Start Date
4-1978 8:00 AM
Description
Until relatively recently, man has been almost totally dependent on the sun to directly, or more often indirectly, provide energy for his well-being. High quality stored solar energy in the form of oil, natural gas and, to a lesser extent, coal have been in such great, demand during this century that they ' are being depleted at an intolerably high rate. Consequently, more "renewable" forms of energy are being considered—or more accurately, reconsidered. It was proven feasible to harness the wind, to collect sunlight and store it as heat, and to convert thermal energy stored in the oceans to do useful work decades ago. However, as adequate distribution networks for the fossil fuels and electricity were developed, these convenient sources of energy led to the abandonment of windmills, solar water heaters and the few experimental ocean thermal conversion plants which the French worked on ..'. during the second quarter of the century. As supplies of our convenience fuels dwindle, "convenience" will become increasingly expensive and availability will become an important factor influencing future sources of energy. The main body of the paper contains an overview of important considerations essential to the evaluation of energy alternatives. Those considerations include a review of the status of simple solar harvesting techniques, direct economic comparisons and socio-economic ramifications of several of the most promising solar alternatives.
Current Solar Applications and Economics
Until relatively recently, man has been almost totally dependent on the sun to directly, or more often indirectly, provide energy for his well-being. High quality stored solar energy in the form of oil, natural gas and, to a lesser extent, coal have been in such great, demand during this century that they ' are being depleted at an intolerably high rate. Consequently, more "renewable" forms of energy are being considered—or more accurately, reconsidered. It was proven feasible to harness the wind, to collect sunlight and store it as heat, and to convert thermal energy stored in the oceans to do useful work decades ago. However, as adequate distribution networks for the fossil fuels and electricity were developed, these convenient sources of energy led to the abandonment of windmills, solar water heaters and the few experimental ocean thermal conversion plants which the French worked on ..'. during the second quarter of the century. As supplies of our convenience fuels dwindle, "convenience" will become increasingly expensive and availability will become an important factor influencing future sources of energy. The main body of the paper contains an overview of important considerations essential to the evaluation of energy alternatives. Those considerations include a review of the status of simple solar harvesting techniques, direct economic comparisons and socio-economic ramifications of several of the most promising solar alternatives.
Comments
Energy
Session Chairman: David L. Block, Director, Florida Solar Energy Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida
Session Organizer: James Perris, Sciences, Technology and Applications Office NASA, Kennedy Space Center, Florida