Solar Energy & The World Jennaca Guldenpfennig

What is Solar Energy? “sources of energy that can be directly attributed to the light of the sun or the heat that sunlight generates.” -Travis Bradford, Solar Revolution

Types of Solar Energy Photovoltaic (PV)-direct conversion of energy given off by the sun into electricity Thermal-use of the sun’s energy to heat other mediums often used in the generation of electricity

Photovoltaic (PV) Cells The technology of photovoltaics was not discovered until the 20th century. Solar panels consist of solar cells which are composed of semi-conductive material, often silicon or a silicon-blend. The sun’s light contains photons which hit the surface of the panel causing electrons to shift from a positively- charged layer to a negatively-charged layer. This movement of electrons creates an electrical current which is converted from a direct current to an alternating current by a converter box

Diagrams of How Solar Panels Work

Solar Thermal The way solar thermal power plants work is by harnessing the sun’s heat and light to superheat water. This water is then converted into steam, which powers a steam engine that generates thermal electricity (Bradford 92). Solar thermal systems can be used to heat a house, purify water, extract salt from ocean water by evaporation, and many other useful applications. Not all solar thermal applications generate electricity; in home applications, the sun’s heat is often harnessed to heat water that is used in the heating of the house.

Diagrams of a Few Solar Thermal Applications

Passive Solar Thermal Applications FREE Heat

History of Solar Energy Solar energy has been utilized since the prehistoric ages. The modern technologies that we now enjoy however, were only recently discovered. Many civilizations throughout history have harnessed the sun’s energy for a variety of purposes.

Pioneer Inventors 1767: Swiss scientist Horace de Saussare created first solar collector used in refrigeration and locomotive applications Late 1800s: William Adams developed a solar cooker and boiler 1861: Augustin Mouchot invented a solar steam engine 1891: Clarence Kemp patented the first commercial solar water heater. 1954: Bell Labs unveiled the first official PV cell

Interesting Solar History Facts/Myths Mythical stories say Archimedes incinerated Roman ships through the use of mirrors and the sun. Leonardo Da Vinci designed a gigantic solar bowl mirror for commercial use. President Carter, a big supporter of solar energy research, had a solar water heater installed in the white house. President Reagan ordered the removal of Carter’s solar system and dramatically cut solar research funds.

What’s Important About the History? While solar energy has existed since the beginning of civilization, the solar energy technologies we now enjoy have only recently been discovered. It is important to note, that solar energy has always existed, and the fascination of the sun’s power have led many scientists and researchers to develop ways to harness this energy. When solar energy has proper support and government funding, major breakthroughs are possible and inevitable in such a largely unknown field.

Energy Capability “the sun provides enough energy every hour to meet world demand for a year” “in one hour, the sun provides more energy to the earth than the world consumes in a year” “every day the sun beams down upon Earth several thousand times as much energy as we use” These stats and figures all sound encouraging, but what’s the catch? The catch is that we have yet to discover a way to harness and store this energy efficiently.

Future of Energy There are obvious advantages and disadvantages with all energy resources, and solar energy is no different. The energy source with advantages that far outweigh its disadvantages or whose disadvantages have the possibility of disappearing or decreasing in importance that will ultimately sustain us in the future.

A Few Advantages Solar energy is considered to be “free” (there is no price for enjoying/harnessing the sun’s energy, yet) The actual production of electricity from solar technologies is non-polluting. Solar energy, unlike the fossil fuels we rely on today, is renewable. The ability to supply remote areas with electricity.

Advantages Continued Electricity bill savings and in some areas even profit from selling excess electricity back to the energy companies. Initial investment pays off after a few years, and the energy you enjoy is “free”. Cost-effective in remote areas (i.e. rugged terrain or mountainous regions). Easy, rooftop installation and the generation of electricity is quiet in comparison to other renewables.

Disadvantages Initial start-up cost is expensive (from $10,000- $50,000 or higher). Harsh/cloudy weather can effect the efficiency of your solar energy system. When the sun is not shining, consumers must rely on traditional energy from the grid, or rely on batteries that are charged by solar energy during the day (inefficient storage techniques).

More and more developed countries are researching alternative energy sources, and as more large, developing nations industrialize, the need for alternatives to fossil fuels accelerates. The world supply of oil is nearing empty, so we are all in the same situation. There has been a dramatic increase in solar energy demand, cost and installation across the globe. 2003, 2004-Europe’s PV market saw a 50% annual increase in domestic production. Solar Energy Across the Globe

Germany 100,000 solar roofs program –50 eurocent/kWh feed-in tariff Use various subsidies to boost domestic solar industry Accounts for 80% of the PV installs in Europe Phasing out coal and nuclear power plants –Last German nuclear power plant set to close near 2020

Cloudy Germany is the leader in solar energy in Europe.

Japan Largest PV market Government 70,000 Roofs Program –Offered subsidy that cut the cost of grid-tied PV installations in half. –Program ended once PV was able to compete with conventional electricity costs PV manufacturers have expanded production and increased their exports.

Japan has created a growing solar energy industry. Sharp, Kyocera, Mitsubishi and Sanyo are among the top ten world solar-cell producers as of 2004.

United States Subsidies for photovoltaics left to state governments traditionally. U.S. was leader in PV capacity installation up until Rebates the main incentive in some states Washington state employed a feed-in tariff similar to those in Europe. California regulations only allow you to break even when sending energy back through the grid, cannot make a profit like countries in Europe.

U.S. Electricity vs. PV Electricity

California Solar Energy Over Time california-solar-history.aspx Over time, solar energy will become a more affordable and viable energy resource. Over the past decade, the leader in U.S. solar energy efforts, California has seen a boom in solar photovoltaic production, installation, and an increase in new solar energy companies manufacturing components or specializing in installation.

Germany, Japan, and the U.S. The major component that separates the top three solar energy countries is government funding. The U.S. government is starting to step up its research funding and solar incentives, even if for the wrong reasons. Japan and Germany solar industries have accelerated due mostly to government subsidies and other incentives aimed at building and sustaining a solar industry.

Solar Energy In the News Triumph International Japan, in an effort to promote environmental awareness, created the solar bra (left) in hopes of getting people to think more about our energy future. Another interesting solar current event involves PG&E, California, and space. Solaren Corp, a California-based firm, hopes to launch a satellite built with solar panels into space and convert the near- constant energy supply from the sun into radio waves which will be sent back down to Fresno where antennae will collect the energy to be converted into electricity to be fed into the grid. PG&E has agreed to buy up this electricity from Solaren. This new concept of harnessing the sun’s energy in space to be converted into electricity down on earth is capable of solving the intermittency solar energy technologies on Earth now face. Sources:

The Solution The need for a cheap and reliable source of energy is here, and solar energy’s relatively large area for research and role throughout history make it a fitting candidate for the world’s energy future. Solar energy has the greatest capacity for electricity generation and a great capacity for growth and development. Solar energy lacks only the research necessary to sustain the world’s energy demands. Increased research and government incentives will lower cost and increase efficiency. The age of cheap, dirty oil has long passed us by. We must remember…

"The kind of thinking that has gotten us into this situation is not the kind of thinking that will get us out of it." -Albert Einstein

“I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait 'til oil and coal run out before we tackle that.” Thomas Edison (1847–1931)