Energy Power Alternatives
Promotion of solar power generation is booming. After analyzing a few of these announcements one is left with quite a few questions. Why are solar farms built when financial data clearly show that solar power is still the most expensive electricity generation technology available?
Solar power plant developers and marketers obviously know that they need to lower costs. Cost reduction is, however, expensive and takes time. Many new enterprises have been formed and want to become profitable when the big construction boom in solar power plants will hit the road. In the meantime they must pay bills, advance their technologies, and stay alive.
There are two major technologies for solar energy conversion. One approach is based on the conversion of sunlight into heat and using the heat for the generation of steam. This concept has progressed to a relatively high readiness level. Electricity production with steam is a very mature technology. Remaining technical risks, therefore, relate exclusively to the design of the thermal concentrators or parabolic mirrors that optically transfer thermal radiation to a heat transfer medium and to the design of the heat receiving transfer and steam containment surfaces.
The other technology is the direct, photovoltaic conversion of sunlight into electricity. This technology will most likely become the dominant solar electric power generating technology - eventually. The big question for investors and for marketers is the uncertain duration of “eventually”. Converting sunlight directly into electricity is much more elegant and will almost certainly become less expensive than thermal conversion - eventually.
Very recently, IBM proposed a third concept, a kind of a hybrid approach. In this concept, the sunlight is concentrated onto a solar panel. This approach reduces panel area and saves lots of expen (more…)
Solar is a sustainable use of clean energy. In the search for sustainable development of human society, energy-saving building on the increasing use of solar energy is getting worldwide attention.
The status of solar energy use in United States is getting better!
In United States, total energy consumption in building comes up to 30% -90%. It is becoming a certain form of economic development constraints role. Therefore, American development of solar energy is growing very rapidly.
In order to reduce energy consumption, reduce pollution and adjust energy structure, to achieve sustainable development, United States made a positive exploration of solar energy. “A million solar roofs plan” is the largest in the progressive realization of the project plan. The U.S. plan is geared to the 21st century by a government advocacy. It is a development of medium and long-term plan. By implementation of this plan, there will be 1 million roofs or buildings installed with solar energy systems, including solar photovoltaic systems, solar water heating systems and solar air heater system. By implementation of this plan, solar energy technology applications will be further expanded, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, expand energy choices and create new high-tech jobs. It will bring substantial environmental benefits and economic benefits. By 2010, millions of the roof will be equivalent to production of 2-3 coal-fired electricity power plants. It will not only meet their own electricity needs, but also been able to sell electricity generated by solar energy.
Recently, U.S. scientists find new energy from the vastness of space. Scientists envisaged launch the satellite energy collecting device. The solar panel installed in the satellite can collect energy in space, and the collection of energy as microwave will be transferred back to Earth, an (more…)
