Solar energy, the heat and light from the sun, has been used by humans since they first walked on the earth. Practically speaking in ancient times humans relied mainly on passive systems of energy collection. Passive systems in use today include elements in design of buildings to most effective capture the sun’s energy. One example would be incorporating windows facing the sun such as in the construction of a solarium.
Passive solar cooling
In passive cooling, high mass materials such as brick, adobe, or stone have been used to keep interiors cool. The stone, brick, or adobe absorbs heat during the day and releases the heat at night. Combined with ventilation at night this was and is a method to keep interior spaces cooler than the ambient outdoor air.
Environmental Impact in Acquiring Non-renewable Energy.
The result of acquiring and transporting fossil fuels such as petroleum cannot be understated. The Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, Alaska in 1989, spilling over 750,000 barrels of oil. The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010 released an estimated 200,000,000 barrels of oil. In addition, the loss of wildlife in the Gulf may have exceeded the staggering cost of over $20 billion dollars irrespective of the long term environment impact.
Mining activities in the world’s coal producing regions have blighted the land, and in the United States alone the benefits paid to miners and their families as the result of “Black Lung” disease have exceeded $44 billion dollars in the last forty years.
Another major environment problem is the emission of greenhouse gases.
Active Solar Systems
Active solar systems such as for water and heating or cooling have been studied and developed in recent decades. The research and development for improved active solar technology has been driven by the cost of non-renewable fuels and the concern over the environmental impact in acquiring them and in using them.
Improvement in Active Solar Technology
Early solar systems incorporated solar panels in lieu of a boiler. They were basically water based systems which required large storage tanks, heat exchangers, and a large number of solar cells. Space requirements and costs meant that they were not really cost effective.
As the solar energy field expands, improvement in solar cell technology and manufacturing techniques have brought down the cost of solar technology. Coupled with the need for fewer solar collectors and the use of radiant heat technology the cost has decreased for a homeowner to implement a system over previous designs, but systems are still relatively expensive in terms of return on investment (ROI).
Commercial Solar Farms
The exciting prospect for the future of solar technology lies not with an individual homeowner but rather with the development of commercial solar farms. A number of solar farms have been developed in countries around the world. Some can provide electric needs for tens of thousands of homes.
Large solar farms may be the future. Utilities have studied them in recent years in the Southwestern United States, particularly in regions of high heat, plentiful sunshine, and low or no populations.
Companies are investigating the possibility of using the sun’s heat rather than light to generate electricity or a combination of heat and light. These projects are massive in scope and in states like Arizona where a lot of attention has been focused, light, heat, and desert land are available. The stumbling block is that construction costs and funding have hampered process due to the large amount of initial capital needed in a slow United States economy.
The first projects of this size and scope naturally can be assumed to be fraught with difficulties, but with the proof of concept and the improvement in technology which is likely to follow the future of solar power may indeed be sunny.
Sources:
Chiras, Dan (2006). The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy: Achieving Energy Independence through Solar, Wind, Biomass and Hydropower. Gabriola Island, BC Canada: New Society Press. ISBN 10086571536
Tony De Vita - My basic background was in mathematics. Having received a B.S. summa cum laude, from Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. My first job was ...
