Question: what's the most abundant energy source in our solar system? Here's a hint. It's 1 million times bigger than the earth, and without it our planet would be a dark, cold rock floating in space. You guessed it. The incredible brilliant Sun. The earth gets more energy from this ball of fire and gas in one day than the whole world's population uses in an entire year. Every living thing depends on the Sun for its existence, from tiny microbes deep in the ocean, to plants, animals, and people. Humans have been tinkering with solar energy since the dawn of time. Ancient civilizations use glass and mirrors to light fires, but it wasn't until the 1950s that technology was developed to convert the sun's energy into electricity using photovoltaic cells. Today solar technology is more efficient and less expensive, and is used all around the globe to create electricity, heat water, cook food, and even power vehicles. So how does solar panels usually work? When the Sun hits a solar panel, material inside, usually silicon, absorbs the energy. This causes the electrons and it's atoms to get very excited and start dancing around. The atoms then get hot and shed the electrons, which travel out of the panel through copper wiring and ZAP we have electricity. A control device, called an inverter, changes this electricity from direct current to the alternating current we use. The electricity then passes from breaker boxes to outlets and into electrical items, like your computer and lights. Whatever you don't use can go back into the grid to be used by someone else. So there you have it - the amazing power of the Sun.