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Some Facts About Solar Energy

Solar power is acquired from energy that comes from the light of the sun. Using technology we can harness this power and use it in a number of different ways. It can be used for heating, lighting, and the generation of electricity.

The use of solar power is spreading as more and more people become concerned about the effect of fossil fuels on the environment and the spiralling costs of this type of energy.

Here are some facts about solar energy:

More energy comes from the sun in just one hour, than the world uses in a year.

The demand for Solar energy has risen by around 25% over the last 15 years.

There are 2 Billion people in the world with no access to electricity. Solar power would be the cheapest means of energy for most of them, but they cannot afford it.

Although it is possible to meet all our energy needs using Solar power less than 0.01% of our heating, transportation and power energy comes from this source.

The length of time required to recover your investment through reduced or avoided energy costs if you install a well designed Solar water heating system is 4-8 years.

Solar Energy does not pollute the atmosphere and is better for the environment than other traditional energy sources.

A home solar system is typically made up of solar panels, an inverter, a battery, a charge controller, wiring and support structure.

A 1 kilowatt family solar system will generate nearly 1,600 kilowatt hours per year in a sunny climate (receiving 5.5 hours of sunshine per day) and all but 750 kilowatt hours per year in a cloudy climate (receiving 2.5 hours of sunshine per day).

In many countries grants are available to homeowners to help with the cost of installing solar panels in the home.

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