Active+Solar+Power

To The Power of 5 Billion Amanda Madigan

Energy Production and the Conservation of Energy The Earth relies on Solar Energy from the sun. Without Solar Power, life would be impossible. Humans and animals rely on the sun to see and to stay warm. Fish and other creatures living in the sea also need the sun to stay heated and to see. Plants would not live without sunlight. During photosynthesis, plants give off oxygen which we need to breathe and therefore, live. There are many different ways to convert solar energy into electricity. {1} Here is one of them: 1. The sun sends energy in electrical and magnetic waves that reach the Earth in 8 minutes. 2. The sunlight flows through the cover of the solar cell (or photovoltaic cell) and encounters atoms in a negative and positive layers. 3.When the sunlight comes in contact with the layers, the positive layer releases electrons, and the negative layer gains them causing the flow of electricity. (**Conservation of Energy:** In Step 3, the solar energy is being converted into electrical energy.){1}

(Photovoltaic Cell) {6}

 Advantages/Disadvantages

//Advantages// **Small Cost**- When set up, the solar panels cost nothing. This is very useful for countries such as Africa who have have very little electricity and climate refugees. A very small and inexpensive solar panel recieves 1,500 hours of sunshine per year. {2}
 * Solar energy is tireless**—The supply is so great, the sun will exist for billions more years. The Earth has little Fossil Fuels (such as coal oil and gas) left- It is predicted to run out in sixty years. Most electricity is made from burning these fossil fuels so it is imperitive that we use solar power immdiately. {2}


 * Clean**- It doesn't hurt the environment or create polllution. They can be used without worries of it running low or being unable to use.

//Disadvantages // 
 * Expensive to make**--but when set up they cost nothing, unless they break. {2}


 * The sun is not always shining.** Therefore, the solar panels will not be able to receive sunlight all the time. However rechargeable batteries can be used to store the solar electricity. Another solution is to have a back-up energy source which can easily be turned on when the sun is not shining. {1}

Vocabulary

Array- Photovoltaic cells cover these heliostats and recieve energy from the sun. {2} Bioconversion- The process where you make electrical power through solar energy in plants. {2} Convective Zone- The surface of the sun where gas is constantly moving to help with solar flares. {1} Electromagnetic Radiation- The electric and magnetic rays from the sun that are sent to Earth to be converted into electrical energy via solar cells. {1} Heliostat- A mirror that reflects sunlight. It can be used to convert solar power into electrical energy. {1} Photosphere- The surface of the sun that lets light escape due to hot gases. This is the part of the sun that is visible from the Earth. {1} Solar Cell (Photovoltaic cell)- A cell that converts sunlight into electricity. {2} Solar Flare- The sun quickly releasing electromagnetic waves of other high energy particles/objects. {2} Solar Radiation- Electromagnetic waves carrying heat and light throughout space.{2} Solar Thermal Conversion- The process that converts solar energy into electricity. {2} (4) This is a photo of a heliostat. (See definition above.)

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This video explains a solution for using solar power. The sun shines onto parabolic troughs and then reflects onto a metal pole in which the solar power is converted into electricity.

New York Times Article

A recent article on solar power shows that fossil fuels continue to dominate the production of electricity in the United States. Last year, solar power was used to make .01 percent of the country's electrical energy. Scientists state that if there is not a breakthrough soon, there is no way that solar power can be used because of the high cost. But can Vinod Khosla find this breakthrough? Scientists found out that the Earth bathing in the sun's light for an hour holds more energy than human's use in an entire year. This shows that if Mr. Khosla can find an inexpensive way to collect solar energy, the earth will not be continually polluted, and global warming will decrease! Read to find out more! (And watch the video--It wouldn't let me embed it.) {5} http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/16/business/16solar.html

**Call to Action- Climate Refugees** media type="youtube" key="e2ULoJYTsrM" height="385" width="640"

As a human rights activist doing a 7th grade science project on Solar Power, I felt this video was imperative to share. It shows how 25 million people are on the run or dying because of climate change. It demonstrates how we need to take action immediately to help these people stay in there homes with their culture, alive. Solar Power is the perfect solution. It does not hurt the environment at all. **Please watch this video and take action at amnesty.org immediately.**

Footnotes: 1. __Solar Energy.__ Bob Brooks. Chelsea House Publishers. 1992. 2. __Solar Power.__ Neil Morris. Smart Apple Media. 2007 3. [] 4. 5. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/16/business/16solar.html 6. []