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Sun Volt

Sun Volt Solar

earth, the final frontier

Clean Energy, Clean Environment

We are at a cross roads in human history, we can choose to continue on as we have been, or we can make a change to improve our future and quite possibly the future for several generations to come. We are here to promote energy independence, a better environment, a secure future and a higher return on investment for your hard earned dollar. It is what I believe in, it is why I am in the solar business.

Solar future or no future

25 Jan 09 | Commentary, Environment, Solar Electric, Solar Hot Water

Our sun, either directly or indirectly, powers almost everything we do.  The only non-sun power used on Earth is nuclear energy, the production of which, as of 2005, amounts to about 6.3% of the total energy used.   The rest of the world’s energy is solar energy, either directly, indirectly by use of hydro or wind power, or through energy stored in fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas.

Latest EIT image courtesy NASA

Latest EIT image courtesy NASA

The process that created these fossil fuels is complex and took several millions of years to complete.  Humans began to uses fossil fuels as primary energy sources during the 1850’s.  Since Then, the use has grown exponentially because the use of coal and oil allowed larger, more powerful machinery to extract and transport more coal and oil. What took nature hundreds of millions of years to create, humans have burned through in about 160 years.

The process for creating fossil fuels begins with photosynthesis.  The sun’s energy provides the engine for plants and other vegetative matter to fix carbon molecules from CO2.  Carbon fixation is the process that generates oxygen (O2) in our atmosphere and is the central process that allows life to exist on earth.

Once carbon is released from CO2, it is bound into long and short chains with sugars and starches that create plant structures.  These plants either die and decompose or are consumed by animals which in turn die and decompose.  The organic material is then broken down into carbon and hydrogen compounds in various forms.

There is no substitute for photosynthesis when it comes to carbon fixation.  In short, plants are the most efficient way to break up CO2 into its base elements creating the building blocks for life.  Basically, we are burning through our energy supply a million times faster than it can ever be replaced.  Surely this system is not sustainable and eventually will run out of fuel.  If the peak oil theory is to be believed, that will happen sooner, rather than later.

As outlined in the post “The Sun Powers Everything,”  even if all of the variables are considered, there is more than enough energy strikes the earth everyday to power all of our current needs and then some.  With the current technology, we can tap that power and make a useful and significant reduction in our fossil fuel use.  As technology evolves and more efficient devices are designed and manufactured, more of that power can be converted directly into heat and electricity for us to use.

Without solar power, humans will run out of energy and the life and society that has taken thousands of years to develope will colapse.  This is the most pressing issue of our time, all else pales by comparison.

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25 Jan 09 | Commentary, Environment, Solar Electric, Solar Hot Water | Comments (0)

Renewable tax credits extended for 8 years

03 Oct 08 | Solar Hot Water, solar thermal

Congress passed and the president signed HR 1424 “Emergency Economic Stabilization Act.” This is also known as the “Wall Street Bail Out bill.” Said bill also provided an extension of the renewable energy tax credits for businesses and home owners.

Here are some of the renewable energy highlights:

  1. Extend for 8 years the 30-percent tax credit for both residential and commercial solar installations.
  2. Eliminate the $2,000 monetary cap for residential solar electric installations, creating a true 30-percent credit.
  3. Eliminate the prohibition on utilities from benefiting from the credit.
  4. Allow Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) filers, both businesses and families, to take the credit.
  5. Authorize $800 million for clean energy bonds for renewable energy generating facilities, including solar.

The bill also provided for tax relief to manufactures of wooden arrows or some such.  The wooden arrow people are probably happy too.  Right now I picture them calling each other on the phone and saying “…yeah, and some thing or other about solar power or whatever.”

Anyway.

I am happy with the extension and the removal of the $2,000.00 cap.  It seems that solar manufacturer’s are also breathing a sigh of relief.  Hopefully those solar thermal panel people will tool up and start expanding capacity.  This panel shortage is a real pain

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03 Oct 08 | Solar Hot Water, solar thermal | Comment (1)

The Sun powers (almost) everything

29 Mar 08 | Commentary, Environment, Solar Electric, Solar Hot Water

sun image

When we talk about Solar Power, we are really talking about direct solar power. Using the sun’s heat to heat our homes or light to produce electricity. When you think about it, the Sun actually powers almost everything we do either directly or indirectly.

With the exception of Nuclear energy, all of our energy comes from the Sun. All of the oil, gas, and coal we burn is carbon based energy that was converted by photosynthesis and stored in short hydrocarbon chains, ready to be broken down by combustion and combined with Oxygen to form water vapor, CO2 and heat.

The bond between Carbon and Oxygen is so strong that a lot of energy is given off during the chemical reaction (combustion) when the atoms combine to form CO2. Conversely, to break the CO2 molecule back into Carbon and Oxygen requires a lot of energy. That is where the sun comes in.

Our Sun

Our Sun is about 93,000,000 million miles away. It takes light leaving the sun 8.31 seconds to reach Earth. The Sun’s diameter is about 870,000 miles, compared to Earth which is about 7,900 miles. The rate of the Sun’s energy striking Earth is called insolation. The average rate of insolation on the surface of the Earth is 250 watts per square meter. This takes into consideration the North and South poles, inclement weather and night time periods. When the sun is shining, the average insolation for any given location is about 1,000 watts per square meter.

Here is a little perspective. Currently, we (the human race) consume 15 TW (terawatts, one terawatt equals 1,000,000,000,000 watts) of power at any given moment. The energy from the Sun striking the Earth is 89,000 TW.

There are, of course, a few details. We cannot cover the entire surface of the Earth with solar collectors.

  1. Water covers 70 percent of our planet. Which means that 30 percent of the energy from the sun strikes land areas. 89,000 TW x 0.30 = 26,700 TW available.
  2. Mountainous terrain (too difficult to build on) covers about 10 percent of the land area, that leaves 90 percent available for use, or 26,700 TW x 0.90 = 24,030 TW
  3. Roughly 9 percent of the land area is Antarctica, which is uninhabited. 24,030 TW x 0.91 = 21,867.3 TW available for use.
  4. Lets assume that roughly 5 percent of the remaining land area would be able to be developed into solar power installations (includes roof top installations). 21,867.3 TW x 0.05= 1,093.4 TW

Then there is the matter of conversion efficiency.

  1. Currently Photovoltaic efficiencies (technologies actually in production) are at most 16 percent. 1,093.4 TW x 0.16 = 175 TW

There are 175 TW of practical solar power available for our use. This gives us more than enough room to grow. Additionally, some of the solar power that strikes the oceans and other water areas. This energy creates wind, evaporates water and generates waves. It is currently being used for wind turbines, hydro power and so on. There is also a big push to develop wave and tidal power. These applications would further enhance the amount energy we directly use from the Sun.

The long and the short of it; there is plenty of energy for everyone provided we use our technology to develop that potential and stop trying to blow each other up.

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29 Mar 08 | Commentary, Environment, Solar Electric, Solar Hot Water | Comments (2)