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*** g76 1/22 pp. 12-13 Harnessing Energy from the Sun *** Harnessing Energy from the Sun HAVE you ever gotten into an automobile that has been closed up and sitting for a long time in the hot sun? The heat can be almost unbearable! No question about it, the sun is certainly a tremendous potential source of energy. Just think of it, the sun’s energy could be used to heat our homes, operate our home appliances, light our cities, drive our vehicles or fill any other power needs we may have. In fact, so much solar energy falls on the earth that if man could harness its flow for just fifteen minutes he would have enough power to supply world’s present needs for a full year! There are skeptics, however. They believe that sunshine is too diffused to be a practical energy source. Yet, according to J. T. Kane, editor of Professional Engineer: “Something on the order of six to ten times the amount of energy required to heat the average building in the U.S. radiates down on the building from the sun each year.” But is harnessing energy from the sun really practical? Can homes today economically utilize this fabulous flow of energy? A Practical Energy Source? You may be surprised at the strides that have already been made in harnessing solar energy. The distinguished geologist Dr. M. King Hubbert noted: “Solar energy is not just a theory. We’re talking about things that already exist, things we already can do.” What are some of these things? For instance, can the sun be harnessed to supply a home with electricity? In a letter to the editor of the New York Times, United States Senator James Abourezk explained: “The technology for converting solar energy into substantial quantities of electricity is available.” The senator therefore urged: “The major effort should center on converting solar energy into usable electrical energy.” As yet, though, there is no economical way of doing this. True, there is little question that the sun could be harnessed to provide all the electrical needs of one’s home. Orbiting spacecraft use the sun’s energy to power electrical equipment on board. But producing electricity from sunshine is still too expensive to be practical. Most authorities believe that the first step in utilizing the sun’s energy is not in producing electricity, but in heating water and in heating and cooling buildings. Some solar experts say that it is practical for many homeowners to do this even now. The idea is to capture the sun’s heat, store it, and circulate the heat to warm the house, or to use the heat to run an air-conditioner. D. Elliot Wilbur, marketing and business director of Arthur D. Little, a firm involved in solar research, notes: “All the materials to install solar heating in buildings are available on the market right now. All that’s needed is a company that’s willing to put the entire package together and offer it to the general public.” Will companies begin doing this soon? Peter E. Glaser, a vice-president of the Little firm, is optimistic. “Within three to five years,” he claims, “you should be able to buy a solar heating system from a Sears catalogue.” Is there sound basis for such optimism? Is a massive solar-heating industry about to develop?
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