The amount of energy the sun sends towards our planet is 35,000 times more than what we currently produce and consume. Some part of this energy — better known as solar radiation — is reflected back into space but a lot of it is absorbed by the atmosphere and other elements surrounding the inner atmosphere. This energy can be easily harnessed for practical purposes such as heating homes, lighting bulbs and running automobiles and even airplanes. The uses can be as varied as the uses of energy itself. And the great thing is that we are never going to run out of this massive energy resource even for thousands and thousands of years.