In radiometry, radiant energy is

the energy of electromagnetic radiation.[1] The SI unit of radiant energy is the joule (J). The quantity of radiant
energy may be calculated by integrating radiant flux (or power) with respect to time. The symbolQe is often used
throughout literature to denote radiant energy ("e" for "energetic", to avoid confusion with photometric quantities).
In branches of physics other than radiometry, electromagnetic energy is referred to using E or W. The term is
used particularly when electromagnetic radiation is emitted by a source into the surrounding environment. This
radiation may be visible or invisible to the human eye. [2][3]

Applications[edit]
Radiant energy is used for radiant heating.[9] It can be generated electrically by infrared lamps, or can
be absorbed from sunlight and used to heat water. The heat energy is emitted from a warm element
(floor, wall, overhead panel) and warms people and other objects in rooms rather than directly
heating the air. Because of this, the air temperature may be lower than in a conventionally heated
building, even though the room appears just as comfortable.
Various other applications of radiant energy have been devised. [10] These include:

Treatment and inspection

Separating and sorting

Medium of control

Medium of communication

Many of these applications involve a source of radiant energy and a detector that responds to that
radiation and provides a signal representing some characteristic of the radiation. Radiant energy
detectors produce responses to incident radiant energy either as an increase or decrease in electric
potential orcurrent flow or some other perceivable change, such as exposure of photographic film.
One of the earliest wireless telephones to be based on radiant energy was invented by Nikola Tesla.
The device used transmitters and receivers whose resonances were tuned to the same frequency,
allowing communication between them. In 1916, he recounted an experiment he had done in 1896.
[11]
He recalled that "Whenever I received the effects of a transmitter, one of the simplest ways [to
detect the wireless transmissions] was to apply a magnetic field to currents generated in a
conductor, and when I did so, the low frequency gave audible notes."