Week 4 : Task 1 - Saved by th Sun

I watched the 'Saved by the Sun'. This video are about solar power. It talks about how our realization of environment really are, how to process the solar panel and why solar power is the solution of future energy source by showing many model of using.

1. Introduction

• Fissile fuel causes the global warming. So we need to revolutionize source of energy. The answer is the solar power. This power is from revising solar energy.
• Using solar energy starts from gas crisis.
• But the cost of usages and setting is an expensive than electricity can get. Though the cost isn't efficient, there is innovated business models.

2. Solar power

1) Larry Kazmerski (U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory)is the person who introduced the solar energy to U.S. , make white house use solar panel at the time of Jimmy Carter president. He is a solar optimist so he has been collecting a solar history for instance the portable solar power radio which is created in 1958.

2) Process of solar cell

solar panel consists like sandwich. The top is protection, bottome is the base, and the middle is palce maded of sillicon to act. When it is exposed to sunlight, the solar cell move active and the each cell seperate due to confiuration of sillicon. And it move along the strip then it feeds to the electricity of house.

cf) current model is more benefit that can generate twice much electricity than earlier model, cheaper, easy to live with it and don't need battery.

• Bill & Debbi Lord - they are passionate advocates of solar power. In basement, there is a power generation. And they use the solar hot water penel to keep warm under the floor. They pay nothing cause of net metering that if they produce excessive electricity than they need then the electricity company gives them credits. So they $7.47 per month though. It is hooked up to the power company.

3) Importance of solar power

• It's not popular because it's too expensive. It requires to owe $50,000 to install. Thus just few wealth people can afford.
• But why is it important ? A solar power is just not a meaning of payback but for environment. Over last 11 years, 70 tons CO2 haven't been put into the atmosphere as we have been using a solar power.
• A fossil fuel produces 40% of CO2 everyday. It is a major cause of global warming(Green house effect). Co2 absorbs heat and increases the surface temperature. It's a sever problem. It results in climate change such as flood, drought, melt ice, hurricane, unusaul disasters and also boost unexpected phenomeon.
• In California July 5, 2006, there was a huge block off. A great manager is needed to control and predict homw many we need to electricity. But in that summer, 13 million people use air conditonal so they needed more electricity than usual. After then, then couldn't generate adequate amounts finnally blocked off.
• Once start to warm and melt ice, it's difficult to rever those trends. By th time we really know that terrific, it's too late. That's why carbon free solar power is the solution.

3. Obstacle

1) the price

• California - there is a larest solar plant in the world. It's a Kramer Junction which is bigger then NewYork Central Park and made 20 years ago. The key of this plant is solar penel's shape. They don't use flat roof panel, use cured one can continue to generate electricity regardless as time by changing of angle according to time to fit best condition to be exposed to sunlight.





• The problem is hard to find the place make a plant. To build a plant needs huge land so the plant is only desert. It's a critical limitation. But the far the plant from city using the electricity the more expensive to transmit the electricity.
  

2) limitation to generate

• The sun doens't always shine. It means impossible to generate all days. And also some place has a proper condition like California.

4. Role model

1) Germany

• Germany is the country to solar power and moe renewable energy. They pronounce to increase the rate of using renewable energy to 20% of entire usage by 2020 even 30%.
• They encouragne to use solar energy, person who puts up the solar panel can get 50cents per one killowatt hour for electricity, opposite person who buys electricity to pay 20cents thus the solar panel owner get benefits. e.g) big farmer -> power producer(income $500.,000~600,000 per year)
• German accept to pay higher price of electricity than other country because they know that costs contribute to clean directly for future.
• Now Germany is the world leader solar producing. As consequence of that, they produce tremendous job and contribute to decrease the solar panel price.
• Within next two decades wind generators and solar panels could be providing one third of country's electricity. In contrast, U.S. generates 1% from solar and wind and there are no movements for encouraging use of solar energy like Germany.

2) Whole Food in New Jersey

• The roof is covered by solar panel. They don't pay for them, they're owned by solar company, Sonedison for 20 years. It uses everywhere like lightening, steamer, freezer, cooler and even register.F
• Even if the panel generates 15% of total electricity but that energy is produced when the price of electricity is the most expensive, peek hour, so it's more cheaper than fossil fuel.
• Business can make difference and the solution of capitalism which build on by U.S. is using renewable energy like solar power.

5. Future

• improve efficiency - flexible solar sheet. It's a more powerful and efficient. A flat solar sheet usually absorbs 15~20%, it blocks the other spectrum except red spectrum. But the more sophisticating flexible sheet has extra layer absorbing the other spectrum. It's used to Robot which worked in Mars. Even though it generates more energy, it owes much money
• Nano-paint - it's on development though. it's a cheap like people can buy at Home Depot and easy to put up.
• Solar industry is fast growing source of energy ; 10% per year
• 2 billion people in the world have little or no access to get great electricity. Solar energy will provide opportunity them of education and society modernize.
• It's debatable the target to improve usage rates of renewable energy to 20~30%. We're using 1% currently.
• An established thing is too late to do anything about it after 20years.

6. New vocab

• passionate adj) showing or caused by strong feelings or a strong belief

(They are passionate advocates of solar power.)(He's passionate about football.)

• advocate n) a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy
• hooked up Phr.v) to connect sb/sth to a piece of electronic equipment, to a power supply or to the Internet

(It is hooked up to the power company.)(Check that the computer is hooked up to the printer.)

• generate v) to produce or creat sth

(U.S. generates 1% from solar and wind and there are no movements for encouraging use of solar energy like Germany.)(We need someone to generate new ideas.)

7. My opinion

I chose this video becasue I'm interested in solar energy. I have a small solar panel in house in Korea, though. I didn't know how it process and how can I get a electricity. I knew just a surface benefit of solar energy. By watching this video I leanred about Germany's good friendly environment policy. They are such a great country to effort to keep green earth instead of us. And also the hugh U.S. just generates 1% renewable energy shocks to me. How could they do? They are the biggest country to use tremendous fossil energy. Evne though they owe cheaper than others. It's a good for me frankly but it's not fair. They should be incharge of environmental preservation. By the way, it was a little bit typical topic but it teaches deeply.