A look at Solar

2008 saw incredible developments in solar energy technology, which have begun to be recognized as a feasible way to supplant the current fossil fuel dependent system. Despite decreasing gas prices and a tumultuous financial situation, research in the West and implementation in the East both provide evidence of strong potential in the industry in the future.

Researchers at MIT have made progress in storing solar energy for use during non-daylight hours. Through a process that is based on photosynthesis, Professor Daniel Nocera and his team have pioneered technology that uses solar energy to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen gas, which can then be recombined any time to create a steady energy source. This is the sort of advance that can make solar into an efficient and feasible energy system for usage throughout the day.

Read about the research here.

While progress in the laboratory is one thing, progress in implementation and popularization is another. In this, recent news in China has been encouraging. One solar energy project announced recently, to be constructed in Northwest China, is stated to become the world’s largest upon its completion. One interesting facet of this project is the emphasis on high-tech photovoltaic cells, which convert sunlight directly into electricity but are much more expensive than the relatively low-tech alternative, solar water heating.

Previous solar successes in China, including China’s largest solar energy firms, have all focused on the latter. Solar water heaters are suitable for individual homes and small communities, but less so for providing cities with power. Photovoltaic, on the other hand, is geared more towards creating electricity for a power grid, and can be used far away from its source.

Because of the difference in these technologies, an investment in a large photovoltaic project is perhaps symbolic of China’s willingness to embrace sustainable energy as a real feature of future infrastructure. China’s potential solar resources are some of the best in the world, with northern regions free from rainfall most of the year.

China's big solar project

Whether this sort of project is meant to astound the world with its grandeur or make real progress in building a sustainable infrastructure remains to be seen. China continues to invest heavily in Great Wall-esque projects that seem aimed to please observers, while the nuts and bolts of infrastructural reform are ignored. As China builds its solar plants, in will nonetheless continue open up hundreds of new coal plants, ensuring that it will keep its title as the world’s largest polluter.