why not solar energy

Why not solar energy? I read a posting on the web earlier today and the blogger asked the question; why not solar energy?

This writer was obviously frustrated by the lack of effort made to develop new sources of alternative energy, when, in an area such as Florida…. “the sunshine state”, the resource is being completely squandered. I live in the state of Arizona, and I have mused that the state should have been collectively asking “why not solar energy” for years. I moved here in 1990 and only now, in 2009 has there been any official move by the power authority to promote solar power. This demonstrates the complete and total lack of leadership and vision that the power authority in this state has for solar power. This state should have been then, and should now be on the cutting edge of solar and battery technology worldwide, but it has taken years of being held hostage by oil companies, irresponsible auto makers and middle-east thugs and despots for us to finally pull our heads out of the sand (no pun intended…I do live in the desert) and get smart.

But why do you say battery technology? If you ask the question, “why not solar power”, there has to be a way to effectively and efficiently store that power for use when the sun is not around. After all, one of the major arguments that I read is that it is not sunny in my region all the time. We only get sun for 4 hours a day or so. That is indeed a valid argument if you do live in a less-than-ideal region or state than Arizona. That is precisely the point. It is this kind of problem that should be driving engineers in my part of the country, the Southwest States, to be developing technologies that further improve the capabilities of battery cells. One of the replies that I read suggested that maybe one day soon cell phones will be solar powered. Great idea.

In all fairness, there are a lot more very valid arguments against solar power. It doesn’t produce enough energy to power large commercial enterprises. It’s very inefficient. It doesn’t produce enough current (which by the way is why it is so much safer; have you ever heard the expression…. “it’s not the volts that kill you, it’s the amps”?). They actually cost more than they produce, and in the end are economically impractical. Then there’s the problem of what to do with the old batteries…..ouch.

The purpose of this blog is to inspire us all to think about the possibilities and make sure we are moving forward, not backward. That is the key. What I envision is an entirely self-sufficient Arizona which leads not only the country, but the world in solar and battery technology, humming along smoothly (pun intended this time) and able to restructure an entire economy around the business of producing solar energy. The next step will be to educate the rest of the country and the world on the benefits of wisely managing what renewable resources any given region might take advantage of.

Why not solar energy, why not wave energy, why not water desalinization, why not wind power, why not geothermal. Any part of the globe can ask these questions, and should be until we come up with the answers that will lessen our environmental impact and improve our quality of life. Then the answer can be; this is why solar energy works. Virtually no environmental footprint, cleaner air and water. Better future for our children and grandchildren. Factor that into your cost-benefit analysis.