L.Lyon+Energy+and+Water+Wiki



Society today is facing a lot of controversy over the amount of energy we use, how we use it, and what it is doing to our world.As Americans, we are one of the top (if not, the top) consumers of energy, specifically fossil fuels that are the lead contributor to the clear danger of global warming. The problem we are facing is not whether global warming is really an issue, but how we intend to solve it. Clearly, how [much] we consume energy must change. Their are many different solutions to this problem, but none seem to be a complete fix to all the problems that revolve around the energy and water crisis we face. I will be showing the pros and cons of one solution that has already proven to help, solar power.



Solar power can be used as a heat and energy source. The amount of solar energy the sun gives us in just one hour, could supply the world with their demands of energy for an entire year. Some homes are currently using solar panels on their roofs to heat their water and house. Solar power is being currently used, not only in houses, but in things like watches or calculators. Solar power works though a process known as photovoltaics. When silicon is exposed to sunlight, it gains an electric charge, and absorbs the photons that the sun is radiating. The silicon is places between two sheets ofNow, photovoltaics provides electricity to over 10,000 American homes. The silicon to make photovoltaics work is found in sand. Just 1 ton of sand can produce enough silicon to equal the same amount of energy as 500,000 tons of coal. In 2006, scientists invented a plastic solar cell that can do the same thing as normal solar cells, but are far more efficient and can harness the sun's infrared waves, even on a cloudy day. Some theories believe that these plastic solar cells could become 5 times more effective then solar energy today.

Solar power is a very clean energy source. The emissions of CO2 created during the photovoltaic process produce less than 15% then that of a conventional coal-fired power plant. If just 1,000,000 homes were to switch over to solar power, the amount of CO2 emissions would drastically decrease by 4.3 million tons per year. This would be like removing 850,000 polluting cars from the roads.

Many scientists have developed ways to allow the sun to help clean dirty water. Italian scientists came up with a water bottle that allows the suns heat to help kill bacteria that can infect drinking water. Though you don't need a fancy water bottle to let the sun heat up water. Africans suffering from disease have made the process even simpler but filling water bottles up and laying them out in the sun, allowing the ultra violet rays to kill any harmful bacteria. The process only takes about an hour.

The use of silicon in solar power can also be very dangerous. Chinese polysilicon producer Luoyang Zhonggui High-Technology Co. proved that when it dumped silicon tetrachloride outside of their company into open areas. The danger is that silicon tetrachloride breaks down into chlorine and hydrochloric acid, which is very toxic. Not only would it hurt people, but the environment that the silicon is supposed to be helping.

Though it is a very sensible alternative source of energy, many people don't power their house with solar power because they can't. The fact is, all the re-wiring and work it takes to power a home with solar power is very expensive, and simply not everyone can afford to live with it. A cheaper alternative to buying a full set of solar panels to run your entire house. you can start with one panel and a sealed battery. This alone could hold about 400 watts of electricity, enough to power your small appliances and the amount of money you save on electricity would balance the cost of the panels.

Sources: http://www.alliantenergykids.com/stellent2/groups/public/documents/pub/phk_ee_re_001505.hcsp http://www.montanagreenpower.com/solar/index.html [|http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/solar-bottle-purify-drinking-water-using-the-power-of-the-sun/] [|http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2006/03/24/lowtech_solar_water_purification_it_works.htm] http://seekingalpha.com/article/67919-solar-power-may-not-be-quite-so-green http://www.aboutmyplanet.com/category/alternative-energy/solar/

Pictures: http://www.uk-energy-saving.com/domestic_solar_power.gif http://www.aboutmyplanet.com/category/alternative-energy/solar/ http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/2966588/2/istockphoto_2966588_solar_power.jpg http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/commissioners/williams/energy/images/solar_icon.jpg http://www.esssales.com/images/elenco-images/TI-36x-Solar.jpg