Solar+Energy+Production

=Solar Energy Production=

Julian Mejia TEM 194 Spring 2012
Radiation from the sun has been the source of energy for the majority of organisms since life began on Earth. Plants capture the sun’s energy through photosynthesis, creatures eat the plants to capture that energy, larger creatures eat those creatures, and on and on up the food chain. In modern times we have developed technology designed specifically to capture and covert this energy into electricity.

As reiterated by Al Gore in an interview with John Stewart on the Daily Show, “More sunlight falls on the surface of the Earth in one hour than is necessary to provide the energy for the entire world for a full year,” Using photovoltaic materials, solar cells are designed to convert this sunlight into a direct current electricity power, which can be used live or stored in batteries to be used later

Currently in the alternative renewable energy market, solar energy production is gaining in popularity. While the current world solar production was 40 GW in 2010, the EPIA/Greenpeace estimates that PV systemscould be generating approximately 1.8 TW of electricity around the world by the year 2030. In areas like Arizona, where sunny days dominate the majority of the year, power harnessed from the sun is an obvious option for providing clean and renewable energy to the population. From pocket-sized cell phone chargers, to roof top arrays, to large solar farms, we see examples of solar power production on a near daily basis. A part of ASU’s pursuit of a sustainable campus is the integration of solar arrays on rooftops, parking structures, and even outdoor trash compactors and vending machines. There are many reasons to utilize solar energy as a power source. Solar power emits no pollution, is quiet, and it harnesses a free and readily available source of energy (the sun). It is especially useful in remote areas, where there is no access to an existing power grid, because it doesn’t require high voltage transmission lines to be installed from a remote energy source, such as a coal plant. In fact, it is often more economical to build a solar power setup in a remote area because of this.

Many innovations are being undertaken in solar power technology. These innovations focus on either making solar cells cheaper, more efficient, or smaller.
 * The small: The record for the most efficient thin-film solar cell has been set by the copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin filmcell boasting 19.9% efficieny in lab tests.
 * The efficient: The current designs of solar panels are only capable of capturing the visible light of the electromagnetic spectrum to produce electricity. New designs introducing titanium and vanadium into the semiconducting material of a solar panel allows for absorption of infrared light as well, boosting the theoretical absorption limit from 40% to 63%.
 * The Cheap: Multiple companies are competing to be the first to produce $1/watt panels (The price necessary to compete with coal). These companies use cadmium telluride film to generate electricity.