| What is solar ink and what can it do for our future? | | | | used only on space satellites. They are now installed |
| This breakthrough form of alternative energy could | | | | in everyday devices, and have come into common |
| mark a turning point for a clean future. | | | | use. |
| There is No Energy Shortage on Earth | | | | And now, a new solar energy technology is on the |
| There is no energy shortage on earth, there is a | | | | verge of a breakthrough. This new alternative energy |
| shortage in technology to harvest the energy | | | | technology will boost solar power into the |
| available on earth. | | | | mainstream consumer market and it will make it |
| To put things in perspective - the sun delivers more | | | | cheaply available for anyone. |
| energy to earth in a single day, than the combined | | | | Its called "solar ink." |
| population of earth (including the industries) are | | | | What is Solar Ink? |
| capable of using in a year. | | | | Good question. Do you write with it? |
| So why the energy "shortage?" | | | | No - but you probably could if you wanted to. The |
| Well bluntly, the problem has been in the costs of | | | | breakthrough is that it is actually printable. |
| collecting or harvesting the energy provided "freely" | | | | Okay, not to confuse you any further. Solar Ink is a |
| by the sun. | | | | new method of dissolving tiny particles of silicon |
| Are there solutions on the horizon? Fortunately there | | | | (nano particles, which are only a few atoms thick), |
| are. Alternative energies are being developed and | | | | into a solution which allows one to "print" solar panels |
| investigated at an increasingly rapid pace. | | | | (in extremely thin layers), onto all sorts of materials. |
| In fact, the development of solar energy technology | | | | It can be printed out by the acre, and is a fast |
| is no longer in the phase of "is it feasible?" Its simply | | | | process. This process would allow a vast quantity of |
| a matter of getting it pushed through and | | | | solar paneling to be produced, at only a fraction of |
| implemented. Current research is aimed primarily at | | | | the current cost. |
| increasing the effectiveness of solar energy, and | | | | A solution such as the one above is exactly what we |
| reducing the manufacturing cost of solar energy | | | | need in order to rapidly and inexpensively |
| devices. | | | | mass-produce solar panels. |
| We have already seen a considerable drop in the | | | | The future for solar energy can be very bright - it's |
| prices of PV modules/solar panels. They are no longer | | | | just a matter of what we do with it. |