Is the Solar Energy Boom Going to Last?

Dwindling supplies of readily obtainable fossil fuels have put mankind in a sticky situation. Either humans continue to spend billions on natural gas and shale oil extraction methods—like fracking—or they change tack and focus on solar energy and other green power sources. Obama's recent pledge to create an increasingly ecofriendly America has attracted a lot of media attention; it's a hopeful prospect, but is it really happening? Examining the solar energy boom may provide insight—and, perhaps, an answer.

Fossil fuels are bad. They're terribly inefficient, expel vast amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, cover entire cities in a haze of pollution, contaminate waterways, and coat thousands of seabirds in a layer of toxic muck on a regular basis. Wars are regularly fought over oil and coal.

Many scientists agree that if current energy usage trends continue, one of two crises will eventually occur. Scenario one: humankind will consume all of the fossil fuel, after which energy production will simply stop, leaving homo sapiens powerlessly doomed on the face of a scorching, polluted planet. Scenario two: humankind will shift its focus onto environmentally friendly energy production techniques at the last minute. Unfortunately, millions will still die as the result of climate change, leaving the planet to a select few in geographically advantageous areas.

However, it may still be possible to change history; the recent solar energy boom is a promising sign. The upsurge in solar power production is underway both on a local and a global basis, creating new energy jobs in its wake. In New Hampshire, for example, the city of Norwich recently signed a power purchase agreement with Solaflect Energy. Construction of the accompanying solar facility is expected to be complete in spring 2014.

Elsewhere in the US, cities such as Royalton, Minnesota, have begun adding solar panels to buildings to reduce power costs and carbon emissions. Royalton's annual CO2 output decreased by a promising 31 percent as a result of its ecofriendly changes, which also included the installation of LED stoplights. In Salem, Virginia, the Veteran Affairs Medical Center will soon start using the power created by 6,000 solar panels installed in its grounds.

If fully explored, the possibilities for solar-power and related energy jobs may be endless. In Switzerland, a team of engineers—led by a psychiatrist—plan to fly their solar-powered aircraft, known as Solar Impulse, around the world in 2015. The team successfully completed a manned flight across America in summer 2013, splitting the flight into five sections. Other aeronautical solar-powered endeavors include the development of small, unmanned aerial systems (UAS or drone) in California.

Here's the kicker: solar energy technology is rapidly improving. Stacked solar cells, for example, can withstand the power of 70,000 suns. The super-efficient cells, which utilize lenses to amplify and concentrate the sun's rays, are coated with a thin layer of gallium arsenide, which prevents almost all voltage loss. Rather than far fetched, the potential for a solar-energy powered society appears to be a science fact.

The recent solar energy boom is certainly a sign of humankind's changing respect for its home planet. Germany, China, Japan, South Korea, Britain, and the Netherlands are just a few of the other countries increasingly involved in the solar energy scene. The Middle East, South America, and Africa are all expected to join the solar gang in the near future. In addition, technological developments have solved many of the problems associated with earlier attempts to harness the sun's rays, turning solar energy into a readily accessible—and very powerful—solution.

(Photo courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net)