| One of the consistent problems with solar | | | | construct of solar cells. Various forms of |
| platforms has been the inefficient conversion | | | | silicon are used to convert sunlight into |
| of sunlight to electricity. New technology | | | | energy. The material is simply inefficient |
| and strategies are dealing with this issue. | | | | and improvements are slow and incremental. |
| | | | The situation is similar to trying to turn a |
| Concentrate, Concentrate | | | | moped into a high performance racing bike. |
| | | | You don't have much to work with. Given the |
| Traditional power generating plants work by | | | | limitations of silicon, solar producers are |
| using a fuel, often fossil, to heat a liquid | | | | trying new strategies. |
| until it expands or turns into a gas. The | | | | |
| pressure or gas than rotates a turbine, which | | | | One of the major new strategies is to use the |
| cranks up a generator and produces the | | | | sun as a direct heating component to produce |
| massive amounts of electricity we all take | | | | power. Instead of trying to directly convert |
| for granted. This is a time tested method and | | | | the sunlight with silicon wafers, producers |
| is used in coal, nuclear, hydropower and most | | | | are trying to use reflective panels to focus |
| major power sources. The concept is now being | | | | it onto a specific spot. This spot then |
| transferred to solar platforms in an effort | | | | contains a pipe or pool of liquid. The |
| to get more bang for the buck out of these | | | | concentrated focus of the sun heats the |
| clean energy platforms. | | | | liquid up and the traditional turbine to |
| | | | generator to electricity strategy is |
| The problem with solar is sunlight is | | | | undertaken. If you've ever sat in a car in |
| converted to energy at a rate of 10 to 15 | | | | traffic on a summer day without air |
| percent efficiency, a truly uninspiring | | | | conditioning, you'll understand the concept. |
| number. Put in sports terms, the best batter | | | | |
| in baseball would have a batting average of | | | | Generating energy from the sun on a large |
| 150, a quarterback would complete 1.5 of his | | | | scale has always been a bit of a head |
| attempted throws and Michael Jordan would | | | | scratcher. Early returns on the concentrated |
| have missed 9 out of every 10 dunks. The | | | | energy strategy, however, have been extremely |
| numbers simply aren't pretty. | | | | positive. Major fields are being used in |
| | | | Germany and the future appears...bright. |
| The problem with solar power is the base | | | | |