Radiant heat and natural light are all products produced by the sun. This energy can be harnessed for multiple uses that appear to be limited to the human imagination and ingenuity.
Solar energy market research and solar industry analysis & reports shows that it is a renewable energy source available, and there is available technology to harness this energy, there are still significant challenges to more widespread use and adoption.
Perhaps the biggest challenge to that energy industry is to develop and introduce mass production and distribution systems that will eventually result in lower unit costs that may be comparable to those of other fossil fuel sources.
There are many ways in which solar energy can be harnessed. Perhaps the most advanced is the photovoltaic process or the physical process of converting light to electricity. First observed in 1890, the photoelectric effect became the subject of considerable scientific research and in fact the most noted physicist of the last century, Albert Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work on photoelectricity.
Today, due to continuing technological advances Photovoltaic has become cost-effective and is being used extensively but not exclusively in a rapidly expanding fashion. The sun's energy can also be used to produce both heating and cooling systems in both residential and commercial environments. This energy can also, obviously be used for lighting.