Solar power is an evolving technology that keeps trying to break through as a dominant energy source. Here is just the latest example of this trend? What do you think about solar power? How would introducing solar power as a mainstream energy supply change our society? Research two other solar powered technological advances. Briefly summarize this technology and explain how it would impact our current society.
http://money.cnn.com/2014/12/04/technology/tommy-hilfiger-solar-jacket/index.html
***OLD POST***
"Solar Power" is a term most people recognize but few people fully
understand the market behind the term. Over the past 5 years many of
the manufacturers of products to generate solar power have saw a steep
decline in business and as a result are facing bankruptcy. The following
article will discuss some of the factors leading to this decline. Have
you ever considered how intricate the energy field is? What do you
think the declining solar power market will mean for the economy and the
US in general? What do you think a difference maker would be in the
situation?
http://money.cnn.com/2011/11/30/technology/solar_power/index.htm
I think that a solar powered jacket is kind of ridiculous honestly, I don't think anyone really needs their phone charged all the time for almost $600. Solar power itself however, is not. Using the sun to create energy is a lot better for the environments and will conserve energy as well. I've recently learned about a plan to make roadways solar paneled and this idea could be huge for the world. It would be safer because the panels would use their solar energy to melt ice off of the road or even warn you that there's wild life coming up. This project would be very expensive and time consuming but in the long run could change our country for the better.
ReplyDeleteIt surprises me that there is a decline in the solar energy market. This is a fairly new field, and I expected it to be rising in popularity. A lot of time and money is put into developing this technology therefore if the decline continues many people are going to lose their jobs and their revenue. I think if more research continues on this energy source it will help improve its overall quality.
DeleteI think that solar power is a good idea. It is kind of weird to think that people could be wearing it but whatever works. I think that this would eliminate some of the use of phone chargers which will cut down on electricity. I think solar power is a good idea, there is an endless amount of sun so why not use it to help us out? I think introducing it will be a positive thing for our society. It will make the cost of energy go down which is good for everyone.
ReplyDeletehttp://phys.org/news/2014-09-scientists-revolutionize-solar-power-gold.html
This new technology isn't a big device, it's gold that is used to increase power to a solar cell by 10%. That will increase the amount of energy it collects for us to use. They also talked about solar-powered cell phones. It will impact by increasing the amount of solar energy absorbed by one cell which is good for more energy to be used.
http://www.newenergytechnologiesinc.com/technology/solarwindow
This technology is pretty smart I think. It's a spray that can be put on normal windows and that spray collects solar power. I think that's a smart idea. Other solar power cells are big and bulky but this would be nearly impossible to tell you have it. The impact will be the same, more solar energy.
I think that at the moment solar power isn't as useful as it has the potential to be. However, as our technology increases, the likely hood of the sun becoming a mainstream power house becomes more real. I really like the concept that Tommy Hilfiger is coming up with, because it is a step in the right direction for the health of the planet. I think that if solar power were introduced and fully invested in in the world, people would most likely adapt to utilizing it as opposed to using current power sources, i.e. coal, oil, etc. It would change our society into more eco-aware place.
ReplyDeleteSome other examples of solar powered equipment would included the solar powered radio and christmas tree lights.
http://market.solarrific.com/
Solyndra was a manufacturer of cylindrical panels of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin-film solar cells based in Fremont, California. Solyndra developed special solar panels that were cylindrical and they thought that they would absorb light from any which direction, direct, indirect or refracted. They soon failed because of the cost of Silicon.
Deletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/before-solyndra-a-long-history-of-failed-government-energy-projects/2011/10/25/gIQA1xG0CN_story.html
First off, this is something I have never heard of. Solar jackets? That's pretty crazy if you ask me. I personally will never own a jacket like that if its only purpose is charging my I phone. I'm not concerned about my phone going dead. I can always charge it when I get home. Plus the price is pretty steep. I personally am stuck in the middle with the solar power technology. I like the idea of less pollution and safer for the environment, but then again I'm from Gillette Wyoming. The energy capital of the nation. So of coarse I like the idea of natural energy like coal. A lot of big cites use solar power. A lot of solar panels are used on roofs, the panels get energy from the sun. Not many solar panels if any are used anywhere near where I'm from.
