Solar Energy Debate

1. Solar Energy Debate Speaker: Marissa. M Computer: Samantha Gray Group Members: Becky Svec, Stephanie Dunleavy

2. Questions for United States • What is the current US investment in Solar Power? • What is the latest scientific advancement on solar cell technology? • How and where is the US using Solar Power to generate electricity? • How much (%) electricity is currently being generated by solar power in the US? • Why is Solar Power better than each of the other alternative energy sources at generating electricity? • Why do you think the US should invest in Solar Power?

3. Answers for US • In 2007, investment in solar energy soared to $8.1bn and in 2008 two deals alone have seen an additional inflow of $3bn.  11.1 billion 2007-2008 2) The new development of a coating method produces cells with an efficiency of 9.6%, a 40% improvement over devices produced using the same materials. This means that almost 10% of the solar radiation hitting these cells is converted to electrical charge, comparable with current thin-film solar cells. Although these devices are at only a basic stage of development, the researchers believe that further refinements could potentially increase their efficiency to levels as high as 12%. Making them an economically viable replacement to current technologies U.S. Researchers have utilized nanotechnology to create a new solar material with silicon wires that is, just as efficient at turning sunlight into usable energy as its conventional counterpart.  The new material is flexible, durable and uses only one percent of the material that goes into the conventional wafers. The analysts expect this advancement to result in solar panels that are cheaper and easier to install. The researchers hope to ultimately use this technology to incorporate solar cells into clothing and other flexible fabrics and materials. 3) There are many places in the US here is just one particular place of interest. In California's Mojave Desert, there are huge rows of solar mirrors arranged in solar power plants. The use for this idea to make electricity for more than 350,000 homes. The problem with solar energy it works only when the sun is shining. So, on cloudy days and at night, the power plants don’t create energy. Some solar plants are a hybrid technology. During the daytime they use the sun.

4. More Questions for US 4) Solar power provides less than 1% of U.S. energy needs. This percentage is expected to increase with the development of new and more efficient solar technologies. 5) In sunny places, using solar energy for power is an easy way to have electricity at a place far away that doesn’t have electricity to power up the appliances and more. Solar energy is directly from the sun and it’s more efficient to use. The idea is that Solar Power is the easiest to generate unlike wind and ocean which can generate electricity. Solar is directly from the sun beams of light and energy. 6) I think that the US should invest in solar power because the savings in the long run will be tremendous. I think that when new houses are being built, the roofs should just be solar ready so then people won’t have to convert and old houses can just convert to the new solar panels. We will become a very modernized country if this could happen. It isn’t cheap, but we could budget for it. Each state could make and energy tax that would go towards the solar panels.

5. Pictures on Electricity and Solar Power

6. Picture of a Solar Central Tower Plant

7. Facts on US Facts: about this one place At night and on cloudy days they burn natural gas to boil the water so they can continue to make electricity. Sunlight is reflected off 1,800 mirrors circling a tall tower. The mirrors move and turn to face the sun all day long. The light is reflected back to the top of the tower in the center of the circle where a fluid is turned very hot by the sun's rays. That fluid can be used to boil water to make steam to turn a turbine and a generator. The power plant will make enough electricity to power about 10,000 homes. Scientists say larger central tower power plants can make electricity for 100,000 to 200,000 homes.

8. Questions for United Kingdom • What is the current UK investment in Solar Power? • What is the latest scientific advancement on solar cell technology? • How and where is the UK using Solar Power to generate electricity? • How much (%) electricity is currently being generated by solar power in the UK? • Why is Solar Power better than each of the other alternative energy sources at generating electricity? • Why do you think the UK should invest in Solar Power?

9. Answers for UK 1) If you install solar power, your investment could pay for the photovoltaic panel costs in 10 years or less. If you are convinced about investing in solar PV technology and have any questions about the solar Feed-in tariff, interested in the benefits of solar power and the advantages of solar power see our facts on solar power. 2) Actually, most solar energy experts agree that the UK does receive a sufficient amount of sunlight in total. The sun’s intensity and the growth of solar energy in the UK was initially stunted. Those who attempted to rely on this technology were left with periods of weak power. Blackouts can occur when the skies were overcast. Fortunately, recent advancements now allow light energy to be captured and effectively stored for periods then the sun does not shine. The efficacy of solar energy has also been improved by advancements in panel technology, which allow them to absorb light energy more efficiently, making them more effective even when only small amounts are available. Even with advancements to cope with the UK climate, solar energy expansion is still facing difficulties. 3)Some might think, given our less than tropical climate, that UK solar power is destined for failure you need plenty of sunshine to generate electricity using the power of the sun. In fact, the UK solar power industry is already big and continuing to grow in light of increasing concerns about fossil fuels.

