Energy Self-Sufficiency in Building through Photovoltaic Cells Essays

Energy Self-Sufficiency in Building through Photovoltaic Cells ABSTRACT Solar energy is a way to acquire self-sufficiency of many residential buildings. The different forms of solar cells made from different materials and in different ways are able to increase the efficiency of the solar cells and allow solar energy to become more widespread. Due to the possibility of a shortage of fossil fuels in the near future, solar power can serve as an integral component in solving the energy crisis through developing energy self-sufficient buildings. However, after researching many already published materials, the possibility of allowing the world's buildings to become self-sufficient is not possible unless other solar cells become affordable for the general public and more efficient. INTRODUCTION The world is entering an energy crisis that will require the need for new energy sources. Some predict that at the current rate of consumption, the dominant energy source, fossil fuels, will deplete by the year 2050 (EcoSystems 2005). As of 2001, the world consumed 426.1 billion gigajoules; the United States consumed 102.1 billion gigajoules that same year, the most energy consumption in a single country (see Table 1). Of the energy consumed in the United States, only 0.063% was solar power (Energy Information Administration 2001). However, solar energy has great potential. The sun radiates through the earth’s atmosphere enough energy in one hour to power the earth for more than a year (Solarbuzz 2004). Moreover, solar collectors can harness this energy in a clean and environmentally safe method. Many collectors use photovoltaic cells, devices based on the photovoltaic effect, in which solar energy changes to electri... ...Research News. Retrieved 7/29/05 from http://www.lbl.gov/Science- Articles/Archive/MSD-full-spectrum-solar-cell.html Sandia Labs Working on Solar Power Farm (November 2004), Deseret News Publishing Company, Retrieved 8/2/05 from http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595107883,00.html Scheer, H., A Solar Manifesto, UK: Cromwell Press, 1993 Photovoltaic Cells 16 Solar Cell. (2005). Wikipedia – The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 7/28/05 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cell Solar Energy Costs/Prices (2005). Solarbuzz. Retrieved 7/29/05 from http://www.solarbuzz.com/StatsCosts.htm World Energy Consumption and Carbon Dioxide Emissions, 1990- 2025 (2005). Infoplease. Retrieved 7/28/05 from http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0776146.html Walker, E. (2004). Solar Cell Principles and Applications. Retrieved 7/29/05 from http://reslab.com.au/resfiles/pv/text.html