Solar energy is a renewable energy

Solar energy is a renewable energy, obtained from the use of electromagnetic radiation from the Sun. The solar radiation that reaches the Earth has been exploited by humans since Antiquity, through different technologies that have been evolving. Today, the heat and sunlight can be exploited by means of various sensors such as photoelectric cells, heliostats or solar collectors, which can be transformed into electrical or thermal energy. It is one of the so-called renewable energies or clean energies, which could help solve some of the most urgent problems facing humanity.

Different solar technologies can be classified as passive or active according to how they capture, convert and distribute solar energy. Active technologies include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors to collect energy. Among the passive techniques, there are different techniques framed in the bioclimatic architecture: the orientation of the buildings to the Sun, the selection of materials with a favorable thermal mass or that have properties for the dispersion of light, as well as the design of spaces by ventilation natural.

In 2011, the International Energy Agency stated that "The development of clean, inexpensive and inexhaustible solar technologies will be a huge long-term benefit. It will increase countries' energy security through the use of a local, inexhaustible source of energy and, more importantly, independently of imports, will increase sustainability, reduce pollution, reduce the costs of mitigating climate change, and prevent the rise excessive price of fossil fuels. These advantages are global. In this way, the costs for its incentive and development should be considered investments; they must be carried out correctly and widely spread ».The most developed solar energy source today is photovoltaic solar energy. According to reports from the environmental organization Greenpeace, photovoltaic solar energy could supply electricity to two thirds of the world's population by 2030.

Thanks to technological advances, sophistication and economy of scale, the cost of photovoltaic solar energy has been reduced steadily since the first commercial solar cells were built, increasing efficiency, and the average cost of Electricity generation is already competitive with non-renewable energies3 in an increasing number of geographical regions, reaching network parity.4 5 Other solar technologies, such as solar thermal energy, are also reducing their costs considerably.

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