C.Gibson+and+S.Smith+Energy+and+Water+Wiki

Chelsey Gibson and Sarah Smith Energy or Water Wiki __ 1. What is the problem at hand? 2. What is the driving force of the problem? 3. What are people currently doing or not doing to solve the problem? 5. ** Explain how it works. THIS IS A BIG ONE! ** 6. Determine the amount of CO2 it produces or inhibits 8. Highlight the best aspects of it 9. Describe how the critics would discuss it 10. If it already makes up a lot of the world's fuel/energy supply explain why. 11. If it doesn't make up much of the world's fuel/energy supply explain why. 14. Explain how it could help solve some of the problems or contributes to those problems. 15. Explain what it would take to do your thing better or in a larger scale. 16. Explain who uses that technology and why. If it isn't used very much explain that instead. 17. After learning about it what would you do next to change how it’s used? Why? __ Source: http://www.refresharticles.com/articles/energy/solar_power_generator_produces_electricity.txt
 * SOLAR POWER **
 * 1.) The problem at hand is the way we provide energy is polluting the air and harmful to our environment. Solar power is being used for more than operating a few lights or small calculators and watches. Solar power generator is showing promise of providing power to a large area for a lot less money. Also, since it uses power provided by the sun there is no air pollution from the use of fossil fuels and it is renewable, decreasing the depletion of non-renewable resources.**


 * 2.) The driving force of solar power has many different reasons. Air pollution is getting out of control due to fossil fuel. It makes the air impure and isn’t earth friendly. Solar power does not have a negative effect to the earth’s atmosphere and also allows us to save money. Switching gears to sources that we can never run out of is very important (for example the sun’s light).**

3 **** .) What are people currently doing or not doing to solve the problem?

Quote- “In just one hour”, the New Scientist reports, enough solar energy reaches the earth’s surface “to meet all our energy needs for an entire year”. (11 November 2006) **

**Gerhard Knies, co-founder of TREC, told CNN ", You cannot change the global energy system overnight. It will take 30 to 50 years to make solar energy the main source of energy, but we have to start now." To start making solar power their main energy source and improving their energy efficiency, Madrid, Spain is putting solar panels on new building. They are even putting solar panels on houses that they are renovating, some dating back into the 1970s. -“We have to make up the time we have lost,” Environment Minister Cristina Narbona said, inaugurating a seminar on the new technical building code.**

**Australia** **is now considering using solar power, which would cut down on their greenhouse gases production and carbon emissions. This would help Australia because right now they are the highest producer of greenhouse gases and have the most carbon emission. They produce so much because they use coal fired stations to produce their energy, and solar power, in the long run, would make Australia less polluted by lowering their production of unwanted gases.**

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15698812/ http://www.principalvoices.com/2007/alternative.energy/solar_century.html
 * Sources:**


 * Australia is now considering using solar power, which would cut down on their greenhouse gases production and carbon emissions. This would help Australia because right now they are the highest producer of greenhouse gases and have the most carbon emission. They produce so much because they use coal fired stations to produce their energy, and solar power, in the long run, would make Australia less polluted by lowering their production of unwanted gases. **

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15698812/ http://www.principalvoices.com/2007/alternative.energy/solar_century.html Photovoltaic cells (PV cells) convert light energy into electrical energy. (French physicist Edmond Becquerel discovered as early as 1839) Most commercial PV cells are made of silicon which is a semiconductor. When light hits the solar cell, it makes electrons move across the boundary and this creates an electric current which can be drawn off and used to light homes by placing a metal contact at the top and bottom of the cell. (The word photovoltaic is a made up of the Greek word for light 'photo', and ‘volt’, relating to electricity pioneer Alessandro Volta.)
 * Sources:**
 * 5.) How does solar power work?**
 * Solar power is probably the cleanest, most viable form of renewable energy available. IT can also be used in several forms to help power our houses.**
 * Semiconductors are able to absorb some of the light that hits that material and do something useful with it.**
 * With pure silicon all the electrons (negatively charged particles) in the material are locked in the crystalline structure and cannot move.**
 * The silicon in a solar cell is changed slightly so that it will work as a solar cell by the deliberate addition of impurities.**
 * The bulk of the cell is typically p-type material where a small amount of positive donors are added to the silicon wafer; another layer of n-type silicon is created on the cell with negative donors in order to facilitate the movement of electrons, the basic electricity carriers.**

Silicon is mounted beneath non-reflective glass to produce panels. The panels collect photon from the sun, and doing so creates electrical power. This power then flows into an inverter. The inverter transforms the power into the basic voltage and AC electrical power that you use.

