March 08 2008 / by futuretalk
Category: Energy Year: General Rating: 10
By Dick Pelletier
By mid-century, solar power and hydrogen technologies could end
US dependence on foreign oil and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Our nation – indeed, the world – 
has a vital interest in developing new energy
sources.
High prices for gas and home heating oil are here to stay. We
are at war in the Middle East to protect our foreign oil interests,
and as China, India, and other countries increase their demand for
fossil fuels, more struggles over energy will be inevitable.
Solar power’s potential is off the charts. The energy in
sunlight striking the Earth for 40 minutes could provide all the
world’s total energy needs for a year. And adding fuel cells and
hydrogen to the equation promises even greater rewards. The
following examines the benefits for each of these abundant energy
resources.
Solar Power – the US is lucky to be endowed with a vast
resource; 250,000 square miles of land in the Southwest alone are
suitable for building solar power plants, and that land receives
more than 4,500 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) of solar
radiation each year. Converting just 2.5 percent of that into
electricity would match our nation’s entire energy consumption for
2007. (cont.)
To convert the country to solar power, huge tracts of land would
have to be covered with photovoltaic panels and solar heating
troughs, which today, is not cost effective. However, CalTech
researcher Nate Lewis is exploring nanomaterials that mimic the
architecture of grass and photosynthesis to capture and store the
sun’s energy; and UC Santa Cruz scientist Jin Zhang has developed a
nanofilm that promises more efficient and economical energy
conversion. (cont.)
Experts believe that with projected nanotech advances, solar
power could provide 69 percent of US electricity needs, and 35
percent of the nation’s total energy requirements, including cars,
by 2050.
Hydrogen Energy – Fuel cells generate electricity with no
pollutants and are already powering “hybrid” cars. Swedish
researcher Nabil Kassem predicts that, “Driving a hydrogen-powered
car in 2030 will be a common thing.” At a recent Universidad de
Navarra lecture, Professor Kassem said that fuel cells are the most
promising technology for our energy future, a future some refer to
as the “Hydrogen Society.” He not only envisions hydrogen in cars,
but believes that fuel cells will have applications in micro power
plants, household appliances, and heating and air conditioning
units.
Like solar power, hydrogen is not yet cost effective, but
nanotech could soon reduce costs for bringing this technology to
market also. The London Global University, UCL, recently offered grants to create cheap,
efficient storage for hydrogen and develop large-surface organic
solar cells, which could enable this renewable energy to power 50
percent of our cars, homes, and factories, by 2050.
When combined with advances in bio-fuels, wind, hydroelectric,
nuclear, and radical new fusion energy; solar power and hydrogen
could free us forever from the tyranny of oil.
Major roadblocks to this “magical future” are not technological,
they are political – too many government officials favor “big oil.”
If our next President can convince Congress to support these
renewable energy systems with adequate incentives, we will reduce
trade deficits, improve national security, and create millions of
non-exportable jobs.
Comment Thread ()
