have other sources of power.

When harnessing energy from the sun, people use heat engines as well as photovoltaic devices.These technologies can either be passive or active technologies based on the way they harness and convert the energy.Calculators and watches are powered by the sun using photovoltaic devices or solar cells that are directly converted into electricity.Solar energy technologies that are manufactured as well as these photovoltaic devices are classified into active technologies while building materials or designs used to make harnessing of energy from the sun easier are classified into passive technologies.They are the specific designs incorporated into buildings to ensure that light is dispersed into most parts of a room.

There are many ways that people all over the world use solar energy.Of these, lighting is the most common application.The amount of artificial light that is required in a room is minimized when windows and skylights are incorporated into a building.Another common application is the use of solar heaters to heat water and also to heat up rooms.People also use solar water heaters to heat up swimming pools.An active solar power harnessing technology that involves solar panels is used in converting energy from the sun into electricity.However, there is a drawback involved in this technology in that certain parts of the world receive sun rays at certain times of the year based on the season, location and weather condition.This forces people who receive the sun rays to harness as much of it as possible during the period the sun is shining.