Solar Energy's Bright Future : An Alternative Energy Source
By Elizabeth Clifford

The use of solar energy as an alternative energy source is a topic focused on with increasing frequency by  the media, and championed by environmentalists worldwide. Personally, my first introduction to solar energy occurred when I saw the movie "Race the Sun" starring Halle Berry and James Belushi. In this fact-based film, low-income and underachieving Hawaiian students are encouraged by their teacher to join a statewide race of solar-powered vehicles of the students' own design. The car designed and built by the students is shaped like a cockroach and covered with solar panels that use the sun's rays as an alternative energy source to run the car. In the film, the vehicle wins the state competition and is awarded a chance to participate in the World Solar Challenge.

Solar energy is the light and the heat from the sun. Solar energy is free and its supplies are unlimited. There is no air and water pollution caused by using solar energy. However, there is still some impact on the environment, although it is indirect.

Photovoltaic cells used to convert sunlight into electricity use silicon and also produce some waste materials. There are also large solar thermal farms, and these farms can potentially be harmful to the environment and desert ecosystems if not properly managed.

Solar energy can be used in different aspects. For one thing, solar energy can be used in agriculture. Greenhouses (which are entirely different from greenhouse gas) convert solar light to heat to be maximized in enhancing the growth of plants and crops. Greenhouses have been around since Roman times and modern greenhouses were built in Europe in the 16th century. Greenhouses are still an important part of horticulture today.

Daylight systems are also being used to maximize the energy released by the sun. Daylight systems provide interior illumination replacing the more typical artificial lighting. Daylight systems include sawtooth roofs, light shelf, skylights, and light tube. Daylight systems, when they are properly implemented, can reduce lighting-related energy consumption by as much as 25 percent.

Solar energy can also be developed into solar thermal technologies which can be used for water heating, space heating, space cooling and process heat generation. Solar energy can also be used to distill water and make saline or brackish water potable or drinkable.

Solar water disinfection or SODIS involves exposing water-filled plastic polyethylene terephthalate or PET bottles to the sun's rays. This process takes a long time, since the exposure time varies on the weather conditions. It requires a minimum of six hours to two days during days with overcast conditions. Despite the variability of weather conditions, currently there are two million people in developing countries using SODIS for their daily drinking water needs.

Also, sunlight can be converted into electricity using photovoltaics or PV. PV has been mainly used to power small and medium-sized things like a calculator powered by a single solar cell. However, there are homes powered by photovoltaics. Using solar energy for water and space heating is the most widely used application of solar energy, while ventilation and solar air heating is also growing in popularity.

There are three principal ways of using solar energy. The main way of using and converting solar energy is by using the solar cells. Solar cells convert light directly into electricity. Solar cells are also called photovoltaic or photoelectric cells.

Meanwhile, solar furnaces use a huge array of mirrors to concentrate the sun’s energy into a small space and produce very high temperatures. Solar furnaces are also called “solar cookers”. A solar cooker can be used in hot countries to cook food.

In spite of all the benefits of using solar energy, there are still minor disadvantages for use of this alternative energy source. It does not work during nighttime. The initial cost of setting up solar stations is expensive, but the benefit of using solar energy when accumulated greatly offsets this.

About the Author

Elizabeth Clifford has been a technical documentation writer since 1985, with special emphasis on the creation of computer software user guides, reference materials for software developers (programmers), and online Help. She is also an artist, creating myriad works, including acrylic and watercolor paintings, painted furniture and decorative objects, large murals, and also smaller items such as greeting and note cards.

Alternative Energy

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