Solar Energy

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Solar Energy

• Directly or indirectly the sun is responsible for
  all of the energy on earth.
• Direct solar energy is a clean, renewable energy
  resource that is easily vast enough to provide us
  with all of our energy needs.
• There are 3 main ways we can harvest solar
  energy Solar hot water, Solar thermal
  electricity, and Photovoltaic cells.

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Solar Map of the US
http//www.seia.org/galleries/default-image/Solar
20Map--US.gif
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Can solar power provide a significant proportion
of energy demand in the future?

• http//www.ases.org/

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Why solar power has potential

• Development of solar technologies started back in
  the 1860s.
• Only a small fraction of the available solar
  energy is actually used.
• It is inexhaustible.
• Quiet and clean.
• Does not put CO2 into the atmosphere
• Creates jobs.

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• Although solar panels or solar lights are costly,
  money is saved in the long run.
• Also, having an array of solar panels on your
  roof can be used to generate power directly for
  your home.

http//www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/solar.htm
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• Sunlight is converted to energy through a variety
  of technologies.
• If properly designed, buildings can use daylight
  all year round by capturing the suns heat in the
  winter and reducing it in the summer.

http//www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/solar.htm
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• Increasing value of passive solar.
• Businesses and industries are using it.
• It is expected that solar energy technologies
  will have a significant growth in the 21st
  century.

Google images
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Does our group agree with the evidence??

• YES!!!!!!!

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Issues With Efficiency

•  
• Solar panels are not cheap and because they are
  constructed from expensive fragile materials that
  must constantly be maintained and often replaced.
• Since each photovoltaic panel has only about a
  40 efficiency, single solar panels are not
  sufficient power producers.
• About one-third of sunlight is reflected back
  into space, and some is absorbed by the
  atmosphere.

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Enhancing Efficiency

• Passive solar design will minimize heat in summer
  and capture it in winter.
• Innovative designs and processes are driving down
  costs.
• Solar energy is captured more in space than on
  Earth.

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A Passive Solar Design
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Solar Power Satellites

• Can be perfectly aimed at the sun
• Microwaves are beamed to rectenna fields that
  rectify the microwave beams and distribute the
  energy to users.
• Sunlight would not be blocked, except for a few
  hours during equinoxes.

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Earth Energy Distribution
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Environmental Issues

• There are several problems with solar energy
  production that negatively impact our environment.

• There is a danger of toxic chemical pollution
  from heavy metals used in photovoltaic cells.
• Lead-acid batteries are used in some systems for
  storage.
• Large amounts of land are required for solar
  farms.
• Large scale production of solar energy may have
  negative effects on the environment.
• A significant amount of non-renewable energy is
  consumed in the manufacture of mirrors and solar
  panels.
• Solar Panels are dangerous to firefighters.

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Pollution From Solar Energy

• Heavy metals, such as arsenic, gallium and
  cadmium, may be used in photovoltaic cells. These
  metals are hard to recycle, and there is a danger
  of toxic chemical pollution from these materials.
  
• Workers who come in contact with these substances
  are subjected to health and safety hazards
• Silicon can also be harmful to workers if they
  breathe it in as dust.
• Workers involved in manufacturing photovoltaic
  modules can be protected from exposure to these
  materials without much trouble.
• These hazards are no different than any other
  source of energy production.

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Lead-Acid Batteries

• Lead-Acid batteries are used in some solar
  systems to store electricity that is generated.
• These batteries pose a problem to the environment
  because they are hard to dispose of, since
  chemicals from them can leach into the soil and
  water, causing contamination.
• Currently attempts are being made to develop
  alternatives to the lead-acid battery.

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Large Land Requirement

• A large amount of land is required for large
  scale solar power plants.
• Approximately one square kilometer for every
  20-60 megawatts.
• Generating electricity from coal requires as much
  or more land per unit of energy delivered.

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Negatives of Large Scale

• The large area of land required for solar-thermal
  plants can be a have a harmful effect on wildlife
  populations.
• Solar-Thermal plants require cooling water which
  is scarce and costly in desert areas.
• If too many solar collectors are placed in one
  area changes in local weather conditions or worse
  may occur.
• Fortunately, large central power plants are less
  effective than small-scale dispersed
  applications.

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Dangers to Firefighters

• Solar Panels cannot be shut down are always
  energized with up to 600 volts of DC current.
• The only way to de-energize a solar panel is to
  cover it and wait about a week.
• Water cannot be put on these panels because they
  are charged with electricity, and these panels
  may be lethal if you come in contact with them.
• The best way firefighters can deal with houses
  that have solar panels is to let them burn.

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Political Problems

• The energy department plans to spend 159 million
  on solar research and development. It will spend
  nearly double, 303 million, on nuclear energy
  research and development, and nearly triple, 427
  million, on coal, as well as 167 million on
  other fossil fuel research and development.
• Fossil fuels as we know are an un-renewable
  source of energy and will run out in our life
  time.

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Solar Energy too Costly?

• The main reason the government is spending such a
  low percentage of funds on solar energy is
  because it is a costly technology.
• Demand for manufacturing silicon from the solar
  energy and semiconductor industries has led to
  shortages that have temporarily driven up
  photovoltaic costs.
• As the technology becomes more developed costs
  will greatly decrease and become far more
  practical.

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Cost is worth the reward

• Solar energy easily has the potential to provide
  electricity for our entire planet in a renewable
  fashion.

A scientist trying to cut solar energy costs.
http//www.nytimes.com/2007/07/16/business/16solar
.html?_r1hporefslogin
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Social Problems

• Some utility companies continue to resist
  grid-connected PV systems.
• Companies such as Citizenre offer claims to
  provide free solar panel installations and
  provide homeowners with solar electric power for
  the same price as they currently pay for
  electricity.
• These claims are obviously bogus and people who
  sign up for Citizenre are no longer potential
  customers for real PV dealers.

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Local and U.S. Solar Regulations

• There are no laws/regulations that prevent solar
  development in the Northeast Pennsylvania area
• On a national level, the U.S. wants to decrease
  solar exporting
• Basic solar research funding comes almost
  entirely from the U.S. government
• Due to petty politics, solar funding has received
  less attention.

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Other Industrialized Countries

• Aggressive financial incentives in Germany and
  Japan have made these countries global leaders in
  solar deployment for years.
• Currently in the UK there are grants available
  to help you install solar power in your home.
• In the United Kingdom, solar power isn't much use
  for high-power applications, as you need a large
  area of solar panels to get a decent amount of
  power.

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Power to the People!
You can legally prevent your neighbors' trees
from growing tall enough to shade your site
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Conclusion

• Solar energy has the capacity to provide all of
  the energy we will ever need.
• We have the ability to harvest this energy, but
  we must invest more money and further develop and
  perfect the technology at hand.
• Therefore we believe that solar energy is the
  energy of the future and can solve all of our
  energy demands including eliminating the
  pollution caused by other forms of electricity
  generation.

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Any Questions?
(Former president George W. Bush)