Definition of the word solar energy

The term "solar energy" can be traced back to the late 19th century when scientists first began to study the properties of solar radiation. At the time, the word "solar" was commonly used to describe anything related to the sun, including solar systems, solar eclipses, and solar degreasers. The concept of harnessing the sun's energy for practical purposes was still in its infancy, and the word "solar" was often used interchangeably with "photovoltaic" or "photoelectric." It wasn't until the 1960s and 70s, when solar technologies truly started to take off, that the term "solar energy" became widely accepted. In short, the word "solar" in "solar energy" refers to the fact that this type of energy is derived from the sun. The word "energy" is simply a catch-all term for the ability to do work, and in this context, it refers to the potential for solar radiation to be converted into a usable form of power, such as electricity or heat.