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Question: What do you call a silly old man who knows how to save money while helping the environment, but doesn’t do it? Answer: A fossil fool.
Here we sit in Borrego Springs, one of the best places in the world to take advantage of solar energy, and I still have not done what I need to do to “get off the grid” and “onto the panel.” I have made the decision to convert to solar energy at least 5 times in the past several years but, to date, I still haven’t done it. Why? Good question.
I have done my homework and think I have at least a working knowledge of what solar energy is all about. I know that it is power that comes from the sun and that it can be harnessed in two different ways. One way is through photovoltaic conversion. Another way is through solar thermal conversion.
It is photovoltaic conversion that most of us know something about. We know that during photovoltaic conversion, solar energy is collected through panels, called solar panels. These solar panels are covered with large modules that are covered with lots of little PV cells, or photovoltaic cells. The PV cells collect the light from the sun. Once the light is inside a PV cell, there is a semiconductor made of a thin sheet of silicone crystal that takes in the photons from the sunlight. A photon is a particle of solar energy. Within the semiconductor, energy of the photons shifts to the electrons. This energizes the electrons. Then the electrons break out of the semiconductor to get to the silicone atoms and, in doing so, flow into the electric current. Usually a solar cell is made of a glass protective layer, an anti-reflective coat, and electric contacts.
For the most part, all of this sounds like magic…and it is! But some of this is more familiar to us than we may think. For example, we use PV cell systems every day. Common tools like watches and calculators are powered with PV systems.
Another type of solar energy is solar thermal conversion. In this process, there are thermal conversion panels (panels that absorb heat) which are grouped together often in a dish or trough system. The solar energy is then absorbed and concentrated into a line or a point that heats a pipe filled with fluid. These systems can concentrate the intensity of sunlight up to 10,000 times of normal sunlight.
Many people use a solar heating system to heat their house. This type of system is more effective than using a PV system to heat homes or water. You can tell the difference because solar heaters can turn 60% of the sun’s energy into heat whereas PV systems can only change 12% to 15%. Solar heaters are able to heat large things like pools, water, and houses. So as you can see, when it’s heating, you are better off using a solar heater.
That pretty much exhausts my knowledge of solar energy but gathering this information still has not moved me past my procrastination. I know enough to know that solar energy is a great alternative source of power. Solar panels may be expensive initially but, in the long run, they are better for two reasons. One, they lower your electricity and heating bills, giving you the opportunity to make back your investment over time. Two, they are better for people and the environment because they don’t pollute the air like the burning of fossil fuels.
What am I waiting for? I honestly don’t know. Several times in the past five years I have announced to my wife that I was going to make this transition. Of course, when I suggested that I was sure I could handle it myself, my wife (once containing her laughter) would put an end to my fantasy by any number of “Do you remember what happened when you tried to ________” stories. These reality checks have succeeded in justifying my procrastination but, as time passes, I get more and more uneasy about doing nothing. I get more and more troubled about the fact that I am living in Borrego Springs, a sun-rich environment that deserves to be protected, and I am not harvesting that resource and am not doing my part to help protect this place that I love.
Maybe writing this article will push me into action. Maybe “confessing” my concerns publically will shame me into getting on with it. I don’t know. But I have decided to commit, once again, to converting to solar energy and I would love to hear from others in the community who have either already converted or who are interested in taking the leap.
Perhaps the old adage “there is strength in numbers” will prove to be true and will move me and a few of you on to doing what we now we need to do!
Question: So, what do you call a man who says he is going to convert to solar energy and then actually does it? Answer: Smart!