There is more to Solar Energy than you might think...As the demand for cost effective clean energy grows, so does the interest in what solar energy is and how it can help revolutionise the world's energy needs. For many of us however, the technology behind the capturing of the sun's rays is still very much in the realms of science fiction. If you are curious to learn more about solar energy however, here are 7 interesting facts that you might find rather surprising:1: THE SUN EFFECTS ALMOST ALL RENEWABLE POWER SOURCESWhen we think of solar energy, we think of power from the sun, but the reality is that almost all renewable energy is derived from the sun, including wind power and biomass energy. The only exceptions to this are geothermal power (which comes from inside the earth) and tidal power (which is created by the interaction of the moon with large bodies of water).2: WE HAVE EINSTEIN TO THANK FOR TODAY'S MODERN SOLAR PANELS Albert Einstein was one of the world's top theoretical physicists, but what many people do not know is that in 1921 he won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of the photoelectric effect. It was this discovery that lead to the invention of the solar panels that we use today. 3: SOLAR ENERGY IS ALREADY USED AROUND THE WORLDGermany generates the highest amount of solar electric energy (123.5 TWh in 2011) in the world, but is closely followed by a number of other countries, including Italy, China, the United States of America, Japan, Spain, France, Belgium, Australia, India, South Korea, Greece, Canada and the United Kingdom.4: THE LARGEST SOLAR FARM IN THE WORLD IS IN CALIFORNIA, USAGermany might have the largest solar power capacity, but the distinction of the largest solar power plant in the world goes to the United States. It is located in the Mojave Desert in California and is so large that it effectively covers 1000 acres of desert. 5: SOLAR POWER IS BIG BUSINESSSolar power is still seen as a niche market by many, but the truth is, it is already big business around the world. A number of international companies, as well as thousands of smaller businesses, have invested in the creation of solar power and it is a well-established market with manufacturers in the United States, China, Japan and Germany (to name but a few). 6: SOLAR ENERGY HAS MANY APPLICATIONSSolar energy is already being used on an everyday basis by architects and urban planners all around the world. It is also being used for power generation in agriculture, horticulture, transport, fuel production and of course as an eco-friendly heating solution. 7: THE TRUTH IS OUT THERESince 1958 space missions outside of the earth's atmosphere have been powered by solar energy. In fact, organisations such as NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) in the Unites States have played a leading role in the development of more efficient photovoltaic cells.The Earth receives about 3,850,000 exajoules, EJ, per year from the sun, which is more energy in one hour than the world currently uses in an entire year. This means that the potential energy behind our only star is limitless in terms of what we as a planet or even as a race will ever need. That is, until we reach for the stars ourselves and become part of the science fact behind the solar powered future of the human race.
