Solar Energy ~ Environment Clean Generations

                 Every hour the sun beams onto Earth more than enough energy to satisfy global energy needs for an entire year. Solar energy is the technology used to harness the sun's energy and make it useable. Today, the technology produces less than one tenth of one percent of global energy demand.
                 Many people are familiar with so-called photovoltaic cells, or solar panels, found on things like spacecraft, rooftops, and handheld calculators. The cells are made of semiconductor materials like those found in computer chips. When sunlight hits the cells, it knocks electrons loose from their atoms. As the electrons flow through the cell, they generate electricity.

                 On a much larger scale, solar thermal power plants employ various techniques to concentrate the sun's energy as a heat source. The heat is then used to boil water to drive a steam turbine that generates electricity in much the same fashion as coal and nuclear power plants, supplying electricity for thousands of people.
                 In one technique, long troughs of U-shaped mirrors focus sunlight on a pipe of oil that runs through the middle. The hot oil then boils water for electricity generation. Another technique uses moveable mirrors to focus the sun's rays on a collector tower, where a receiver sits. Molten salt flowing through the receiver is heated to run a generator.

                 Other solar technologies are passive. For example, big windows placed on the sunny side of a building allow sunlight to heat-absorbent materials on the floor and walls. These surfaces then release the heat at night to keep the building warm. Similarly, absorbent plates on a roof can heat liquid in tubes that supply a house with hot water.
                Solar energy is lauded as an inexhaustible fuel source that is pollution and often noise free. The technology is also versatile. For example, solar cells generate energy for far-out places like satellites in Earth orbit and cabins deep in the Rocky Mountains as easily as they can power downtown buildings and futuristic cars.

                    But solar energy doesn't work at night without a storage device such as a battery, and cloudy weather can make the technology unreliable during the day. Solar technologies are also very expensive and require a lot of land area to collect the sun's energy at rates useful to lots of people.
                    Despite the drawbacks, solar energy use has surged at about 20 percent a year over the past 15 years, thanks to rapidly falling prices and gains in efficiency. Japan, Germany, and the United States are major markets for solar cells. With tax incentives, solar electricity can often pay for itself in five to ten years.

                   At a time when all forms of exhaustible source of energy like coal, oil and electricity are on the verge of complete exhaustion, energy requirements across the globe are becoming a hindrance in commercial progress, an ever increasing number of nations are marching towards adopting “Project Sunshine” which entails enriching solar power assets, to bring a turnaround in the economic restructuring. Some of Europe’s prominent nuclear research facilities are moving towards sustainable forms of energy. Sensing the immense opportunities in the global solar PV market, many rival nations have made significant investments in solar technologies to increase productivity and sustain their competitive position.

                     The international solar cell market increased seventeen times from 1994 to 2004.During this period, Japan, Europe and United States dominated the production of solar technologies. In contrast to nineteen percent expansion in 2005, the solar cell set up reached 1744 megawatts in 2006.This led to a $10 billion growth in the market worth. The solar cell manufacture in 2007 touched 3436 megawatts as opposed to 56% rise during 2006.
                     China initiated their research in solar technologies as early as 1958. During the late 1980s , China launched a variety of solar cells .This resulted in an increased capacity of 3KW which caused many small producers to enhance their plants from 4 to 4.5MW.The production capacity was limited to 2 MW till 2002. Thereafter, the European market jumped in and the German firm Wuxi Suntech Power, with their swift power generation came into the picture and made inroads into China exhibiting unprecedented growth in PV industry pioneering speedy development.

                  As of now China is the principal solar technology manufacturer. In 2007, there was n exponential jump of 293 percent to achieve 1188MW capacity. Europe and Japan have long been dethroned by China to become the photovoltaic cell producing superpower. The Chinese solar power industry transformed to a stronghold. Yangtze River Delta, Bohai Bay, Pearl River Delta, central and western provinces have emerged as an exclusive solar hub. Despite the successes in the last decade, China started its solar energy exploration two decades after the global players. Many countries have substantially hiked their funding, but it isn’t adequate to bridge the prevailing gap. The authorities must push stronger reforms through strategic and administrative stimuli in solar energy sector and address the pricing concerns. Although there’s been substantial upsurge in use of solar power in public places and official settings, the acceptance in the internal market will come through exceptional governmental impetus and a robust growth.

Solar PV energy will not only emerge as an alternative to various non-renewable forms of energy, but will also become the primary global energy source in years to follow. Solar energy is projected to meet ten percent of the total global energy consumption in 2030 and thirty percent of total renewable energy will be the solar energy. In 2040, the green energy will meet fifty percent of the world requirement and solar power will form twenty percent of the consumption.

Thereafter, in the twenty-first century, alternative energy sources will contribute to 80% total power requirement and solar energy will amount to 60% or more. These numbers are a mere reflection of the vital role that solar technology is slated to play and the extraordinary potential that this industry can boast of.
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