*** Basically solar cells convert sunlight to electricity without moving parts, noise, pollution, radiation or maintenance.**



Sources: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Does-Solar-Power-Work?&id=68282 http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9013392&contentId=7026236 http://www.solarhome.org/infohowdoessolarpowerwork.html http://www.daviddarling.info/images/domestic_solar_power_system.jpg

**Solar Power does not produce any carbon dioxide, but chemists have shown that it is possible to convert carbon dioxide into plastics and gasoline. Carbon dioxide can also be produced into carbon monoxide and oxygen, which is very useful because carbon monoxide is a very significant source in science.** Sources: http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?ch=specialsections&sc=solar&id=18582&a=
 * 6.) Determine the amount of CO2 it produces or inhibits **


 * 8.) Highlight the best aspects of it**
 * ** Advantages of Solar Power: ** || ** Disadvantages of Solar Power: ** ||
 * ** Renewable source of energy ** || ** Expensive to buy ** ||
 * ** Non-polluting ** || ** Power can’t be created at night ** ||
 * ** Silent ** ||  ||
 * ** Requires very little maintenance ** ||  ||
 * ** You save money in the long run ** ||  ||
 * ** Easy to install ** ||  ||

Sources: http://www.rainorshinepower.com/assets/RoS%20images/grid%20tied%20roof.jpg
 * Some advantages of solar power

9.) Describe how the critics would discuss it.**
 * The critics would most likely be for solar power due to its earth friendly ways and its one step away from fossil fuel. The huge problem about fossil fuel is that they are non-renewable sources so when we run out, which we will in the future we are stuck. As mentioned before solar power has an obvious number of pros and few cons.**

11.) If it doesn't make up much of the world's fuel/energy supply explain why**.
 * 10.) If it already makes up a lot of the world's fuel/energy supply explain why.
 * Solar power should make up the world’s fuel and energy supply but it unfortunately does not. Making the switch from fossil fuel to alternative energy such as solar power is what is holding us back because the there’s no doubt that in most cases the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. America discusses that matter of our over use of fossil fuel and the problems it will cause in the future but huge steps are not taken to avoid problems. Australia and Spain are two good examples of parts of the world who are really trying to make a difference. Spain is putting is solar power panels on all the new houses and building that are created. Despite the lack of solar power used in America there is a goal set to have half of America’s energy use on solar power by 2025.**

Source: -http://www.anysubject.com/power/alternative-energy-wind-energy-solar-power-biomass-wave-energy-renewable-energy-save-energy.asp -http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/image_full/international/photosvideos/photos/solar-powered-house-in-england

For obvious reasons solar power and can prevent further air pollution and damage to the earth. But there are some downfalls when it comes to solar power. It may save money in the long run but it’s very expensive to install solar panels.**
 * 14.)** **Explain how it could help solve some of the problems or contributes to those problems.

It’s going to take a lot in order to switch our world from fossil fuel to solar power and alternative energy sources. Switching from fossil fuel to solar power isn’t an overnight ordeal but in fact will take a while and starting now is what we need to do.**
 * 15.) Explain what it would take to do your thing better or in a larger scale.


 * 16.) Explain who uses that technology and why. If it isn't used very much explain that instead.**
 * Solar power has a wide variety of users. From homes that have solar panels on their roof, to solar powered construction signs to guide drivers anyone can benefit from it. Solar power isn’t a common use of energy but making the slow transition from fossil fuel to alternative sources of energy in the future it most likely will be.**


 * 17.)** **After learning about it what would you do next to change how it’s used? Why?**
 * After learning about Solar Power and all its advantages we both agreed we try to increase the knowledge and awareness about it. Starting today to switch our gears into alternative power sources is very important. The sooner we start, the sooner our problem is resolved.**