SOLAR ENERG RESEARCH
Yiduo Cui WRITING 1133
Chapter 1 — Introduction
Energy problem have been a very serious for human over hundreds years. Since people started to use steam, human finally walk on the way of Energy using. And also form that time, human society started to research what new energy can replace the one or more types energy we use before. Even nowadays, people still working on looking for New Energy. The topic I want to research about for this book is one of a New Energy for nowadays – Solar Energy. To start this research, I have to learn about Solar Energy. Before I start this research, I knew that Solar Energy is a non-pollution New Energy and in our daily life, some places and some families have already start using it. Than, that is! I thought that was all I knew about Solar Energy. So, I needed to learn what is Solar Energy, who it developed and how it can be use in more areas before I did other research and analyze. Because I think base on those basic knowledge of Solar Energy, I will have the ability to ask effective and useful questions, not only just want is Solar Energy and what it can do. After I have a better view and understand of Solar Energy. I start to prepared my survey and interview. Which can give me my own data and deeper understanding. In my research, I have done survey and interview to make my research more reasonable and believable. I have done a thirty people survey for my research. and I am not only do survey in the University of Denver. I walk on the street. The reason why I do this is because that I think all students in the University of Denver have received high
education. But, Solar Energy using is for EVERYONE in this society, so, if I only did the survey in the University of Denver, the result would be less believable. I questioned and answer a lot of questions in my research. such as: What is New Energy; What New Energy we have today; What is Solar Energy; How we discovered that Sun light can be used as a New Energy; How this technology developed; How we use Solar Energy today and what will be the future for Solar Energy. The scope of my research are what is Solar Energy and more forcing on the future for Solar Energy. Because there is a very broad and bright future for Solar Energy. The purpose of my research is introduce Solar Energy to more people, and give people a clear shape and deeper understanding of Solar Energy. And if readers can start using Solar Energy in readers’ daily life, that means I complete my goal of this researching and writing. I strongly hope that people can first get interesting in Solar energy, and after this research, people started welling to purchase Solar Panel, and use them in daily life. So, in this way, we can together build a new age of energy using. Because Solar Energy is non-pollution Energy, so in the future we can build a better world together.
Chapter 2 — Review of Literature
T
o start my Solar Energy research, I did many online research for it. That is
because I think I need to at least have a better understanding of Solar Energy, and then, I can ask efficient Questions and even answer them in my research book. Most of recourse I found is from Solarenergy.net. I think this is a very useful website for me to expending researches. It is an official website for solar energy that everybody can post their articles, papers and ideas about solar energy onto that website. I found how solar energy developed in past years, how many solar energy is been using, how will solar energy technology develop in the future, how it affect our daily life, how our community using solar energy, and what is the over view all over the world about solar energy. And also, I found a little bit recourse for New Energy, because I want to say that there is not only solar energy as New energy, and also other energies we are using in our life, such as fossil, we can use to replace the energies, which we already fully developed nowadays. The energy using movements from a history term is always been changing. And, energy using is affecting our life at all the time. And it is also affect the earth we are living on. In Nikola Tesla’s article, he said: This transformation in the way our civilization generates and uses energy provides the best physical means to protect the biosphere, remediate ecological damage, and enhance the health and well-being of the global human family. (Nikola Tesla, New Energy Movement). and also, Solar Energy is
a renewable New Energy as long as the sun is above us. I feel like we are using the gift that the sun apply to us all the time, and using it in a good way with no pollution. Solar energy is one of the hottest new energy using today. But how it begins, who found out that we can use sun light as energy? Author Will Reece answered those questions. “In 1953, Calvin Fuller, Gerald Pearson, and Daryl Chapin, discovered the silicon solar cell. This cell actually produced enough electricity and was efficient enough to run small electrical devices. The New York Times stated that this discovery was "the beginning of a new era, leading eventually to the realization of harnessing the almost limitless energy of the sun for the uses of civilization” This is how solar energy started. Later on, the author also tells reads how scantest improving the technology. Harry Husted had said that: “Solar energy is referred to as the energy that comes from the sun’s rays. There are many ways to use this power including heating a house, providing electricity, or desalination of seawater.” (Introduction 1, Harry Husted) So, solar energy is getting closer and closer to our life. Solar energy systems today can now used to power homes, cars, appliances, businesses, and cities. Timothy Thiele had listed top 10 solar energy uses. “Solar Powered Ventilation, Heat Your Swimming Pool With Solar Energy, Solar Energy Can Heat Your Water, Solar Energy Can Heat Your Home, Power Pumps With Solar Energy, Solar Energy For Battery Charging, Power Your Home With Solar Energy, Solar Energy For Cooking, Solar Energy for Indoor Lighting, Solar Energy Used For Outdoor Lighting.”(Timothy Thiele, 10 ways to use solar energy daily life) In this article, it shows how widely solar energy using in our daily life. And also, I believe that there will be a even wider Solar Energy using in our life. As the technology grow, the cost of Solar Energy will go lower and lower, once a Solar Panel been installed, there will be no more charge for producing energy and using energy. It is not hart to tell that Solar Energy have a great future. Solar energy is not only used in daily life. Scott Thill have done a “Ranking” of how well big companies use Solar energy and grade them. “Citizens spending hard-earned
