The fact is, the 350,000,000 terawatts of power available from the sun is so huge that an exposure to a full sun in only 15 minutes will be enough to produce the world’s power requirement
Compare that with power that is generated by nuclear and fossil fuel. Presently, the obtainable data for fossil and nuclear fuel is 10,800,000 terawatts which we all know to become non renewable.
To create electricity, utility companies burn fossil fuels that translate to 1.3 pounds of carbon dioxide to produce 1kw of electrical power. This unwanted CO2 emissions are dumped into the atmosphere. This then translates into every typical home being accountable yearly for 22,000 pounds of CO2 emissions.
The harnessing of the sun’s rays is clean and safe. It produces no emissions and it’s practical and might within the years ahead, prove very economical. In the United States, only 0.1% of energy that is generated is solar energy driven. Therefore what are the limitations?
According to the Wall Street Journal (in an article that was released in its August 2008 issue), you will find groups, backed by political groups which are lobbying against the putting up of transmission lines for pv power. The construction of distribution lines for solar energy is also being blocked by environmental activists that restrict the delivering of solar energy to these who want it in their houses.
Another obstacle is that the energy grid in the United States which was designed more than 100 years ago is now so congested in many regions. To deliver the solar energy to consumers, scientists and engineers will have to come out with another cost efficient plan to transfer large amounts of energy from one location to another.
Solar panels are considered costly. Even though a home increases its value by folds when solar powered, the costs nevertheless could be prohibitive to most that unless the non silicon flexible pv panels which are now becoming produced are released for market consumption, powering homes through solar energy could still be very limited.
Other forms of rewards to avoid fossil fuel use should nevertheless be effectively placed. The 30% tax cut to projected price previously awarded will be more attractive if other federal credits are included to encourage further investments.
The global warming issue that has been brought to the papers is a recurrent subject of talk shows and remains to become a good news item. Also, the too unstable pump prices, should and for most part, already be a great incentive to use this option source of energy.
However, efficient solar energy transmission to homes will stay to become very hard unless these obstacles are breached. Assuming that these obstacles are solved today, it will still take some many years to convert 20% of American houses into solar energy users. Meanwhile, solar panels on individual houses remain to be the most viable alternative.
The great part to solar energy quest is that technologies is advancing very rapidly. Nano technology for solar power is being developed and may be available in five years time. Other breakthroughs in cell designs are also being developed that could, within the next few many years, be a cost-effective way of generating energy without having having to rely anymore on fossil and nuclear power.
Lastly, you got to check out the Energy Saving method that save the earth and my bill too. I didn’t know that I can make my own solar panel that only costs me less than one thousand dollar.
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