OUR DREAM

Solar energy is the world's cheapest and most abundant renewable energy source. Of alternative energy sources, it is also the most renewable. Ultimately, the majority of the energy we use on a daily basis will be derived from solar power. Here at Solar Headlines, we cannot wait for that day to come.

Self-interested individuals and special interest groups may try to convince us otherwise but we know that burning fossil fuels to generate power is damaging the environment, causing dangerous climate changes, making us sick and hurting humanity's chances of survival in ways we are only beginning to understand.

Our dream is to live in a world where all of the electricity that our homes use is captured by the home's solar window panes, solar siding, solar curtains, solar roof panels and other Building Integrated Photovoltaic devices. After being captured, what is not used by our low-power appliances and electric vehicles during the day is stored in batteries for use in the evenings and on overcast days. This dream aims to maintain and improve our lifestyle without causing imbalances in the ecosystem. With each passing day, advances in technology make this dream more and more possible.

OUR PURPOSE

The purpose of Solar Headlines is twofold. Its primary purpose is to educate visitors on how solar energy works from a technical standpoint and to keep them informed of technological advances that are continually making solar power a more viable energy option. The other goal of this site is to provide information on investment opportunities in the solar energy and supporting industries as they emerge. In other words, we want to help turn the dream into reality through education and the provision of current information our members can potentially profit from.

FAVORED TECHNOLOGIES

Solar

When the average person hears the term "solar power", he or she thinks of the bulky and not terribly attractive solar panels seen on some homes and businesses. While that might be the current state of the industry, there are a growing number of companies in the solar industry working hard to make solar energy collectors that integrate into materials we already use to build our homes. Such Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) is where the future of solar lies.

Energy Storage Technologies

A key enabler of solar energy is the ability to store energy for when the sun is not shining. Presently, the expense of batteries used to store energy generated from solar devices are one of the main reasons why home solar systems have not been more widely adopted. In the future, advances in nanotechnology are likely to make battery storage cheaper, smaller and more viable. For that reason, we will be reporting on advances in this sector.

LED Lighting

Lighting is a primary user of electricity in our homes. Colored LEDs have been around for decades but LEDs that produce white light have only been available for a few years. The current generation of LEDs do not disperse light as well as incadescent and compact flourescent bulbs but extensive research into LED semiconductor technology is likely to result in large advances in power and efficiency for this form of lighting. White LED lighting is likely to be a key enabler of solar power.

Energy Efficient Appliances

Two factors that will increase solar energy adoption are the increase in output of solar panels at lower costs and reduced home energy usage. High energy prices should also help. Advances in energy efficiency of home appliances has been slow but there is some prospect of more rapid advances in the future as advances in nanotechnology occur.

Electric Cars

Electric vehicles have yet to reach practical reality for daily use. Advancements in this area will be covered for a host of reasons. First, advances in battery technology for home solar systems are likely to be driven by this industry. Second, zero emission cars are part of the dream as outlined above. Third, if electric cars become viable, it is likely that they will include some photovoltaic material on areas that are exposed to sunshine making them capable of recharging themselves in the sun.

Wind

This is a very viable technology that we will not cover. For those of us that do not have large unobstructed spaces to install wind turbines, this option does not help us become more energy independent. Furthermore, we find it more pleasant to live in places that have more sunshine than wind.

Liquid Hydrogen

At some point in the future, this technology is likely to be used in zero-emission jet propulsion systems and other transport methods. Although we do not understand this technology very well, we suspect that solar power will ultimately play a role in liquid hydrogen production so we have a passing interest in this technology.

LESS FAVORED TECHNOLOGIES

Biofuel

Biofuels might be useful on a limited basis for a limited time but, given the world's already high energy consumption levels, if we directly replaced energy derived from burning fossil fuels with biofuels, we would quickly run out of land to grow feedstock and unimaginable increases in food prices would cause mass starvation on a scale that mankind has never seen. We do not ever want to have to choose between biofuel feedstock (eg. corn) and filling our cars with corn-based fuels. There is already enough destitution in the world. In addition to the food competition problem using biofuel feedstock creates, there still remains the issue of environmental pollution caused by burning biofuels. Often biofuels pollute the environment even more than fossil fuels. For the most part, we consider this “solution” a passing fad initiated by special interest groups in the agribusiness industry. We consider it yet another example of special interest groups lobbying to fill their own wallets by picking the wallets of the rest of us. In the long run, we reiterate that the large scale use of biofuels is bound to fail.

Nuclear

Most of us are comfortable with having solar cells on our roofs but few of us would be comfortable having nuclear reactors in our backyards. Nuclear energy might be useful for—mostly industrial—situations that require an enormous amount of power and possibly as a stop-gap source of energy to be used while cleaner and safer sources of energy become viable. Nuclear powered spacecraft might also be viable for our descendants. But for us who are here now on earth, this is a very expensive, potentially dangerous way of generating electricity that produces toxic waste not produced by solar energy. In the long run, we don't see this as a viable energy source here on planet earth unless the sun stops shining.