dollars to go solar also want to know who’s on their side. The goods news is that all of the following corporations are, after a fashion, throwing their political and economic clout into solar energy. The bad news is that some of them, even the best, have much more act to clean up.” (Scott Thill, Grade 10 Big Companies Solar Energy Uses). In this part, we can tell that Solar Energy is acutely saving money for big companies. Because that have a huge amount of energy using, even they spend more money on installing Solar Panel, there be no more charge for the energy using. Is it expansive to use solar energy? Kristin Wong answered this question. “A small utility in Colorado became the first in the U.S. to break ground on a community solar farm set aside for low-income families. The 25-kW PV array — which will produce enough energy for six to 10 households — is one way that those without a roof of their own (or the money to afford a system) can cut their energy bills by up to 90 percent.” (Kristin Wang. Colorado Community Solar Expands to Reach Low-Income Families) So, we can greatly use solar energy in our daily life with great effect. An article I found which is a “Guest Author” wrote about Solar Energy develop in the future. “Intrepid” are helping to perfect a new technique of making silicon wafers, the workhorse of today’s solar panels. If all goes well, the new method could cut the cost of solar power by more than 20 percent in the next few years.” “I can see a bring future for solar energy.” This sentence is probably the most using sentence in all about Solar Energy using in Future articles. All people all online essays, and all magazine newspapers I have read about Solar Energy all have a very positive opinion of it. Which is a great tendency for the future, not even for Solar Energy, and also for the pollution, for the earth, for all human nation, and for the place we are living on. Base on all source, I can see a very clear outline out solar energy development and many details about how we can use solar energy. And also, we have a very long way of developing solar energy and other new energies. And also, after reading those articles and highlight the important information, I believe that I can ask efficient and useful questions
of Solar Energy, and I can even answer the questions which I have questioned myself. I believe that I am already ready for making my survey.
Chapter 3 — Methodology
My research topic is focusing on a New Energy – Solar Energy.
I pay attention
on those questions : What is New Energy; What can be count as New Energy; What New Energy use to be; What New Energy we have today; What is Solar Energy; How we discovered that Sun light can be used as a New Energy; How this technology developed; How we use Solar Energy today and what is the future of Solar Energy. For my research paper, I would do many interviews about Solar Energy. Because for my topic, energy using is involving one in this world, and also New Energy is effecting our future live style. So, I need to find out what general people say about Solar Energy. If the data base (number of people I interview) is large enough, In this way, I can figure out what most people say about Solar Energy. They think Solar Energy Good or bad, or they do not know about it. Also, I would interview professional people about Solar Energy, such as energy professors in DU and graduate students who major in engineering in DU. Of course, if they are major in Energy that would be Great, because I have the chance to get to know a deeper thoughts and views about Solar Energy. For example, now, I have done 28 students interviews in DU. The first question I had asked were: Do you think Solar Energy good for our daily life or bad. 26 students think that Solar Energy is good. 2 of them did not have any idea. So in this way, I get to know what people think about Solar Energy at least in DU. Although, my data base is not enough, but take a look on this result that no one say Solar energy is a bad thing for our
life. Just like what I said before in this essay, I did this interview as my research can find out a lot of real life “Information� not only the articles I found on-line. And also, I can compare with the on-line information and the data myself collected to see what is the differences and what are the same from tow researches. Until now, I have done 28 interviews in DU. There is not many people respond my survey, now, I only receive 6 surveys. So, I am thinking that sending more survey to students in DU. Now, I am focusing DU students, this background probably too narrow for a social question. So, I am thinking going on to street and ask people on the street about Solar energy. Because all students in DU are high education people in this society, so if I go on to street, I would be facing all classes of people in Denver, people from many different places in the world. So, background changing would help me have better and accurate data and information for my research. For or my research, I think the purpose is how to find my own data, collect my own data and analyze my data. So, I think this is a very useful ability for me to do future studies and even for my work.
