Sunny Side Up
As oil prices continue to increase and the amount of oil available is continuing to decrease, the search for a reliable alternative fuel source becomes steadily more important. Solar technology, in particular, is an emerging industry that has seen a drastic amount of breakthroughs over the past decade.
Further advancements in nanotechnology are believed to continue the solar technology trend. Nanotechnology is the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale. Basically, “nano” means small…like an Ipod Nano; so in layman’s terms, nanotechnology is the study of small technology. Before we discovered and began studying nanotechnology, we directed our attention towards micro-technology. With this being said, I feel like nanotechnology will finally bring us closer towards a widespread cultural adoption of solar energy.
As we study these systems on a molecular scale we should be able to make each solar panel more efficient. The more efficient we can make them, the better. The major downfall with solar technology today is that the solar panels just do not generate quite enough power from the sun. This lack of efficiency causes for more panels to be used, which in turn creates a higher cost for any person willing to go with the cleaner, “greener”, solar energy. It will be interesting to see how far we can go with nanotechnology in all construction related industries.
So, back to my main question…could the sun and solar energy fully replace oil as the major source of fuel? In my opinion, solar energy is still very raw and will need a lot of improvements to really make a splash in the common household. I think that a vast majority of the human population would have to jump on board with this idea for it to really make a real impact. A lot of power gets used on a regular basis and the sun does not always shine. When everybody gets on board with an alternative fuel source idea, whether it is solar technology, wind power, or nuclear power, a difference can be made. Many individuals are continuing to use the old school “oil for fuel” approach and this is slowing down a lot of research and development into emerging industries that would essentially catapult culture into new ways. The more research, the more we will know whether or not solar energy is truly viable for the entire human population.
In the end, it will take more nanotechnology research to truly get solar panels efficient enough to power major cities across the grid. Only time will tell with these kinds of things. I look forward to seeing what powers my fridge twenty-five years from now.
