Solar EnergyIntroduction:The Earth captures approximately 342 W/m2 of energy from the sun. This energy comes in the form of solar radiation, which the atmosphere reflects about 77 W/m2 and absorbs about 68 W/m2 of solar radiation per year. Therefore, the Earth's surface receives on average about 197 W/m2 of solar radiation per year. This amount of energy received is approximately 10,000 times the total amount of energy humans consume each year. This energy can be used to produce electricity or heat. This energy source is not used to its full potential given the efforts required to store and transport this energy. Of course, during the day only, solar energy is directly accessible. Depending on weather conditions and season, energy intensity varies in different locations. The solar radiation that reaches the upper atmosphere is equivalent to 1366W/m2. At the equator, the radiation reaching the ground is approximately 1000W/m2. In the lower atmosphere, the energy is about 0.5 W/m2 due to the thicker atmosphere. Conditions such as clouds, pollution and aerosols can also reduce the amount of radiation reaching the ground. In North America, the average available solar energy ranges from 3,000 to 9,000 Wh/m2 per day. In Northern Europe, solar energy ranges from 2,000 to 3,000 Wh/m2 per day. In contrast, the tropics receive around 6,000 Wh/m2 per day. There are many different ways to use solar energy. Some technologies are used to produce heat from solar energy. Other technologies use solar energy to produce electricity. Solar thermal energy Water heater: The simplest way to harness solar radiation is thermal energy. One way to harness this solar energy is to heat water. Aro...... middle of paper ......ct the solar radiation on a single point above the mirror. The parabolic receiver is controlled by a computer and uses a two-axis system to track the sun. A Stirling engine is used for some of these systems to produce electricity. With these receiving homes, temperatures can reach more than 100°C. At this temperature, the energy created is efficient. Photovoltaic Systems Thanks to the photovoltaic effect, electricity can be created directly from sunlight. Some semiconductor materials exposed to sunlight can create electron-hole pairs, which can be collected to produce electricity. This happens when photons have an energy above a certain threshold. These photons have shorter wavelengths. In silicon, the threshold for electron-hole production is located in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum.Silicon: electricity storageEconomy and environmentConclusion