Solar Selectives
Everywhere you turn, whether in advertisement or just in general discussion, the social catch phrase now seems to be “go green”. Whether its energy conservation or natural and organic lifestyle, the word green has taken on new meaning over the past decade.
When it comes to the environment and energy alternatives, solar energy and the global advantages it creates, is at the forefront of the green energy movement. All other energy sources we use are limited or produce harmful by-products. Nuclear energy has radioactive waste and we all know the political and public hot potato that source is. Also, there’s no such thing as clean coal and we know that electrical power is another form of dirty energy that also is not in endless abundance.
Now consider solar power, the ultimate alternative energy source that will be available providing that our sun continues to rise. However, tapping into this ultimate source and converting it into useable energy for all societies is the challenge that lies ahead. As we all know great advancements have already been made in this field and will continue to move forward.
Every day the sun provides enough solar energy to power the globe for a year. Despite continued advancements in the collection and utilization of solar power, just one tenth of one percent is harnessed towards the global demand of energy. Now according to a recent National Geographic story, solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies could generate enough electricity equal to 40 times the world’s present electricity use. Photovoltaic cells, or solar panels, are a familiar site to most as they are commonly seen on roof tops, outdoor solar garden lighting, in calculators, and of course used on NASA spacecraft. When sunlight heats these solar panels electrons are released from their atoms resulting in the generation of electricity as the electrons flow the solar cell.
