2.  The sun is a giant ball of gas. It sends out huge amounts of energy every day. Most of the energy goes off into space. BUT only small parts reaches the earth.

3. WITHOUT THE IT WOULD BE TO: ANDAND

4. AND

5.  It's a fact that all life depends on and comes from the sun. The production of oxygen and food would be impossible without solar energy. Farmers know the value of a large field with a plentiful supply of sunlight, and now individuals all around the world are taking this boundless source of diffuse energy more seriously as the finite supply of fossil fuels dwindle.

6.  Solar panels convert selected wavelengths of light into electricity.  Solar Collectors transform short wavelengths into long wavelengths and trap this energy in the form of heat which is transferred and transported into a heat storage vault.

7.  Most hot water systems are designed to preheat water before it enters a conventional hot water heating system. The five parts of the system include a:  Collector  Pump  heat storage tank  differential thermostat.

8.  Hydronic solar heating systems work the same way as solar hot water systems except that the stored hot water is used for house heating rather than domestic hot water systems. Hydronic solar heating systems are typically ten or more times larger than domestic hot water systems. In mild, sunny areas the hot air from solar greenhouses are often used for house heating, but hydronic systems are more suited for cold climates.

9. Solar energy is free and clean and there is enough for everyone. Solar energy is renewable so we will never run out of it. The sun will keep making energy for millions of years to come. We don’t use solar energy for all of our energy needs because we don’t know how yet. The hard part is capturing the sunlight because it shines all over the earth and only a little bit reaches any one place. Also, on a cloudy day, most of the light never reaches the ground at all.

10. People put solar collectors on their roof as demonstrated in my diorama. Solar collectors capture the sunlight and turn it into heat. People heat their houses and their water using the sun’s energy. Solar cells can turn light energy into electricity. Some toys and calculators use solar cells instead of batteries. Big solar cells can make enough electricity for a house. Solar energy provides only a tiny bit of the electricity we use today but in the future, it could be a major source of energy.