It’s the ability to do a work. What is Energy? It’s the ability to do a work. SOURCES OF ENERGY: Renewable / Non-renewable Wind; Oil; Geothermal; Nuclear; Biomass; Coal; Solar. Natural gas.

USES OF ENERGY We use a lot of energy - in our homes, in businesses, in industry, and for travelling between all these different places. The industrial sector uses about one-third of the total energy. The residential and commercial sectors combined use even more than this - 40 percent of all energy. These two sectors include all types of buildings, such as houses, offices, stores, restaurants, and places of worship. Energy used for transportation accounts for more than a quarter of all energy. Share of Energy Consumed by Major Sectors of the Economy

RENEWABLE ENERGY: Wind; Geothermal; Water; Biomass; Solar.

Non-Renewable Energy Non-renewable energy sources come out of the ground as  liquids, gases and solids. Right now, crude oil (petroleum) is the only naturally liquid commercial fossil fuel. Natural gas and propane are normally gases, and coal is a solid. Coal, petroleum, natural gas, and propane are all considered fossil fuels because they formed from the buried remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago.  Uranium, a solid, is mined and converted to a fuel.  Uranium is not a fossil fuel.   These energy sources are considered non-renewable because they can not be replenished (made again) in a short period of time.  Renewable energy sources can be replenished naturally in a short period of time.

Non-renewable Energy Oil; Nuclear; Coal; Natural gas.

People have used the sun as a heat source for thousands of years. THE SOLAR ENERGY The Solar energy is the light and radiant heat from the Sun that influences Earth's climate and weather and sustains life. Solar power is sometimes used as a synonym for solar energy or more specifically to refer to electricity generated from solar radiation. Since ancient times solar energy has been used by men through a range of technologies. Solar radiation along with secondary solar resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass account for most of the available flow of renewable energy on Earth. Solar energy technologies can provide electrical generation by heat engine or photovoltaic means, space heating and cooling in active and passive solar buildings; potable water via distillation and disinfection, daylighting, hot water, thermal energy for cooking, and high temperature process heat for industrial purposes.“We can use solar power in two different ways: as a heat source, and as an energy source. People have used the sun as a heat source for thousands of years.

FROM THE SUN TO ELETRICITY Solar energy is the sun’s rays (solar radiation) that reach the earth. Solar energy can be converted into other forms of energy, such as heat and electricity.  In the 1830s, the British astronomer John Herschel used a solar thermal collector box (a device that absorbs sunlight to collect heat) to cook food during an expedition to Africa. Today, people use the sun's energy for lots of things. Solar energy can be converted to thermal (or heat) energy and used to: Heat water – for use in homes, buildings, or swimming pools. Heat spaces – inside greenhouses, homes, and other buildings. Solar energy can be converted to electricity in two ways: PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV devices) or “SOLAR PANELS” – change sunlight directly into electricity. PV systems are often used in remote locations that are not connected to the electric grid.  They are also used to power watches, calculators, and lighted road signs. SOLAR POWER PLANTS -  indirectly generate electricity when the heat from solar thermal collectors is used to heat a fluid which produces steam that is used to power generator. Out of the 15 known solar electric generating units operating in the United States at the end of 2006, 10 of these are in California, and 5 in Arizona. No statistics are being collected on solar plants that produce less than 1 megawatt of electricity, so there may be smaller solar plants in a number of other states.

CONCLUSIONS Pros and cons of solar energy……