Solar Technologies
Photosynthesis
To really start looking at Solar Energy, let's have a good look at existing systems.
Nature uses a highly sophisticated process using photons to create protein building blocks and by doing so transforms CO2 into O2.
Research is currently being done by MIT on protein based solar cells. The 'Glass-Spinach Sandwich' as it is referred to in the Podcast.
Solar Voltaic
One of the fastest growing segments of solar applications is of solar voltaics. Current solar voltaics use silicone as their base material, the same material that gets used for the manufacturing of computer chips. The growth in computer chip manufacturing is currently driving up the price. The development of new solar film based on a poly-ethylene film is expected to lower the price of solar voltaic.
New solar energy plants are coming online to support the electrical grid.
By adding wind power plants and solar energy power plants to the grid we see new initiatives emerging, for example in Europe, where new electrical grids are being constructed to enable import of solar electricity from Northern Africa.
Thermal Solar
Thermal solar uses the sun to heat a liquid or a gas that then runs through a turbine and creates electricity. Most solar plants use thermal solar. Thermal solar is cheaper than solar voltaics. The parabolic mirrors, like those used in the Nevada solar plant , have the advantage that they have a reduced number of moving parts, since the parabolic mirror can be perfectly placed to the angle of the sun, thus allowing the stationary mirror to beam the light during the entire rotation of the sun into the central core to be heated.
The Solar Wind Towers
In Spain we see a new development appearing in solar chimneys - towers that draw heated air up from under a solar shield that floats 8'-0 above the ground. The difference in outside temperature creates a strong draft in the chimney from the solar heated air at the bottom driven generator.
Passive Solar
An important asset in architecture, passive solar uses the design of the building to either attract sun or shade buildings and glazing surfaces pending on the climate. The design below illustrates how the use of reflective concrete floors and SCIP ceilings to capture the sun's radiant heat and store it in the concrete mass of the building allows it be used for heating later.
The new development of translucent solar voltaic glass building skins opens up the possibility to create buildings that create their own energy.
Solar Planes
Ocean Solar Power
Ocean solar uses the vast ocean as solar collectors. It uses the difference in temperature between the cold deep water and the warm solar heated surface water to create electricity. At the same time, the solar energy that is heating the oceans is converted to electrical energy, cooling the oceans.
Solar Fabrics
Solar fabric applications are another development.
Solar Sail Ships
Integration of new static sail technology-combined solar applications will potentially change shipping.
Protein Based Computing
The use of proteins in computing is being researched. It is based on the simple fact that proteins have the ability to form long molecules that have a positive charge at one end and a negative charge at the other, thus essentially acting as a binary.