Solar energy is solar radiation that can produce heat, cause chemical reactions or generate electricity. The Sun is an extremely powerful energy source, and sunlight is by far the largest source of energy received by the Earth, but its intensity at the Earth's surface is actually quite low. This is essentially due to the enormous radial scattering of radiation from the distant Sun. A relatively minor additional loss is due to the Earth's atmosphere and clouds, which absorb or scatter up to 54% of incoming sunlight. However, the total amount of solar energy incident on Earth is far greater than the world's current and projected energy needs. If properly exploited, this highly widespread source has the potential to meet all future energy needs. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In the 21st century, solar energy is expected to become increasingly attractive as an energy source due to its inexhaustible supply and non-polluting character, in stark contrast to limited fossil fuels: coal, oil and gas natural. Sunlight reaching the ground is made up of nearly 50% visible light, 45% infrared radiation, and smaller amounts of ultraviolet and other forms of electromagnetic radiation. This radiation can be converted into thermal energy (heat) or electrical energy, although the former is easier to achieve. Two main types of devices are used to capture solar energy and convert it into thermal energy: flat plate collectors and concentrating collectors. Because the intensity of solar radiation at the Earth's surface is so low, both types of collectors must have a large area. Even in sunny areas of the world's temperate regions, for example, a collector must have a surface area of ​​about 40 square meters to collect enough energy to meet a person's energy needs. The most widely used flat plate collectors consist of a blackened metal plate panel, covered with one or two glass plates, which is heated by the sunlight hitting it. This heat is then transferred to air or water, called carrier fluids, which flow along the back of the plate. The heat can be used directly or it can be transferred to another medium for storage. Flat plate collectors are commonly used for hot water heating and home heating. Heat storage for use at night or on cloudy days is commonly done using insulated tanks to store heated water during sunny periods. Such a system can provide a home with hot water drawn from the storage tank or, with the heated water flowing through pipes in the floors and ceilings, it can provide space heating. Flat plate collectors typically heat carrier fluids to temperatures between 66 and 93 °C. The efficiency of such collectors varies from 20 to 80%, depending on the design of the collector. When higher temperatures are needed, a concentrating or focusing collector is used. These devices concentrate sunlight received from a large area onto a small blackened receiver, thereby greatly increasing the intensity of the light to produce high temperatures. The arrays of carefully aligned mirrors or lenses used in these so-called solar ovens can concentrate enough sunlight to heat a target to temperatures of 2,000°C or more. This heat can be used to study the.