In recent times, much has been made of the importance of finding alternatives to the earth's dwindling supply of fossil fuels. Nuclear power, wind power and tidal power have all been put forward as potential lasting replacements. But many believe that the answer lies right above us, and that by opting for free solar energy we would simply be returning to a method that has been used for millennia.
Thousands of years ago, human beings actually worshiped the sun, of course. Sun-gods played a significant role in the cultures of ancient Greece and ancient Egypt, as well as that of many Native North American tribes. The sun is also influential in some religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism.
The nearest star to our planet, the sun provides us with energy that we use in many different ways, although sometimes we may not even be aware of it. For example, when we put our washing out on the clothes line, the sun's rays dry our garments - the heat is, in a way, being harnessed to perform a specific task.
Plants create food via the light of the sun, using a chemical process known as photosynthesis. Interestingly, these are of the very same types as plants that decayed millions of years ago, giving us the fossil fuels that we use today to power our vehicles and homes. So by starting to use free solar energy more frequently, we would in a sense be coming full circle, energy-wise.
The two areas where the sun's power would be ideal for replacing fossil fuels when they finally run out are heating water and producing electricity.
Solar water heaters are not particularly new - they were even used at the end of the 19th century, as the cost of electricity was rather prohibitive at the time. This was all to change just a few decades later, when fossil fuels became the power source of choice. Today, solar water heaters are experiencing something of a revival, heating the water used in homes, shops and swimming pools all over the world.
Free solar energy is best known for its capacity to make electricity. Some solar power plants use curved mirrors called 'parabolic troughs' to focus the light on a pipe that runs down a central point over the curve of the mirror. The pipe gets so hot that it can boil water into steam, which can then turn a turbine to make electricity.
In large open spaces such as California's Mojave desert, huge rows of solar mirrors are organised into thermal power plants that produce electricity for hundreds of thousands of residences.
Solar energy's drawback is that it only works when the sun is shining, but modern 'hybrid' technology has found a way around this. During the daytime the panels soak up the sun's rays, but after nightfall natural gas is burned so that electricity can continue to be produced.
Given the well-publicized dangers of nuclear power, the huge costs involved in wind and tidal energy and the unsatisfactory status quo of coal, oil and gas, perhaps it is time the human race looked skywards for a potential solution in the form of free solar energy, as we did many thousands of years ago.
Before you buy solar energy, make sure you head on over to http://free-home-solar-energy.blogspot.com/ to learn a lot more about the ins and outs of solar energy and power and get all the info you need before you decide to get this green technology.
Author Resource:-
Rita Weeks is a part-time Ph.D student from Houston University and doing thesis on how to use free solar energy and solar energy for home use. Her forte is her passion in studying free solar technologies and writes about it for general awareness.
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