Solar Power
Boy, it's bright out there
And hot. To make that much bright and hot you need incredible power. The sun is perhaps the most powerful energy source we know. And it's a renewable source, because the sun should be around for another 5 billion years or so.
We've long known the secrets of passive solar heating, which is as simple as letting the sun shine in to warm our homes, businesses, pools and water. That type of heating energy can be made more efficient by using architectural and construction techniques in buildings and homes to make best use of the sun's rays during the day.
Active solar heating is also somewhat common. You've probably seen (or maybe have) big solar panels up on rooftops. We can install these photovoltaic, or solar cells, to capture the sun's rays and convert them to electricity, which can be used immediately or stored for later use. Residential solar systems are used to heat water and homes, and large, industrial-sized versions of this technology produce heat which converts hot water into steam, turning turbines that generate electricity.
Solar power is clean and we'll probably never run out. If we do, we have bigger problems! But it's very expensive to turn the sun's rays into enough usable energy for larger applications. Active solar heating may best be used as a way to supplement other fuels.
Examining the benefits of solar power is just OneThing you can do in your quest to help conserve resources and reduce our dependence on more costly energy sources such as oil and gas.