Posted by Emily on October 31, 2001 at 12:23:46:
In Reply to: Solar power is near-useless anywhere prone to cloud cover posted by Diarmuid on October 31, 2001 at 04:19:02:
Clouds, unless the cover is extremely heavy, don't stop much of the sun's rays from reaching the ground. It's easy to get a sunburn on a cloudy day if you're outside.
Plus, in one day more solar energy reaches the Earth than the total amount of energy Earth's 6 billion people would use in 30 years. So, it's possible to "store" this energy for a short period of time. It works kind of like how a cat's eyes work, actually, absorbing and reflecting light.
-Emily