New Green Gadget

How  Solar Power Helps Us Live Green

Solar power energy is energy derived from the sun.

 Although the sun is over 90 million miles away, and yet we have baked eggs on the pavement, and dried our laundry using its power for centuries.

 Believe it or not, you could supply the earth’s entire energy needs for a year, with the resource the sun provides in ONE MINUTE, if only we knew how.

 Today’s Technology

 Scientists and researchers and constantly updating new information and technologies available to developers who are prepared to create new solar materials.

 The three focuses of solar energy to date are:

1. Solar water heating.  Your rooftop can be equipped with solar panels that heat the water of your home with sunlight.  (I live in the Northwest – so it could mean a lot of cold showers!)  Black pipes get hot from direct contact with the sun and water is pumped through them to the house.  There are limitations.  If you live in freezing climates, you must drain the pipes at that time, and wait for your sunshine months.  Needless to say, if you are in Arizona, you have it made.
2. Lighten up with “photoelectric” cell energy.  There are products that convert the sun’s light into your household or office electricity.  You may even have a handy calculator that operates when you hold it under the light.  Now you can even charge your cell phone with solar energy!  Sunshine provides PV, or photovoltaic energy.  Production of PV has increased significantly.  Since 2002, PV production has increased 48% every year.  It is considered to me the world’s fastest growing energy technology.
3. Warm up to a solar furnace.  By using mirrors and magnifying the properties of sunlight, homes and offices, especially in Europe are enjoying solar energy heating.

 Learn more from this 4 minute Discovery Channel Video explaining just how it works:

Solar Energy – Discovery Channel on You Tube

So while you should keep wearing sun screen to be sure you don’t feel to energetic (and radiated) yourself, the goal for today and our  future is to expose more of our world to sunlight, by channeling that power into energy that sustains and protects life.