From http://www.solarpowernotes.com

Solar energy which is a combination of light and heat is produced by sun. This energy moves from sun and reaches the earth where human collects it through solar collectors and convert it into any desirable form of energy. According to an assumption this renewable source of energy is powerful enough to replace the need of electricity that we get from 650 barrels of oil per year.

Below read some practical applications of solar energy

Some of Applications of solar enery

1. Power plants:  In conventional power plants non-renewable energy sources are used to boil water and form stream so that turbines can rotate and water to produce electricity. But with application of solar energy heat of sun can boil that water to create steam and rotate turbines. To convert sunlight into electricity solar panels, photoelectric technologies and thermoelectric technologies etc are used.
2. Homes: Use of solar energy is increasing in homes as well. Residential appliances can easily use electricity generated through solar power. Besides this solar energy is running solar heater to supply hot water in homes. Through photovoltaic cell installed on the roof of the house energy is captured and stored on batteries to use throughout the day at homes for different purposes. In this ways expenditure on energy is cutting down by home users.
3. Commercial use: on roofs of different buildings we can find glass PV modules or any other kind of solar panel. These panels are used there to supply electricity to different offices or other parts of building in a reliable manner. These panels collect solar energy from sun, convert it into electricity and allow offices to use their own electrical power for different purposes.
4. Ventilation system: at many places solar energy is used for ventilation purposes. It helps in running bath fans, floor fans, and ceiling fans in buildings. Fans run almost every time in a building to control moisture, and smell and in homes to take heat out of the kitchen. It can add heavy amount on the utility bills, to cut down these bills solar energy is used for ventilation purposes.
5. Power pump: solar power not just help in improving ventilation system at your homes but with that it can also help in circulating water in any building. You can connect power pump with solar power supply unit but you must run it on DC current so that water circulate throughout your home.
6. Swimming pools: swimming pools are great joy for kids and adults in all seasons. But during winters it is tough to keep water hot in these pools with minimum power usage. Solar energy can help many in this matter as well. You can add a solar blanket in the pool that will keep the water hot with energy generated from sunlight. Besides this you can install a solar hot water heating system with solar hot water heating panels.
7. Solar Lighting: these lights are also known as day lighting, and work with help of solar power. These lights store natural energy of sun in day time and then convert this energy into electricity to light up in night time. Use of this system is reducing load form local power plants.
8. Solar Cars: it is an electrical vehicle which is recharged form solar energy or sunlight. Solar panels are used on this car that absorb light and then convert it into electrical energy. This electrical energy is stored in batteries used with the car, so that in night time as well we can drive these vehicles.
9. Remote applications: Remote buildings are taking benefit of solar energy at vast scale. Remote schools, community halls, and clinics can take solar panel and batteries with them anywhere to produce and use electric power.

These are most common applications of solar energy that we get to see in our daily lives. As solar industry grows more diversified applications are expected to be seen in future.