Renewables, including solar, wind, hydro, biofuels and others, are at the centre of the transition to a less carbon-intensive and more sustainable energy system.

Solar energy is that produced by the Sun's light – photovoltaic energy – and its warmth – solar thermal – for the generation of electricity or the production of heat. Inexhaustible and renewable, since it comes from the Sun, solar energy is harnessed using panels and mirrors.

Solar energy is the radiation from the Sun capable of producing heat, causing chemical reactions, or generating electricity. The total amount of solar energy received on Earth is vastly more than the world's current and anticipated energy requirements.

Solar panels are usually made from silicon, or another semiconductor material installed in a metal panel frame with a glass casing. When this material is exposed to photons of sunlight (very small packets of energy) it releases electrons and produces an electric charge.

If you plug into an outlet, AC power will flow from it. Most televisions, computers, routers, cell phones, refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers and water heaters use AC electricity. But, solar batteries and solar systems use DC electricity.

The efficiency of solar panels has improved dramatically in recent years, from an average of around 15% conversion of sunlight to usable energy to around 20%. High-efficiency solar panels can reach as much as nearly 23%.

Solar energy is the radiation from the Sun capable of producing heat, causing chemical reactions, or generating electricity. The total amount of solar energy received on Earth is vastly more than the world's current and anticipated energy requirements.

As a renewable source of power, solar energy has an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change, which is critical to protecting humans, wildlife, and ecosystems. Solar energy can also improve air quality and reduce water use from energy production.

As each planet in our solar system rotates on its axis, it also revolves around the sun. The time that it takes for a planet to make a complete revolution around the sun is the planet's year. The path that the planet follows around the sun is called its orbit.

Yes, in a residential photovoltaic (PV) system, solar energy can be stored for future use inside of an electric battery bank. Today, most solar energy is stored in lithium-ion, lead-acid, and flow batteries.