The amount of sunlight that strikes the earth’s surface in an hour and a half is enough to handle the entire world’s energy consumption for a full year. Solar technologies convert sunlight into electrical energy either through photovoltaic (PV) panels or through mirrors that concentrate solar radiation. This energy can be used to generate electricity or be stored in batteries or thermal storage.

The advantages of solar energy are:

• Clean: It is considered to be the cleanest form of energy as there is no carbon dioxide emission like in the case of fossil fuels which is one of the causes of global warming.
• Renewable: There is ample energy available on earth as long as the sun exists.
• Reliable: The energy can be stored in the batteries, so there is no unreliability.
• reduction in utility costs.
• Free energy because it can be trapped easily.

Disadvantages of solar energy:

• The production is low during winters and on cloudy days.
• Installation and the initial cost of the materials are expensive.
• Space consumption is more.