Does Solar Energy Have a Future?

Although the sun has been in its place in the heavens for nearly 4 billion years and promises to be there for at least 5 billion more, relatively little has been learned about the glow that is this planetâs "orbital governor" and life support (Ericson, 3). Mankind lives in belief that the sun is about "93 million light years from earth and about 865,000 miles in diameter," (Ericson, 4). Some would argue that the scientific discovery of facts such as these has reduced mankindâs relationship with the sun to mere attempts at obtaining solar data, rather than the continuation of developing scientific discoveries into useful development practices. As mentioned above, the earth has orbited the sun for ages, fueling nearly all biological life processes. With this in mind, it seems inconceivable that this ancient provider could possibly continue to support the demanding energy needs of human development in the present age of fossil fuel combustion. With generations native to the later part of the 20th century there exists an obvious disbelief that the answer to increasing energy needs and problematic fuel shortages could be found in plain sight on any given day. What is unknown to many is that solar design is not a term used solely in reference to natural processes, but rather an investigation of passive design, engineered heaters and photovoltaic systems to serve mankindâs energy needs. While widely unrecognized, people utilize it to complete many commonplace tasks, such as harnessing the wind to dry laundry, using solar covers to heat swimming pools and the planting of shade trees outdoors to produce a low temperature environment to name a few.

What these everyday tasks illuminate that is not reflected by the commercial energy indus...

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