The Usefulness of Solar Energy

"More energy from sunlight strikes Earth in one hour than all of the energy consumed by humans in an entire year" (Lewis, 2007, p.798). Although this statement sounds unbelievable, it is true and that is why there is always so much talk about solar energy. However, there are still people out there who are asking themselves, "What is solar power and what is it used for?" Solar energy is the process of converting solar photons into useable energy. The purpose of solar energy is to generate energy in a cost efficient, environmentally safe manner.

The history of solar power dates all the way back to the Greeks, who used mirrors made of shinny metals to focus the sun rays in order to start a fire (Brooke, 1992). The second most notable historic experiment with the sun was when T.S Seeback used focused sunrays to heat a bi-metallic ring that produced an electric current in 1822 (Global Resources, 2008). Another way that people used solar power was by aligning mirrors with the sun and focusing these mirrors onto a tank of water (Global Resources, 2008). The water in this tank would become heated and eventually turn into steam, this steam would then power some sort of engine (Global Resources, 2008). One of the most common misconceptions about solar energy is that people tend to think that if an electrical device is not powered by a giant blue panel, then the electrical device simply is not powered by solar energy. Some of the methods and principles that were used in the past to develop solar power are still being used today (Brooke, 1992). Many places around the world have solar thermal power plants that can generate enough power to supply 6,000 homes. A solar thermal power plant uses the power of the sun to boil water into steam, and then this steam will power a turbine (Wald, 2008). This is the same exact thing people were doing in the 1800's (Wald, 2008). The solar thermal plants today are much larger, of course, and can take up as much as 300 acres (Wald, 2008). So much space is essential for a solar thermal plant because a large amount of water is being heated and hundreds and hundreds of mirrors are necessary to bring this water to a boil (Wald, 2008). Although it may seem inefficient to take up all this space, it really is not because these power plants are placed in the center of giant desserts that are practically uninhabited (Brooke, 1992). One of the best things about solar thermal power plants is that after the steam turns back into water it is then reused to turn into steam again (Wald, 2008). 

The most popular form of solar power used today is photovoltaic solar power (Brooke, 1992). Photovoltaic solar power is achieved by using photovoltaic solar panels to transform solar photons directly into electricity (Brooke, 1992). Unlike solar thermal power, photovoltaic solar power does not involve liquid or mirrors (Brooke, 1992). A panel with various layers of semiconductors contains materials that attract sunlight (Brooke, 1992). As the sun is being absorbed into the panel it changes loosely bound electrons (that are stored in a layer known as the "N-type" layer) into positive charges (that are stored in a layer known as the "P-type" layer) and this reaction is what makes electricity (Brooke, 1992).

Solar power is definitely headed for wide spread use in the future. One of the only things holding America back from fully accepting solar energy is the cost (Walsh, 2008). A typical rooftop solar power system could cost anywhere from 35,000 to 65,000 dollars (Hughes, 2009). While this sounds very expensive, one can actually get paid for any additional energy one does not use, and federal and state tax incentives tend to offer very hefty rebates (Hughes, 2009). As far as the future of solar technology goes, photovoltaic panels are constantly being experimented with in an effort to make them yield more energy and cost less money (Brooke, 1992). Other methods to develop solar energy in general are being explored as well (The Economist, 2008). One of the most popular ways to develop solar energy in the future is by launching satellites into space that have photovoltaic solar panels (The Economist, 2008). Having a vast amount of solar panels in space would be a very immense project but the results would be outstanding (The Economist, 2008). Researchers think that they can beam the energy from a satellite back to earth using microwaves and then use giant antennas to receive these waves on earths surface (The Economist, 2008). Researchers know that they may have to wait a long time before their ideas will turn into reality and that the project will be very expensive but most researchers believe that space solar power will work and that it will definitely be worth the costs (The Economist, 2008).

Solar energy, like other types of alternative power sources, is sought to be improved upon every day. The improvements that will hopefully take place will make solar energy more efficient and affordable. It is the goal of almost everyone to find cheaper ways to fuel their homes and automobile. The daily improvements that are being made to solar thermal energy, photovoltaic solar energy, and space solar energy will hopefully make it possible for humanity to be totally independent of fossil fuels.

References: 

Brooke, Bob. (1992). Solar Energy. Philadelphia, NY: Chelsea House. 

Carey, John. (2007, October). Solar's day in the sun. Business Week, 70-76. 

Hanrahan, Clare. (2008). Global Resources. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven. 

Hughes, Trevor. (2009, June 4). More states want solar power to be option on new homes. USA Today, p. 3A. 

Lewis, N.S. (2007, February). Toward cost-effective solar energy use. Science, 315, 798-801.      

Wald, Matthew. (2008, April). New ways to store solar energy for nighttime and cloudy days. The New York Times, D3.

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