Why Solar Energy May Be The Solution To The Energy Crisis                 There have been a number of electrical shortages in California over the last few years, and millions of people have been left without power. Many experts say that this is just the beginning. Estimates show that the population of Earth will reach 10 billion within the next 40 years, and our energy sources are being depleted rapidly. People have been told many times over on television that we are in an energy crisis. However, lets take a closer look at this claim. The dictionary defines energy "as the capacity for an object to do work." Based on this, it is clear that fossil fuels are limited in how much work they can do. However, there is a source of energy that has the ability to do millions of times more work than fossil fuels can ever hope to accomplish. This source of energy is our Sun. Despite the fact that the Sun is 90 million miles away, the heat from it can be felt during the summer. Our Sun has existed for millions of years, and it will continue to exist for eons. It is a natural nuclear fusion reactor. The idea for harnessing the energy of the Sun has been discussed for years. However, many governments and scientists still look to things such as nuclear power as a solution. The greatest advantage of solar energy is that it can give people what they want, and this is energy independence. Nuclear fusion reactors and even concentrated solar energy plants still cost millions of dollars to operate, and will be owned by either corporations or governments. The cost to operate these facilities will be placed on the consumer. Solar energy technologies such as photovoltaic cells allow us to completely bypass governments and corporations. Once they are installed in our homes, they will need very little maintenance, and will last for decades. If a city or town is composed of homes or structures that utilize advanced forms of solar energy, power outages will be a thing of the pass. Why? Because each building will have a power source which is independent from other buildings. If one building loses power, this won't knock out the power of other buildings. Many people go as far as to say that the "energy crisis" is a fraud. They feel that petroleum companies have the most to benefit from the energy crisis because they are the institutions who continue to increase prices. It is hard to argue with this logic. If one feels the heat of the Sun during a summer day, or stares at the stars on a clear night, that person should know that energy exists throughout the universe. It is how we choose to get this energy that is important. Solar energy is the cure for both pollution and fossil fuels. The best thing about it is that we don't have to wait on the government or power companies to use it. People can build their own homemade photovoltaic cells and start using solar energy immediately. One common argument made against solar energy is that it can't be used in places which are cold, rainy, or cloudy. The law of conservation of energy disputes this. Why? Because while energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can be transformed or transported. What this means is that electricity which is generated in solar energy friendly regions can be transported to regions where there is not a lot of sunlight.   Bookmark and share: