Exploring Ways to Use Solar Energy
Step outside on a hot, sunny day, and you'll experience the power of the sun's heat and the light. That's solar energy.
You can use solar energy to do the following:
Heat your home through passive solar design or an active solar heating system
Generate your own electricity
Heat water in your home or swimming pool
Dry your clothes. Use a clothesline to reduce the energy consumed by your clothes dryer.
To enable your use of solar energy for these purposes, your community may have established solar access planning guidelines and/or ordinances.
If you live in the southwestern United States, you may even have the opportunity now or in the future to buy clean electricity from a concentrating solar power plant.
See Solar Radiation Basics to learn more about how solar energy works.