How solar energy will make a better future
Cleaner, brighter air outside…and inside…an affordable gift that might be coming to your neighborhood soon.
As countries around the world commit to a “greener” planet, the price of solar power components is falling rapidly. Right now, there are basically two active solar energy technologies that are mature and ready for full harvest… photovoltaics (which converts sunlight directly into electricity) and concentrated solar thermal energy (uses mirrors and lenses to focus the light). sunlight in a concentrated beam converted to vapor). to generate electricity). In addition, passive solar energy, created by harnessing the sun’s rays with construction and design materials, is available everywhere…now.
Lower costs and increased availability of solar power components will allow us to get to a clean, pollution-free world sooner rather than later…or not at all.
Currently, the use of solar energy is complemented by the support of federal governments around the world. Whether through direct government construction or by providing incentives to encourage businesses and individuals to take better advantage of currently available solar energy techniques, governments around the world are beginning to see not only the advantages of using of solar energy, but also to take advantage of it.
Solar power in remote locations…space satellites, highway emergency telephones, isolated buildings, solar-powered traffic signals…are indications that solar power is advancing rapidly in these fields.
Solar-powered cars are quickly making their way to the forefront of energy-efficient transportation…in a jiffy. As gas and oil prices rise rapidly, owning a solar-powered car or hybrid makes more sense for more people every day. This, in turn, of course, provides the necessary incentive for automakers to produce more electric and hybrid vehicles.
China is investing heavily in the future of solar energy. In a country filled with vast deserts where solar power plants are being built rapidly and a large population to consume this energy, the national energy office intends to make China a world leader in collecting solar energy.
Japan, a long-time leader in solar power production, remains a large contributor to global solar power produced. Domestic production, however, has been mainly for domestic demand. Taiwan, Germany and Spain have also been large producers, although Germany and Spain are lagging behind due to high labor costs that keep production costs of solar power components high. This has reduced their competitiveness with China and Taiwan, whose labor costs remain low. North America, with high labor costs, has not been truly competitive in the world market until recently, with new technologies and production methods lowering costs and increasing interest.
The good news in all of this is that the crossover point where solar power reaches parity with other energy options… without government subsidies… is getting closer. With increased demand and global production creating competition, solar power is quickly becoming a viable energy option around the world.
What the world could look like with solar power is definitely a bright picture. The solar version of driving in densely populated cities in various parts of the world… New York, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Cairo… will be significantly different than it is today.
With the new materials in solar roofs, the shiny, shiny tiles or sparkles seen on roofs will be solar energy spreading across the roofs of the world. The exterior walls of our buildings will be more than just walls… they will also be solar collectors. Some farmers may choose to grow a new crop…solar cell photovoltaic cells or thermal collectors, and previously empty space in deserts and open grasslands will be used to capture and store the sun’s energy. Regardless of which methods work and are used, capturing and putting the sun to work in a solar energy system will make this a better place to live.
Imagine driving in any city without smog, being able to see unfiltered sunlight and being able to breathe clean air. The use of solar energy will allow for a stronger and healthier population.
Some of you are in the camp who strongly believe that the greenhouse gases created by burning fossil fuels are precipitating disastrous climate change. There is no doubt that you already believe that the use of solar energy, along with the other sources of renewable energy, can help us avoid the destruction of the planet that we know today.
There are some of you who are in the other camp…who want…or choose…to believe that greenhouse gases from fossil fuels are not to blame, or that climate changes are simply a natural cycle and reversible. However, there is one fact that cannot be escaped…fossil fuels are not renewable. They are disappearing. How fast is debatable. However, it is not disputed that even if fossil fuels do not disappear in your lifetime, the next generations will feel the effects of their disappearance. There is also no debate that prices are rising… and will continue to do so. A scarce resource is an expensive resource.
“We are like tenant farmers cutting the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using nature’s inexhaustible sources of energy: the sun, wind and tides.
I would put my money in the sun and solar power. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out to address that. I wish I had more years. Thomas Alva Edison
Thomas Edison readily recognized how solar power will create a better future many, many years ago. It’s time… that the rest of us read that lightbulb too.
