Great questions! The sun helps plants grow by providing energy for the process of photosynthesis to occur. Photosynthesis is the way plants convert inorganic resources, such as sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and minerals, into organic resources that the plant can use.

The sun helps humans in several ways! First of all, it is a source of warmth, which allows human bodies to function. Without the warmth of the sun, the surface of the planet would be very cold, and the various cells, tissues, and organs in our body would cease to function. Furthermore, recall that the sun facilitates photosynthesis. One of the by-products of photosynthesis is oxygen, which is necessary for humans to breathe and live. Another way that the sun is important is that it helps to warm the oceans, which after many steps eventually results in the weather patterns we see.

As for your last question, the sun HAS solar energy. The word solar means "of, related to, or determined by the sun" (online dictionary). It turns out that light from the sun carries energy. This includes the visible light (light we can see from our eye) and also the light we cannot see from the sun's spectrum!

The sun gives us energy in its light rays -- think of the heat you feel when you sit in the sunshine (or get a sun burn). Heat is a type of energy. Plants use the energy in sunlight to grow. Plants use the energy from the sun instead of eating, like we do. This process plants use to make energy from sunlight is called photosynthesis.

Humans eat plants, so we indirectly use the sun's energy by eating plants which have used the sunlight to grow. We also use sunlight to get our vitamin D -- we need enough hours in the sun's energy or we don't get enough vitamin D!

The sun is the source of most of the energy on the Earth's surface (what isn't from the sun comes from volcanoes). The sun is needed for plant growth, and its warmth is what keeps the Earth from turning into a frozen ball of ice. The sun's energy also is what powers all of our weather, and we need the rain and snow for life on land to exist.

The sun provides energy through light radiation. This helps plants by providing them with the energy to convert carbon dioxide into sugars, which is how they grow.

The sun helps humans in a variety of ways, but most importantly by fueling plant growth, so we can eat the plants and the other animals that eat the plants.

The sun helps solar energy in two ways. There are solar cells, also called photovoltaics, which convert light energy into electricity. There are also thermal solar systems, which capture the warmth of the sun and convert the heat energy into electricity.