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| When Oberlin College decided to build a new Environmental Science building, they constructed a hallmark of environmental engineering. Solar power became an integral component of the building's design, dispelling myths that the Ohio climate could not support solar energy. |
The sun is the ultimate source of energy. All the energy stored in the earth's reserves of coal, oil, and natural gas is equal to the energy from only 20 days of sunshine.
With today's technologies, we can harness this energy to produce electricity. While some parts of the country a re sunnier than others, most areas receive enough sunshine to make solar energy a powerful source of clean and affordable electricity. Thanks in part to successful research and development, the cost of solar technologies has plummeted in recent decades, approaching the cost of fossil fuels, and is likely to fall even further.
How Does it Work?
Solar technologies allow us to capture the sun's energy in two principal ways. Solar photovoltaic panels, which f requently sit atop buildings, convert sunlight directly into electricity. These solar panels are made of cutting-edge silicon materials, similar to those used in computer chips. As light passes through the panels, it creates a current, generating electricity.
This process of converting light (photons) to electricity (voltage) gives us the photovoltaic effect. Also currently in use are solar thermal systems, which use the sun's heat to warm water for our businesses and homes.
Photo courtesy National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
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