21st Century Skills InnovatIon LIbrary MakerS as Innovators Solar Energy Projects Cherry Lake PubLishing ann arbor MiChigan by audrey Huggett
MakerS as innovaTors Chapter 1 What Is Solar Energy t he sun is an important part of our lives even if we don’t think about it every day Its bright light allows us to see It provides us with a huge amount of energy In fact the amount of sunlight that reaches Earth each hour is more than enough to sat isfy the entire world’s energy needs for a whole year Have you ever thought of sunlight as energy 4
Solar EnErgy ProjEctS A tree takes energy from the sun and combines it with water from its roots to create oxygen which is released into the air and sugar which fuels the tree’s growth This energy conversion is known as photosynthesis If you have ever gone outside on a sunny day you’ve probably noticed the sun’s rays warming your skin Even on a cold day the difference in temperature between standing in the sun and standing in the shade is often noticeable That change in temperature is the energy in sunlight at work Sunlight warms you when you stand directly in the path of the energy 5
