SOLAR ENERGY -- THE ENERGY OF THE FUTURE?





	About 47 per cent of the energy that the sun releases  to the
earth actually reaches the ground.  About a third is 

reflected directly back into space by the atmosphere.  The 

time in which solar energy is available, is also the time we 

least need it least - daytime.  Because the sun's energy 

cannot be stored for use another time, we need to convert 

the suns energy into an energy that can be stored.



One possible method of storing solar energy is by 

heating water that can be insulated. The water is heated by 

passing it through hollow panels.  Black-coated steal plates 

are used because dark colours absorb heat more efficiently.  

However this method only supplies enough energy for 

activities such as washing and bathing.  The solar panels 

generate "low grade" heat, that is, they generate low 

temperatures for the amount of heat needed in a day.  



In order to generate "high grade" heat, intense enough 

to convert water into high-pressure steam which can then be 

used to turn electric generators there must be another 

method.  The concentrated beams of sunlight are collected in 

a device called a solar furnace, which acts on the same 

principles as a large magnifying glass.  The solar furnace 

takes the sunlight from a large area and by the use of 

lenses and mirrors can focus the light into a very small 

area.  Very elaborate solar furnaces have machines that 

angle the mirrors and lenses to the sun all day.  This 

system can provide sizeable amounts of electricity and 

create extremely high temperatures of over 6000 degrees 

Fahrenheit. 





















	Solar energy generators are very clean, little waste is 

emitted from the generators into the environment.  The use 

of coal, oil and gasoline is a constant drain, economically 

and environmentally.



Will solar energy be the wave of the future?  Could the 

worlds requirement of energy be fulfilled by the 

"powerhouse" of our galaxy - the sun?  Automobiles in the 

future will probably run on solar energy, and houses will 

have solar heaters.  



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