ReplyDeleteI think solar power is a great idea and it is incredible that we can power cars and heating in houses, etc. using nothing but the energy from the sun. This is so good for our environment, however solar panels are very expensive. In grade eight science fair my partner and I made a solar panel shower- we put a solar panel on our roof and used it to generate a shower. It was definitely one of the better projects. Introducing solar power as a mainstream energy supply would change our society because it would be making using power more environmentally friendly. Solar energy comes from the earth therefore it is good for our earth. This is the only earth we have so taking good care of it would be a good idea. I think the solar panel jackets are very ugly and I would never wear them but it is a cool idea. I never would have thought to put panels on the backs of jackets to charge devices.
ReplyDeleteOne solar powered technological advance i found online is the SEIKO solar. It’s a watch that uses only solar energy. It takes its energy from light, and stores it in a self-recharging battery which never needs to be changed. By eliminating the need for battery change in a quartz watch, SEIKO Solar makes an obvious and important contribution to the cause of a healthier planet.
http://www.seiko-cleanenergy.com/watches/solar/
The second advance I found was a solar panel cell phone charger. They come in different shapes and sizes and can be separated into two categories: those with built-in batteries (you can store your sun power) and those without batteries (they send the solar power straight to your phone). All it really is is a small, portable solar panel with a USB port to charge your phone. You leave it on a windowsill plugged into your phone during the day and it’s fully charged. Very neat.
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-reviews/eco-friendly-products/solar-panels-test
These technologies impact our current society because it feels like we’re always trying to take better care of our natural resources. It started by switching all the lightbulbs in our houses to the environmentally friendly ones. And now we hear about these solar panel jackets. Crazy! I live in a small town (White City, Saskatchewan) and it’s expanding like crazy. At the end of our street it used to be a farmer’s field with cows and now it’s ALL houses. A lot of the newer houses have solar panels on the side of their house that faces the sun all day. This would be a pricy investment but well worth it in the end as they would eventually pay for themselves.
Solar power technology is a great thing for not just humans but for earth to. All its doing is conserve energy as well as create energy. and those solar panel roadways would be great for us as well because with those it would melt the snow off the road and help u see better. All i'm saying is if we want a better world and better mother earth then this is one way we can make it better.
ReplyDeleteI really don't even think a comment is necessary for the jacket because it is straight up weird. Who the heck would buy a $600 dollar jacket? Unless you're the Kardashians don't even try to pull it off. Do you not understand what problems that could cause someone? If you're out in public and my phones about to die, dang right im going to try to plug my charger into you. Solar power is one of the best things that can happen to us. It would not only save us money, but it'll save our planet in the long run. All these oils and fumes we are burning into the air don't just disappear and break down, oh no, they start destroying our atmosphere. I found out that a Canadian, actually built a solar panel on the roof of us his car, so he saves gas. Which honestly, is brilliant, but it looks a little funky especially since its on a sedan, but hey, if it saves him money all the power to him. I also found that people are using solar panels for little things, like charging your cellphone, or an umbrella with lights on it. Having a solar car is pretty neat, but what happens when it rains for a week straight and there's no sun? I'm sure this could work if there was more research done on this. And as for the phone charger, I would totally buy one. I'd rather carry around a hand held device than a satellite on the hood of my jacket.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad to hear about the companies are going out of business. But like the article stated, not all companies are going to last. They made the mistake of making too many and not being able to keep up with sales. It sucks that the sales have decreased because I think solar panels are a fantastic idea and exactly what our world needs. The fewer solar panels bought, the less energy we conserve. I think that it would be a good idea to maybe put a law in effect that buildings over a certain size have to use a solar panel. Maybe not for all of their energy but little things matter too.
Deletehttp://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2013/04/09/solar-companies-continue-to-go-bankrupt/
This is an article where Evergreen gives a link to all the companies that are going out of business.
I think solar power is a great alternative to energy supply; and its clean! I think it would be great to use more solar power. Yes it would be expensive to start, but it would pay off in the long run. For example, it would be expensive to put solar panels on your roof, but after a couple years I'm sure they would pay for themselves and then once they are paid off you could have little to no electric bill.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the jacket, its a cool invention. But, say in the winter who is gonna stand out side in the freezing cold just to collect some sunlight with your jacket. Then when you are outside a lot, its summer and who wears a jacket in the summer? Also, do you really need to charge your phone that much that you would buy a $600 jacket?
Another example of a new solar power technology is solar roadways and the Skylock. We all already know what solar roadways are. The Skylock however is a new bike lock that runs on solar power and can only be controlled with your smart phone.
It kind of sucks to hear that solar companies are going bankrupt. It's just such a great alternative. I think it was such a trend for awhile, people were over investing and were starting too many companies that when the hype went down, we realized we went overboard.
