Ever since the dawn of time, the sun has been a resource we cannot live or do without, so its not such a shock that man has come up with the idea of solar energy. Solar energy had many uses. Some can be dangerous and some, a very valuable asset to the modern world. Solar energy is energy derived from the sun in a form of ultra-violet rays. It was first applied to use in 212 B.C., by the Greek genius Archimedes. Solar energy was used to defend the harbor of Syracuse against the Roman fleet. Archimedes used a mirror or "burning mirror" as they had called it, to set fire to the ships of the Roman fleets while standing on shore (McDaniels 83). It wasn't until 1615 when Salomon de Caux constructed the first solar device; a solar engine. His device was made of glass lenses, supporting frame, and an airtight metal vessel containing water and air. This produced a small water fountain when the air heated up during operation. This was considered to be more of a toy than a device, but it was the first published account of the use of solar energy since the fall of the Roman Empire (Cheremisinoff 1).

It is the year 2032. The world we live in is not that much different from the one that we occupied no more than thirty years ago. We still have schools, we still have crime and we still share love as much as we do hate. Things are better off for the most part. One prominent difference is the disappearance of fossil fuels. They are so rare that the government has stockpiled all that is left and has gone in favor of a new source of energy. The source is solar power. After a little refinement and condensation of the materials involved, solar power is now our most prominent form of energy. But how did it happen? How did solar power prove to be the wave of the future? We live in a day and age where resources are slowly becoming fewer and more far between. With the combination of gas being burned up in our vehicles at an alarming rate and the United States relations with the Middle East not being as superb as they used to be we are being faced with a growing concern. What can we do about our energy shortage? The short term answer is the reserves that are loaded into Alaska. That's all fine and good for the time being but what about even a hundred years in the future? Can we depend on Alaska's supplies to be there?

It's not that far off and solar power could easily be what gets us through that traffic jam every morning on the way to work. 4 Imagine you are still in the world of tomorrow. Even our current photovoltaic cells are a huge step forward from the larger and much less useful photo electrochemical cells that were first developed over twenty years ago. Nuclear fusion and fission are not viable answers yet and hydro power may not have what it takes. 2 Many theorize that with a little more research and development a smaller and more efficient solar convertor can be made in the same sense that now we have batteries for our CD players that can hold much more energy inside than they could even five years ago. Solar power could grind our coffee, sharpen our pencils and make sure our homes are warm and toasty in the evening during the cold, winter chill on a Michigan snowstorm. Even luxuries like television are fully operable due to solar panels inserted into homes that slowly rotate 24 hours a day to ensure maximum amounts of sunlight are captured. This is one of the most prominent cases in the argument towards the research of advancements in the study of solar power. 1 Photovoltaic conversion is utilized in solar cells that can be easily installed in developmental cars. There are only two real reasons why solar cells are not a perfect source for cars. Some say that they are minor obstacles that can be easily overpowered. They other problem would be that they cannot store power very well to be used later on days when there is little to no sunlight to be captured for driving purposes. Another strong point made by activist that are pushing for further development of solar powered technology is that unlike fossil fuels, solar energy does not produce the same sorts of wastes that destroy our environment on a daily basis. The changes of a water powered car are not that good.

In conclusion, solar can be an easy way to get energy while reserving the environment.

 

Emmanuel  Olinga

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