The sun shines on Earth every day, and yet no one thinks much about it. The importance of solar energy, however, goes beyond what one could have imagined. There is active solar energy, which is when solar energy is converted into light, heat, causes air movement for ventilation or cooling, or stores heat for future use . It's less thought about, but the other type of solar energy is passive energy, which most take for granted. Solar energy provides life with heat, light and now electricity. Solar energy also plays a role in 4 of the 5 areas of green technology: energy, green building, environmentally friendly purchasing and green chemistry. Overall, solar energy is a fairly unique form of energy. The simplest type of solar energy is passive energy. This is when solar energy is used directly in the form of heat or light. This energy can be harvested as easily as changing the way a structure is oriented, designed or built. Windows can allow the sun to heat and light the room to replace electricity during the day. Heat-absorbing surfaces, such as dark walls, can help collect heat to warm the house, while vents are used to distribute warm air throughout the house (Gale). Overall, passive energy is one of two types of solar energy. Active power occurs when solar energy is transformed into electricity using a technology called solar photovoltaics (PV) or into heat by solar thermal energy. Unlike passive solar energy, this type of energy is not directly transformed into forms. Semiconductors are used in solar photovoltaics. They create electricity when exposed to sunlight. These are flat plates that feature an insulated, glass-covered box painted black to maximize heat collection. Between the collectors, the water circulates in loops, where the water is heated, and the middle of the paper......the panels take up space because they take up a lot of space. Overall, solar energy is quite important for life on Earth. Without passive solar energy, what humans call life would not have existed. Active energy can benefit the health of planet Earth. It can be used to replace fossil fuels, as these will run out as demand continues to increase. Solar energy is extremely environmentally friendly compared to other forms of energy. It is also a type of energy that humans have in large quantities, the quantity is almost infinite. People who live far and isolated from power plants can simply use the solar panels installed on their roof to generate energy. Switching to solar energy will also greatly improve life on Earth in the long term and help slow disasters such as global warming. Solar power is more important than anyone could have imagined.