Solar Energy

							                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.
         Solar Map of the US




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




             http://www.ases.org/
  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.
• 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
• Sunlight is converted to energy through a variety of
  technologies.
• If properly designed, buildings can use daylight all year
  round by capturing the sun’s heat in the winter and
  reducing it in the summer.




                   http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/solar.htm
• 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
Does our group agree with the
         evidence??



   YES!!!!!!!
        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.
         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.
A Passive Solar Design
         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.
Earth Energy Distribution
              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.
     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.
           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.
      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.
        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.
        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.
            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.
       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.
             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?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
              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.
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.
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.
Power to the People!
 You can legally prevent your
 neighbors' trees from growing tall
 enough to shade your site
               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.
Any Questions?




    (Former president George W. Bush)