Chapter 4 — Analysis Data
F
or the past weeks since I started to do my research about Solar Energy, I have
done many different ways of research on it. I have search online which is the easies way of researching. Then, I focused my eyes on magazine, the reason why I turn my eyes on magazine is because though magazines, I can keep on the track of the technology grow. Finally, when I got a better understanding of Solar Energy. I have done a survey of 30 people. Some of them are students of the University of Denver, and also I had walked on the street to ask people who are in Denver Society, including foreigners. So I believe that the data I have got so far is enough for me to analysis a correct result for me. The result I got bake about New Energy is that all people I have asked know
that
What is New Energy is, but no all people know what would be count as New Energy. (See Figure 1)
Than, I asked about Solar Energy, 28 people know what is Solar Energy and have heard about it before. But there is still 2 people have not
even heard about it. (Like the Figure 2 shows.)
So,
from this result, I can tell that Solar Energy is a common Energy we are using today, but not as common as electrical gasoline etc. which the time we use them are longer than Solar Energy. Most people who know what is Solar Energy knew what can Solar Energy do for our Figure 2 And also, I have E-mailed my friend Energy Engineering Professor some questions, the answers he answered me mainly about that Solar Energy have a very bright future, in his guess, Solar Energy will as common as Electrical in the past 20 years. Solar Energy is one of the most fast developed New Energy. Before I have done my research, I just “think� that Solar Energy is good. But after this research, I have proved that Solar Energy is helping human nation, and also save ourself from bad pollution all around the world. And the good news from my research are that: first, most people know what is Solar Energy. Second, Solar Energy is on the way of going to everyone’s daily life.
Chapter 5 — Discussion and Conclusion My research is mainly about Solar Energy. First of all I wrote about the history of how energy goes into human’s life, how energy using developed thought hundreds of years. And finally, I focused all my view of Solar Energy. How Sun light can be use as an energy, how it `developed, how it goes into people’s daily life, and what is the future about it. And also, I have learned many new knowledge about Solar Energy during my research. Solar Energy has a very bright future. I have done an interview of a Chinese professor. So, I think my research can give future researches a great reason, example and an explanation. Look forward for Solar Energy, it is a non-pollution and renewable New Energy. And after one Solar plane have been installed, there will be no charge for producing energy. It is not hard to see that Solar Energy will have a great future. The reason why I want to do this topic is because that I am wishing that people, who do not know what Solar Energy is, get to know what is Solar Energy. People, who do not know what can Solar Energy can do to us, get to understand those. And change people’s mind, who do not want to use Solar Energy in daily life, to start thinking that Solar Energy is good, and it is great for our human nation, and also start using Solar Energy. So, if i have to say what is my gaol for this research, I would like to say that I want people can live in a better and non-pollution place. I am pretty sure that the answer of “had this research been researched before” is a Yes. But, I think I am probably the only one during this year have done this research in
the University of Denver. The reason why “This year� is because technology develop very fast that people’s mind are always changing. A year is a very big gap for technology. I do not think Solar Energy can totally change our life, but in the other hand, Solar Energy will not change our daily life-style, we could not see in our eyes in a short time what Solar Energy do to us which is different from before,unless we do not need to pay for the electrical power as we use to do. I strongly wish that my research can be read by more and more people. Even if individual person can only do a little bit for this world, but if the amount of people who start do good things for this earth, I am, we are, all people on the earth believe we can make our earth a better place to live on.
ď Ž A better endearment is depends on everyone.