Did you know that all of the energy we use
comes from the sun?
You probably know that’s true for solar
panels, but the sun is also the ultimate source
for energy generated by wind, water, and fossil
fuels.
It works like this.
Heat from the sun drives the air currents
and water cycle that turn wind turbines and
power hydroelectric dams.
Meanwhile, the rays of the sun also the plants
grow that ultimately become wood, coal, and
gas.
What if we could cut out the middleman to
open the most direct path between the sun
and the energy we use every day?
Let’s take a step back so we can understand
the real power and potential of the sun.
The sun is a massive, flaming sphere of gases,
330 thousand times more massive than Earth.
At its core, the sun is 27 million degrees
Fahrenheit, which is 60 thousand times the
temperature of your oven when you bake a pizza!
The sun gives off LOTS of energy into space
as heat and light, called solar energy.
If we could capture all of the solar energy
that reaches the Earth’s surface, we could
continuously run a 25-inch television on every
square meter of Earth - and still have energy
some left over!
Right now, we aren’t using all this energy
-- instead, we mostly rely on coal, oil, natural
gas, and other sources.
But these sources aren’t renewable, which
means they’ll eventually run out.
In fact, if we keep using these non-renewable
resources at the rate we are now, we may run
out of oil and gas in the next 50 or so years
and coal in the next 115 years.
Not only are these non-renewable resources
going to run out, they’re also polluting
our planet and contributing to climate change.
The sun’s energy, on the other hand, will
not “run out” for the next 5 billion years.
That makes it a renewable resource.
Other renewable resources like wind and water
can also provide us with energy.
But even all the energy we can get from all
these sources added together is still less
than 1 percent of the solar energy reaching
Earth!!
It’s clear that the potential of solar energy
massively outshines its competitors.
How exactly do we harness solar energy?
Solar panels directly convert sunlight into
usable electricity using special materials,
like silicon.
Another way to harness solar energy is through
a process called concentrated solar power,
which uses thousands of mirrors to reflect
sunlight onto a tower.
The heat captured in the tower makes steam
that flows through a steam turbine, which
generates electricity.
But even though we have these promising technologies
to capture solar energy, there are still many
challenges with using solar energy on a large
scale.
For example, the amount of solar energy we
can harness can change based on place and
time.
Some parts of the world get much more sun
than others -- solar panels in the Sahara
desert will produce more energy than those
in Seattle.
But even in the sunniest places, the sunlight
still isn’t constant.
The changing of seasons, the cycle from day
to night, and even clouds in the sky can reduce
the amount of available energy.
To make solar energy usable when and where
it’s less available, we need to improve
energy storage and transmission systems.
Above all, we also need to make solar technologies
more efficient and less expensive.
Currently, less than 1% of all the energy
produced and used in the United States comes
from solar energy.
But as more researchers, private citizens,
entrepreneurs, and government agencies are
recognizing its amazing potential, we’re
moving closer to a solar-powered society every
day.
The more we advance our use of solar energy,
the brighter our future can be!
