Solar Panels soaking up the sun's energy in a green field

What You Don’t Know about Solar Energy

Let Solar Energy Light Up Your World!

Solar energy is the light of the world! There’s no substitute for it, no matter how efficient our lightbulbs become! Sunlight is something that wakes us in the morning, but also something that gives us a good idea of when we need to get ready to go, or go home to sleep. Solar energy is something that we are learning to better utilize more everyday, but something about which we still have a lot to learn. What we do know about solar energy, however, is the amazing impact that it can have on our daily lives, as well as the good that it does for people all over. Solar energy is here, there, and everywhere, but did you know these facts?

Everything on Earth Needs Solar Energy

Solar energy is the driving force behind every breath of life on the planet. Farm animals need food grown in the sun, and most of the air we breathe is produced by plankton that only consume sunshine for energy. The fruits and vegetables that we love, and that make our bodies strong simply need soil, water, and plenty of sun. Solar energy provides nutrients to our bodies, too! Without sunlight, we can’t produce the Vitamin D that our bodies need to help calcium absorb into bones. Thanks to solar energy, you can see where you’re going during the day, you can read your favorite book by the window, and you can pick the best produce at the farmer’s market. Solar energy is the beginning of everything!

The First Solar Panel was Created in the 1800s

In the race to find a renewable source of energy, solar energy emerged as the first player in the green revolution in the 1800s! Toward the end of the 1800s, a European scientist discovered that certain chemicals will react to sunlight, and produce an electric spark. Later, these chemicals were refined, and processed in a way that made them safe for people to touch, and they laid the groundwork for the first solar panels. The first solar panels were released for commercial use in the 1950s. The first solar panels ever manufactured began their use in the 1950s, and are still going strong to this day! Today, solar panels on homes and businesses have warranties that span decades, and though are expected to decline in ability over time, have actually shown to rarely lose their ability to absorb and convert sunlight into energy.

Solar Panels Come in a Huge Variety of Sizes

Solar panels have come a long way since being invented and released in the 1950s. Many modern solar panels are small enough to fit on your keychain, and some that are just a little larger stick to office windows to charge small electronics, like phones and tablets. When most people think of solar energy, solar panels are the first things that come to mind. Solar panels can be those keychains for the flashlight you love, or they can expand over a miles in length! Solar panels like this are usually found on solar farms, the places where the most solar energy is harvested, and the place where your local solar energy provider will get the power you need today! Contact your utility company to make the switch to solar energy!