seville solar power tower

Solar power is abundantly available, but the potential for its use has barely been explored. The drive to tap into the sun’s energy by direct means is a fairly recent phenomenon. However, people have always used indirect solar power. The difference between direct and indirect solar power is the number of changes the sun’s energy has to go through to become useful.

The sun is a primal source of nutrition and energy for our planet. Its energy impacts everything from weather patterns to the food we eat. At the most basic level it is at the source of all our energy. Photosynthesis of sun light is critical in the growing of plants, which in turn provides food for the creatures of the earth, including humans. Mankind makes use of the plants and animals for many purposes including the source of other forms of energy. The development of bio fuels would be impossible without the sun’s energy. The fossil fuels we use in the present age is a product of animals that have long been extinct. The sun helped in keeping these animals alive and it also played a role in the decomposition process that made crude oil out of them. These are examples of the indirect uses of solar energy.

The direct use of solar power is when the sun’s energy goes through only one change to become useful. We are just beginning to explore the variety of ways to tap into this resource. Fibre optics is a developing technology where cables can be mounted on the outside of buildings to transmit the sun’s energy for lighting on the inside. Thermal collectors are another way of harnessing the energy of direct sun light. The dark surfaces on these units are capable of absorbing the sun’s heat energy which in turn can be used in a fluid circuit. This is the principle involved in the use of solar panels or photovoltaic cells. This technology is quite effectively used in the building of spacecraft. While in orbit, there is ample sun light available which can be collected and used for many applications aboard a space module. This is very beneficial because the storage capacity for fuel on a space craft is limited.

The sun is our most basic source of energy and it is sustainable. We have benefited from solar power since time began and it hasn’t come close to running out. The sun belongs to everyone. We don’t have to ask for anyone’s permission to tap into its resources. We don’t have to go exploring for it and we don’t have to dig giant holes to find it. It is simply there for us to use.