Deletehttp://www.npr.org/2014/11/13/363572151/after-solyndra-loss-u-s-energy-loan-program-turning-a-profit
After reading this post, I thought it would be cool idea and very handy. The charging your phone part is the best. You can never go wrong with having a phone charger by you at all times. The solar part of it is unique and could be very effective. I think that the jacket is kind of spendy in my thoughts. $600 for a jacket?! Even though it does charge your phone but I would rather go sit by a plug in on the wall rather than spending $600 on a jacket. If we had this unique piece of clothing, we would save money and save electricity. So I guess it would be an effective product.
ReplyDeleteA man invented a solar power wheelchair for himself, the man took on a 200 mile journey. This would be a very cool thing to have for the handicap. Even if it helps them from not having to charge it every week.
There is a wireless keyboard that is being invented so that you don't have to recharge your batteries constantly. This would be effective in todays world since a lot of people use computers.
In my opinion, I would've never thought that solar power would be going downhill already. They have spent so much money on this technology and no its all going to waste. I think that it is very important for us to have this in our world.
Deletehttp://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-11-12/u-dot-s-dot-expects-5-billion-from-program-that-funded-solyndra
I think it's great that they are introducing solar power as a mainstream energy supply. Solar power will be better for the environment and will conserve energy in are society. The solar power jacket is kind of pricey, I mean like I don't need to charge my phone 24/7.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of a solar jacket, but I have heard of a jacket that is electrical and distributes heat. Having a solar jacket might be the new thing to have, I myself could not have one as I would probably break it as all the wires in it would get bend and not work again. I am wondering where the solar panels would be. Maybe this jacket would be good for someone that is outside all the time but if you are just using it to wear then there really isn't any purpose for it. Solar panel is a great idea in certain was, if you can afford it in the begging then why wouldn't you get it. Solar energy is getting more popular every day, as well as creating more jobs for producing them. solar panels can be the new ways home are built if the price of them could be more affordable. They have came up with solar panel roads which is a great idea, and then there is solar panels that are used to charge a well for cattle to drink out of. This idea of solar energy is great but some people may be trying to create something that is just to out in the universe.
ReplyDeleteNo one really thinks on how much it takes to create one single solar panel. I sure didn't think about it till today. The amount that it takes to create one and then to find out that they are selling them under market value just to get the product moving is kind of disturbing. With finding that out it is making me want to go and possibly think about putting solar panels in my home. But then if you think about the production are they cutting corners somewhere? Many question are to be put into perspective. The economy for solar power will either take a rise with the lowering cost of product or people will not purchase them and there for will take a plunge. A different maker for this product could start a new way that solar panels are created with a more cost efficency without cutting corners.
DeleteI think solar power is an amazing invention. I have heard about it but never really knew much about it. I think it’s crazy that we are able to keep our phones charged from the sun shining. At this point it is pretty expensive but I wasn’t surprised by the cost at all. I’m not sure about it being very stylish but it says there are other wearable technologies like watches and glasses that we are slowly gaining traction too. I found it interesting when it said that in sunlight it’s able to charge the smartphone beyond its capacity. I think this will help society so much because there will be less electricity used to charge the phones. On the other hand there may be a higher use of phones due to the fact people know it won’t die throughout the day because its constantly charging as they are wearing their jacket.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/523251/new-battery-material-could-help-wind-and-solar-power-go-big/
Harvard University researchers say they’ve developed a new type of battery that could make it economical to store a couple of days of electricity from wind farms and other sources of power.
http://phys.org/news/2014-01-solar-cell-technology-captures-high-energy.html
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Texas at Austin have together developed a new, inexpensive material that has the potential to capture and convert solar energy—particularly from the bluer part of the spectrum—much more efficiently than ever before.
Many of the solar power companies say they have every incentive to wait to start up there product. They think prices will improve the next week, a never ending thought they all have. Some if he companies build up their panels and sell them for below market rates just to move the product. That in turn causes a downward spiral.
Deletehttp://www.npr.org/2014/11/13/363572151/after-solyndra-loss-u-s-energy-loan-program-turning-a-profit
This article talks about how and why Solyndra failed. It also talks about the aftermath of many companies going bankrupt.
I think solar power is a smart and environment friendly power source, I mean we get it for free from the sun that big light bulb in the sky isn't falling anytime soon but who knows how long the world will have our abundant source of oil. Introducing solar power as a mainstream power source would be good for the environment but would effect the society we live in by maybe taking jobs away from people in the oil industry.
