You’ve heard it all before, we need to find a new, sustainable, clean source of energy, and fast. People are looking to wind, solar, nuclear, and biofuels. But what do these things mean, really?

Today, I will discuss solar.

The sun is the main source of energy for this entire planet. We get much of our energy from coal and oil which is made of millions-of-years-old plant and animal matter.  Animals get their energy from plants, which get their energy from the sun.  The wind blowing your hair in your face and turning the wind turbines?  That’s from the difference in temperature in different locations (due to the sun) and the rotation of the earth.  Hydroelectric power like that made at the Hoover Dam?  That’s from rainwater filling up a high altitude river source.  What causes rain?  The evaporation of water by heat from the sun, of course.  As you can see, there are few sources of energy (nuclear and geothermal being the primary exceptions) which are not directly related to energy recently emitted from the sun. The problem with all of these forms of energy is that there is a “middle man” between the sun’s energy and usable electricity.  Solar cells, which have been around since the mid-1950’s, attempt to dispose of the middle man allowing us to directly harness the power of the sun.

Read More…