Speaking_solar Energy and its future

In a world where energy is a supply that is always in demand, a cheap, clean energy source is hard to come by. Luckily, in recent years solar energy technology has improved greatly, and due to the recent sky-rocking price in oil and coal, solar energy has come back into the spotlight. The new design for these “solar energy catching” devices is called the parabolic solar trough. It focuses all the sunlight into a liquid-filled tube at the bottom of the parabola and all the sunlight is focused on it creating a blistering 750 degree F liquid. This liquid is then used to heat water and cause it to turn into steam, which is used in a steam turbine, just like coal and oil plants. The second design isn’t so new, but has been “reborn” with new materials, lowering the price and making mass production possible. The solar energy companies are using the solar panel design with new semiconductors to catch the electricity caused by the positive charge. This new panel has been used in a new dish design which also focuses the sunlight into one spot, but this time to a temperature of 1450 degrees F. This design also comes with its own Stirling engine which is independent from all the other dishes, so if one fails; it doesn’t cause production to halt to repair the broken dish.

In such an unstable market, and with such an uncertain future in oil, solar energy seems the way to go. It will not only help keep America green, it will also create jobs for Thousands of Americans, and possibly open up a new market for our economy. In deserts where nothing could be done in the first place, solar dishes or troughs could be placed to gather the blistering desert sun and giving us access to a supply in high demand, clean energy. Also, once the dishes or troughs are built, they are virtually cost free (minus a repair or two over long periods of time). So, as an alternative to buying oil and coal all the time, why not go for a slightly larger one-time payment for solar panels and troughs and never have to pay again? Pure profit could come from these dishes, allowing American energy companies to stay competitive with foreign energy companies with less regulation, lower pay for workers, and in some cases, no labor laws. “Power plants are a major source of air pollution, with coal-fired power plants spewing 59% of total U.S. sulfur dioxide pollution and 18% of total nitrogen oxides every year” (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "National Air Quality and Emissions Trends Report." 2003. Appendix A.) With solar power, there are no emissions making for a greener, healthier America.