ReplyDeleteThey now have a plane that runs completely on solar power, I can only imagine how much money it could save people. They are now making a back pack with solar panels on it so while you're on your hike you can be charging your electrical devices, this saves time for everybody.
they were developed a jacket that uses solar energy and they are increasing fossil fuel prices.
ReplyDeletefor those that where the solar powered jacket they have a battery so they get to charge up their smartphone when they are on the go.
I think solar power will one day be the dominant source of energy. It is a great way to produce energy without harming Earth by using nuclear power plants to produce energy, thus producing pollution and uranium. It is a clean energy that will be more natural and perhaps a healthy factor to the environment. Introducing solar power as a main stream supply would change our society because phones would not go out of battery when out in public and people don't have access to chargers. Maybe that important phone call will not be missed. Also, solar energy will be used in all homes, therefore reducing energy bills. People in the electricity generating business will be made redundant, however a massive increased in solar energy jobs will increase thus creating a lot of jobs for society and thus making the economy better.
ReplyDeletehttp://khon2.com/2014/12/03/who-is-nextera-energy-and-how-could-it-help-hawaii/
Hawaii is the leading solar powered island and this affects society because this will influence other society's countries and islands to also introduce solar power thus creating a better economy.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-11-18/the-world-benefits-from-germanys-use-of-wind-and-solar-power
Solar power in Germany have had falling prices in the country itself which enables more people to afford solar power which also convince people to but solar power in other countries, also the prices drop in one country, it is like the domino effect. Solar prices would fall and more people would buy.
I believe solar power has more benefits than drawbacks to add in society. Unfortunately, people with less information about how it works and its benefits miss out on the vision of the solar power. Furthermore, those that understand its benefits, still, find more improvements and flaws in its technology. Although, the solar power technology does need improvements, there is no doubt that its benefits overcome improvements.
ReplyDeleteI researched about passive solar energy. Passive — no mechanical system is needed. The idea is to use solar energy to heat, cool, and light the house. Of course, the efficiency is dependent on the climate where you live in. Overall, you need shading, insulation, thermal mass, specific windows, and ventilation. The house structure will store and produce the solar energy that receives during the day to use at night.
http://www.solar-energy-at-home.com/passive-solar-energy.html#heating
The second solar power is active solar energy. Active¬ ¬¬¬¬¬—it uses mechanical equipment to store and distribute the energy. Which basically uses a solar collector, stores the energy, and distributes it through Air-based or Liquid- based systems.
http://www.solar-energy-at-home.com/active-solar-energy.html#space
Since the first time I visited a friend’s house that was designed with solar panels for heating up the water, I was very impressed with the many benefits they mentioned (literally lectured hehe) about it. However, every time I stayed at their place, I dreaded going to take a shower just because it would take so long to heat up, and in some cases it maintained warm water.
DeleteSimilarly, I think it’s one of the complexities that the solar power market face today. It’s just not practical for today’s society. As with each year technology makes our lives more leisure, most people expect that eco-ideas need to be at least easy to adapt to a daily activity. Sad but true. Another big point I think it’s been missed, is the lack of public marketing about the solar power. Many people have no idea of its existence, its system processes and benefits, and that is a big con for a consumerist market. I think that advertising can make a big difference, whether it’s through government entities, corporations, or public figures we need to talk about it more, so much more, to the point where people will buy it just to try it out.
Regarding the difference in the US economy, I’m not well informed about the relationship and value solar power holds in the stock market. Personally, I believe that because the “idea” hasn't yet been fully sold, most investors, didn't want to risk on a commodity that its costs are higher than its return. Furthermore, for the European government to have retrieved the solar companies’ sovereign, says something we don’t know entirely about. What comes to mind is that its decrease in the market can affect other ECO technologies.
Solar power is a great and clean way to produce energy. If we introduced solar power as a mainstream energy supply, it would be clean and cheap to do. also, it would create so much power that we could be able to sell it o other countries. Solar Roadways could be the future of our highways and streets. It would be able to produce a lot of energy which could greatly impact our society. Solar powered car is another technology advance that found impact our society by cutting emotions by 100%.
ReplyDeleteIf the solar power market keeps declining, many smaller companies would go bankrupt. At this day in age, we don't need any more companies going bankrupt and looking for government ball outs. We are 18 Trillion dollars in debt and were not going to climb out of it any time soon. If solar power declines, we would be losing a valuable way of producing energy. We would have to focus on natural resources, wind power, geo thermal, and hydro electric powers. The difference maker in all of this could be making it profitable and being able to power every home with electricity would allow us not to burn up as much fossil fuels as we currently do.