more about power!

Previously I have mentioned solar power, its benefits, and how it works.  However, I wanted to go into more detail about future energy alternatives in addition to, and in comparison to, solar power.  Wind power is one of the most promising alternative sources of energy today.  Wind energy is becoming increasingly popular and, according to altenergy.org, if a household used wind generated electricity for 25 percent of it’s needs, that household would only need to spend about $4- $5 per month for that energy.  And as time passes and technology progresses, that cost is dropping.  Offshore wind has the potential to produce even more energy at a cheaper price than most other energy, because of the speed of offshore wind.  Wind is a very promising source of energy for the future because wind is an unlimited resource and wind is somewhat easy to convert into energy.  In my opinion, wind is a great option for the future as an alternative to fossil fuel produced energy.   Ethanol is another talked about alternative source of energy.  This is the conversion of corn and other foodstuff into energy in order to power our lives.  However, there is a difficulty converting these resources into energy, and there is a limited supply, unlike sun or wind.  While this is a nice idea, I believe that solar power and wind power are much more practical sources of energy for the future.  Hydrogen power is another much talked about means of energy production.  Hydrogen is a completely clean burning fuel, however, in my opinion, hydrogen is not an efficient form of alternative energy.  Hydrogen production on a large scale has proven to be very difficult and it takes much energy to produce this energy source, which sort of defeats the purpose.  Again, while this is a nice idea, I do not think that it is a realistic alternative for energy production in the future.  While ideas for alternative energy are being though of every day, I believe that solar energy is the future.  Although the initial setup has a high cost, as technology improves, this will continue to decrease, and the infinite amount of sunlight can provide our world with the energy we need to continue our hectic and high consuming lifestyles.  Solar power is also a sustainable option, not depleting any of the earth’s resources to harm the lives of future generations.  I think the most important thing about energy today is to be aware of your energy use.  By doing little things everyday, we can significantly cut down on our energy consumption.  Whether that is turning off the lights when we leave a room, or riding our bike a few blocks instead of driving, this can make a huge difference.  Because our energy seems to be unending, wasting it does not seem like a big deal, but if we keep in mind that energy is not a bottomless resource, and spread awareness of energy consumption, I think that we can make a difference for our future and future generations.

Solar Power!

Solar power. It seems like such a simple concept. Taking something that we have an unlimited supply of and using it to run our world.  Solar power is the transformation of sunlight to electricity in order to power our lives.  Solar conversion transfers large amounts of light into a small beam. Commercial solar power plants came about in the 1980’s.   One of the largest power plants in the world is in the Mojave Desert.  The possibilities with the conversion of solar energy into power are very promising.  As our lives require more and more power, it is becoming more and more clear that resources such as oil are limited and not easily accessible.  And as people are trying to develop alternative forms of energy, it is also becoming apparent that many other forms of energy are either limited or hard to obtain or create.  The one major problem that many people see with the implementation of solar energy is the cost of integrating solar energy into our world.  However, as technology progresses and viable alternatives become more and more limited, more production of solar panels will begin and in the future this method of power will be more accessible to the general public.  I also think that growing up learning about peak oil and the limits of our current energy production methods have better equipped our generation then previous generations.  At Santa Clara University, we are very conscious of the environment and effects of our actions on the future of our world.  Santa Clara University’s students work very hard producing a project every other year to enter in the solar decathlon, working towards a better future for us all.   I believe that solar energy is a very viable option for the future.  While many others are trying to create or utilize other untapped energy sources, many other options take more work to produce than they put out.  Solar panels are becoming more and more popular and widespread.  In thinking about the future, sustainability is becoming a more pressing matter.  Although I am not going to buy a house for a few years, I am thinking about how I would like to implement technology such as solar panels into my life in order to provide energy stability as well as an environmentally friendly and efficient way to power my life.  While the main issue that many individuals and companies have with solar energy is the cost of setting up the system, the future savings are huge.  And these savings are not only monetary, but environmental and long term.  I truly think that we can have a remarkable future with solar energy incorporated into our world.  It will provide a pretty much unending means of power.  Solar power is not only a way to improve our future energy supply, but also our future state of mind.  The sun makes us happy, gives us a tan, provides us with light, and brightens our world.  As a society, we need to accept that if we take the steps now, the sun can brighten our future, too!