8 Weird and Interesting Facts About Solar Energy

Wouldn’t it be great if we could devise a way to run our cars, homes, and businesses for almost free, from a completely renewable resource?

Well, the resource is there–it always has been–it’s just adapting it to our daily lives. The energy source that we’re talking about is solar energy.

We have compiled 10 interesting facts about solar energy that you should know! Keep reading for more information!

Time is Money

It takes a little over eight minutes for the sun’s light to travel to earth. How far does it travel? 93205678.8356 miles.

Two Types of Solar Energy

One sun provides two types of solar energy: thermal and photovoltaic. Thermal solar energy harnesses the sun’s heat while photovoltaic technology converts the sun’s energy to electricity.

Water, Water Everywhere

The oldest application of solar energy is purifying seawater. Through desalination, water is evaporated into a container, leaving sea salt behind. Aside from this, solar energy can also be converted into electricity to be used in wastewater treatment facilities.

Filling Stomachs With Food

A process called sun drying is a traditional method of preserving food. The method involves preparing the produce to be dried by carefully choosing the fruits and vegetables, possibly treating it (with vinegar, vitamin C) and then laying them out.

After laying the food out, it becomes a waiting game. After a few days, check for doneness and either store the food properly or continue the drying process.

Space Missions and Solar Power

A number of countries use photovoltaic solar panels to operate during their missions. The traditional source of power was batteries, but batteries lose power over time and are heavy.

Solar energy has neither of these issues.

A Lesson in History

You might think that solar energy is a relatively new technology but it has actually been around for over 100 years.

Discovered in 1839 by Edmond Becquerel, the use of solar energy quickly caught on to heat water during the Industrial Revolution.

Savings in More Ways Than One

Aside from the fact that solar energy is the environmentally friendly way to obtain electricity, it is also cost-effective. The United States government currently offers a 30% tax break to those who install panels.

Opting for this greener option could also may the electric company pay you! Click here for more information on the savings that come from solar panels!

Solar Panels Don’t Work at Night

Although solar panels might not work at night, you’ll still have electricity. This is due to net metering. During the day, when your panels are producing more energy than you can use, that energy is fed back into the power grid.

The energy fed into the power grid acts as ‘credits’ towards your energy use.

More Interesting Facts About Solar Energy:

There plenty of interesting facts about solar energy, including the fact that the Earth receives 1,366 watts of solar radiation per square meter and the largest solar power plant in the world is in the Mojave Desert.

No matter how you slice it, solar energy is the way of the future. It can and will provide many people with electricity, food, and water.

If you’d like more interesting facts about technology, check out our blog!

Weirdomatic is the place where all weird things come to life through the amazing world of photographs – a corner of our wild imagination or the whimsical face of the reality?