Blister in the Sun: Solar Energy
It’s amazing seeing what spring and summer does to a person. When February comes, we’re sick of spelunking in winter’s cave and are desperate for rejuvenation. The sun is the best friend you haven’t seen in years.
In the classic Violent Femmes’ song, “Blister in the Sun,” they sing, “When I’m walkin’ I strut my stuff, man I’m strung out / I’m high as a kite I just might stop to check you out / Let me go on like I blister in the sun / Let me go on big hands I know you’re the one.”
Regardless of your interpretation of the song, the chorus is catchy and the line “I blister in the sun” will stay stuck in your heads for days. What does this have to do with solar energy? Well, we as humans are naturally drawn toward the sun. It’s part of our nature. Subconsciously, we know we depend on the sun for just about everything. It’s a central focus in the arts, music, vacation destinations, where we live, what we do and so forth and yet, the bulk of this country doesn’t utilize it for power! It’s ludicrous. We should all blister in the sun, so to speak. In fact, America should be covered in blisters.
While we recognize the sun’s importance, we fail to see how it also provides energy and power. It seems there’s a blindfold over our eyes. It’s a great shame, since huge solar energy advancements are being made right under our noses.
Researchers are hard at work studying the effects that nanotechnology has on the science of solar cells. The growing belief is that nanotechnology increases solar energy’s efficiency. It is a fact that the sun can (and does) provide 10,000 times more energy than all the power plants in the world. The question then is how do we harness 100 percent of that energy? Many believe the answer is in nanotechnology.
In the article, “Sun Plus Nanotechnology: Can Solar Energy Get Bigger by Thinking Small?” Patrick Kiger of National Geographic News writes, “Nanotechnology may provide an answer to the efficiency problem, by tinkering with solar power cells at a fundamental level to boost their ability to convert sunlight into power, and by freeing the industry to use less expensive materials.” By tweaking the operational ability of solar power cells, much more of the sun’s energy can be lassoed into use.
For example, scientists using a liquid process can put Nano-sized holes in every inch of a solar cell. This is called “black silicon” and while ominous-sounding, black silicon absorbs light rather than reflects it. What this does is increase the efficiency of each solar cell by harnessing more of the sun’s energy.
At The Solar Biz, we will help you harness more of the sun’s rejuvenating energy for your home or your business. We believe everyone should blister in the sun!
For more information on black silicon and other applications of nanotechnology, you can Kiger’s article here.