10. More Answers for UK 4) 14 panels on a south-facing roof  • total area: 16 sq metres  • rated peak output: 3.2 kW (kilowatts)  • estimated annual energy generated: 2,600 kWh (kilowatt-hours i.e. units of electricity)(the average UK household uses 4,800 kWh per year)  • total cost: £12,000  • estimated government payment (feed-in tariff): 2600 kWh @ 41.3 pence per kWh: £1074  • estimated annual saving on electricity bill: 1300 kWh @ 14 pence per kWh: £182  • estimated annual earnings on exported electricity: 1300 kWh @ 3 pence per kWh: £39  • estimated annual return on investment: £1,300, i.e. 11% (tax-free)  • estimated annual C02 saving: 1.48 tonnes 5)Solar power is the same as the reasons for the US. 6) The UK should invest in solar power for the same reasons as the US.

11. Facts on UK Facts: Involving the UK point of view:UK solar power is a reality due to the intensity of the sun is far greater than people realize. We might recognize power in the hot summer months when metal objects, become too hot to touch in direct sunlight. We acknowledge the greater the from the sun for the rest of the year. In fact, UK solar power is 60% of the equator with energy available to harness from the sun all year round. Harnessing the energy is necessary in this country to tilt towards the sun, luck would have it at an average tilt of a UK house roof. The sun’s energy is an greater amount of energy to be collected in the south of the UK. There is plenty in the north, the energy can even be harnessed on an overcast of days. The energy of the sun can also be used to heat water as well as produce electricity.

12. More Facts Organic Semiconductors To Make Solar Energy Cheaper : • Presently, most photovoltaic cells are made from silicon. That is because organic materials, such as carbon, which had been tried, proved to be highly inefficient. To the extent that they would only convert one percent of the sun’s energy to electrical energy that could be used. However, a breakthrough by a university in the US has led to carbon based PV cells becoming far more effective. For the consumer, the major upside to this will be that solar cells made from organic material would be much cheaper. The use of rubrene as an organic semiconductor promises to make solar cells cheaper. • The key is a substance called rubrene. It is a crystal which is a natural semiconductor, and when the researchers at the university of Rutgers experimented with it, they found that excitons travel many times further through it than they do through other types of organic semiconductors that had been tested previously. In fact, were far closer to the performance of substances currently being used in solar panels such as gallium and silicon. • This has a way of becoming very technical and confusing, but just to be clear, an exciton is basically a very small particle (even by “particle” standards) which is produced, and shoots off, when photons (light particles) are absorbed by semiconducting materials. In short, they are the things which make it possible for materials to convert solar energy into electrical energy. And the better they work in a material, the further they travel, the better the material will be at converting solar energy. One of the reasons this is good news, that the materials can be produced at lower costs, is that organic semiconductors have the capacity to be produced in the form of large plastic sheets, which will make the manufacturing cost go down. This could turn out to be good news not just for those interested in the development of solar energy, but also for other products, for example video displays.

13. Works Cited • "Chapter 15: Solar Energy ." Energy Story. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. <http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter15.html>. • "UK Solar Power generating Electricity." UK Solar Power generating Electricity. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. <http://www.uk-energy-saving.com/uk_solar_power.html>. • http://geosophical.info/2010/02/scientific-advancement-for-solar/ 4/11/11 • http://www.energyboom.com/solar/solar-technology-advancements-lower-cost-environmental-impact 4/13/11 • http://www.solar-energy.co.uk/news/organic-semiconductors-solar-energy-cheaper.php 4/13/11

14. Works Cited • http://www.gasboiler-buyability.co.uk/knowledge/energy/solar-energy/ 4/13/11 How much energy do solar panels produce?." Solar Panels. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. <http://www.solarpanelinfo.com/solar-panels/solar-panel-energy.php>. • "Electricity from Solar Panels - Solar Panels UK." Solar Panels UK. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. <http://www.solarpanelsuk.org.uk/electricity-from-solar-panels.html>. • "Installing Solar Power │ Solar Power UK │ Solar Investment │ Feed-in Tariff | Solar Spectrum Ltd." Installing Solar Power │ Solar Power UK │ Solar Investment │ Feed-in Tariff | Solar Spectrum Ltd. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2011. <http://solarspectrum.co.uk/>. Pictures • "Solar Energy Information." Roemke Electric - Santa Cruz Electrician. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. <http://roemkeelectric.com/solarpros/solar-energy-information.html>. • "Largest Solar Power Plant « GReen&CLeen." GReen&CLeen. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2011. <http://greencleen.wordpress.com/2010/09/12/largest-solar-power-plant/>.