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Kyle Brown

Smith
Nanotech
12/10/15

Solar Cells

Energy is how our world works now without it our world as we


know it would seize to be, but our need for it is bringing us to the end
of the line of our source of it. Fossil fuels are rapidly decreasing and if
we dont find a new way of acquiring energy we will run out. We have
been using fossil fuels for hundreds of years now, between coal and oil
the two most used forms of fossil fuels we have been able to get by.
Now that there is a new need for energy gathering we have made a
few types of ways to collect energy like; geothermic, hydro, wind,
nuclear, and solar. Each one of these is a great source of energy but
they all have their problems why we dont switch to them.
Geothermic is using the earths warmth heat to transfer heat
to energy, sounds like a great idea at the core of the earth its almost
as hot as the sun right and on top of that it is completely earth friendly
no toxic waste or smoke so why dont we use it. Well the problem for
this is that the plants up front cost to make it is really expensive and

also it may even because an earthquake also they are really hard to
manage.

Ok how about Hydro, hydro is great there is no real

downside to using hydro the only problem with it is it will only work
around rivers with strong forces, and most of our rivers already have
them and there not making enough, as for wind the problem is you are
reliant on it being windy if its not youre not making power. Nuclear
though would be a great source, nuclear power gives more power than
any other plant. They can be made anywhere also so why arent we
using them more. Well the problem with this one is the people.
Although there is an extremely low chance of this happening people
are scared that the reactor may have a meltdown where the reactor
gets to hot and has a risk of leaking radiation after all it is nuclear. And
lastly we come to solar. Solar also has its problems but nothing that
would risk the general population around where it is
A solar cell (otherwise known as a photovoltaic cell) generates
energy directly from the sun by the proses of the photovoltaic effect. A
single solar cell is too small to do much in the means of producing
electricity so by stringing them together we get a solar panel. Solar
panels usually are made to put out a current of 12 volts allowing easy
access to be used signally or in an array to collect more energy.

Solar cells are made when covering a wafer in photovoltaic


cells, strung together making solar panels. Then the panels convert
the radiation strait into a DC (Direct Current) electricity. Being that the
world runs on AC (Alternating Current) there has to be an inverter that
changes DC into AC. After it is turned into AC it is ready to be used in
everyday use to charge your phone or warm your house.
Nanotechnology has helped solar panels in many ways like the
cost. The cost of solar panels is almost unreasonably expensive.
Instead of using a high temperature process theres a new way similar
to printing on a piece of paper that is cheaper, faster. Although the
nanotech versions of solar panels are not as efficient as traditional
ones, they are able to be formed differently making them smaller and
flexible. Now they are starting to put them in roofing shingles to turn
your entire roof into a large solar panel. Something the conventional
ones couldnt do at Michigan Technological University, researchers
have developed a new pattern out of graphene that is able to achieve
a 7.5 percent conversion of sunlight into usable energy.
This new Honeycomb pattern of graphene are laid out in sheets
and held apart but a lithium carbonate. Meanwhile researchers at MIT
have developed graphene coated with zinc oxide nanowires allowing
cheap and flexible. Also they are studying solar cells made from a

single molecular thick sheet of graphene. It this works they estimate


up to 1000 times more power than conventional solar cells.
Solar energy are some of the cleanest forms of energy we have
ever made. Our world seems to be dependent on fossil fuels so
dependent on them in fact that we are depleting them faster than they
are made. If we dont find an alternate fuels source we may soon run
out. Solar is a great alternative, while it does have its own problems it
also has many positives. Probably the dormant one being that it is
pure clean energy.
If solar energy is so much better then why we havent switched to
purely solar energy or at least use it more than fossil fuels? There's a
few different reasons one being that it isnt always reliable. Solar need
the sun to be effective, being there are clouds that can block large
amounts of the sun for possibly days there are too many variables that
can affect the energy flow. Another is the coast. Although solar panels
are have been developing for many years the total cost of switching to
purely solar energy would cost more than it would be worth...
Although there is Ideas how to use solar energy to its fullest
capabilitys. Currently the moon is just a large rock floating in space.
So some say that we should put solar panels on the moon. Covering
the entire moon with solar panels would definitely give enough energy

to never have to worry about it again although the problem is how to


get the energy down to earth. Solar energy is useless if we cant use it
and always flying to the moon to get energy would be expensive.
Another problem is maintenance the moon has no atmosphere so
nothing is keeping rocks from flying in and hitting it. Also the same
problem with collecting energy, it would get to expensive flying to the
moon to do maintenance after they brake. Because of the way solar
panels are made, If only two squares of a solar panel were to brake up
to 75% of power made would be lost. Although they estimate that by
2035 (the year they want to start putting solar panels on the moon)
that solar panels will have gotten better and will be stronger and more
durable.
In conclusion solar is a great way to get a boost of clean energy,
but not a great idea to live off of. Solar will be able to help a lot in
other ways. Like solar devices to charge your phone in case of an
emergency or just casual use so you dont have to use the power grid.
Solar will be a good accompaniment to any long-term energy source.
But as a standalone energy source it has too many problemsas

1. http://www.explainthatstuff.com/solarcells.html

2. www.solarcity.com/commercial/how-does-solar-energy-work
3. http://www.solar-power-answers.co.uk/basics.php
4. http://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-aren-t-we-only-using-solar-poweralexandros-george-charalambides#review
5. http://news.discovery.com/space/private-spaceflight/turning-themoon-into-a-giant-space-solar-power-hub-131203.htm

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