ousands of years. Alternative solar energy refers to energy from the sun that can be captured and used just like energy created by fossil fuels. The great benefit of solar energy is that its source, the sun, is not diminished by use of the energy, therefore making this type of power system (A. sustainable ).Р There are several different methods of collecting and using alternative solar energy. One of (D. the best known is photovoltaic cells ), usually seen as solar panels. Solar panels can be a very good means of collecting solar energy, but do have some drawbacks. While panels have the advantage of quickly turning absorbed solar radiation into usable energy, they are extremely (B. inefficient ). This means that much of the potential power of absorbed light is lost in the transfer process.