An Analysis of the Use of Nanotechnology in Electrical Energy Production and Storage and as a Means of Reducing Energy Consumption.

As the global population increases exponentially, having passed six billion in 1999, the world population is expected to be 8.9 billion by the year 2050. The worlds energy consumption will increase by an estimated 54 percent by 2025. Energy demand in the industrialized world is projected to grow 1.2 percent per year. Energy is a critical component of sustained economic growth and improved standards of living. One of the major requirements for sustaining human progress is an adequate source of energy. As the world’s technological enhancements and standards of living improve, so too does their appetite for electricity.

The greatest energy that can be produced by the sun is electricity. Photovoltaics, or solar cells, capture the sun and convert it into electricity. Solar cells were discovered by the Europeans back in the 1870’s when they used selenium to develop the telegraph. They found that when light hits selenium it would produce and electrical current. Soon enough there were many scientists and engineers working on photovoltaic systems. Silicon and Selenium proved to be the two best elements to conduct electricity when light hits them. Photovoltaic systems (PV cell) work by converting the suns light into electricity. A semi conducting material absorbs the sunlight, that energy knocks electrons loose from their atoms, this allows the electrons to flow through the material to produce electricity. The further development of solar cells can be attributed to the satellite industry. Solar cells were expensive and there was no use for them until satellites came. Because it is impractical to tether satellites it became important to develop solar energy at any cost that would power these satellites. This created a sustainable market for solar power, the first of its kind.

Solar power is the most abundant most renewable resource that we have and it is free. The process starts when the sun shines on Solar PV panels that have been installed on your roof. Photovoltaic refers to the scientific process by which solar energy is converted into electricity. There are a number of silicon cells within each PV panel. These react with photons, or units of light, from the sun to produce direct current or electricity. DC electricity then travels to an inverter, which converts this energy to electricity known as alternating current or AC that can be used in your home or office. AC electricity then travels to the distribution network in your home powering your domestic or office appliances. When your solar panels produce more electricity than your home or office is using, the extra electricity gets fed back into the national grid. Yet, there are many processes the PV cell actually goes through to produce power of electricity. The top and bottom layer of the PV cells are protective glass layers with conducting coding’s. Electricity in the form of electrons flows in and out of these conducting coding’s while electrical production process happens in the middle layer of the PV cell. At the molecular level, a photon strikes a dye molecule absorbed on the surface of the TiO2 causing an excited state, which releases an electron into the TiO2 that exists through the conductive layer. The

Solar power, or photovoltaics use light as a source of electricity. The photoelectric effect, discovered by Edmund Bequerel in 1839, shows that some materials have the ability to release electric current when subjected to light. Solar cells consist of semi conductors that are specially treated to create

Nanosolar is a developer of solar power technology founded in 2002 by Martin Roscheisen and Brian Sager. Nanosolar focuses on thin-film panels as they serve as a cheaper alternative due to the fewer amount of raw material they use, which in turn makes them lighter weight and therefore easier to transport (Nanosolar, 2). Although thin-film panels are cheaper, they are less efficient and this becomes another matter to address in addition to where Nanosolar will go to market. With this, Nanosolar would need to go to market in countries that provide financial support and have demand for solar energy; thus, I recommend that Nanosolar go to market in Europe.

Sustainable energy is a form of energies that help humanity in meeting its present needs without compromising the ability to meet the next generation’s needs. Technologies that supports sustainable energy include renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, hydroelectricity, wind power, wave power, bioenergy, geothermal energy, and also technologies created to improve energy efficiently. It’s important to investment and research sustainable/renewable energy sources because sustainable energy plays a vital role in the fight against climate change. The future generations’ life depend of the chose we

Energy, especially electricity, is vital in today’s economy however demand for electricity is currently so high that the available supply may not be sufficient over the next 25 years. Electricity lights our homes, powers our technology and is a fundamental factor in everybody’s day to day lives.

Incoming photons knock electrons lose in the silicon plating and cause them to flow, resulting in electric current (Christen 396). The primary advantage of photovoltaic cells is the "inexhaustible supply [of energy]" (Blair 123). In addition, solar panels run with minimal maintenance. A photovoltaic cell generates no pollution, creates no noise, and contains few mechanical parts (Casey). Thus solar energy may be collected cleanly, quietly, and indefinitely--without generating pollutants in the process.

of renewable energy, solar energy, which converts sun energy directly to usable energy such as

Nowadays, environmental and health scientists are concerned largely because of the damages caused by conventional energy. In most cases, these damages are happening because people are more likely to use fossil energy instead of renewable energy. In 1991, the worst disaster happened in the Arabian Gulf, and it was closed to my hometown. It was an oil spill into the gulf sea. It’s estimated more than 250,000 seabirds died by oil spill (Laura Moss, 2010). As well as this, more than 85% of the consumed around the world comes from fossil fuel. Unlike renewable energy, fossil energy notably pollutes our plant. Additionally, conventional energy leads to global warming. However, solar and wind power is the best choice for many scientists to preserve the environment. In the past, renewable power had some difficulties because most of the energy had obtained from hydroelectric levees, whereas now solar and wind power can produce more than a quarter of the globe’s energy (reading 1). Due to population and other reasons, renewable energy has become more popular and getting attention from a lot of people (reading1). Ultimately, there are some differences and similarities between solar and wind power in terms of their amount of energy and advantages, and these sources have a fundamental way to store their energy, which is through an advanced battery.

One of the greatest challenges in the twenty-first century is undoubtedly energy storage. The depletion of non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels is inevitable. This can be simply arrived at due to the fact that it is a finite resource. Additionally, the rate of generation of fossil fuels far exceeds the rate of its depletion so much so that it is negligible in comparison. Thus the world today has been forced to search for a better energy source. According to Chen(2013), “Batteries are crucial to solve this problem [the energy crisis] as they can efficiently store electricity in chemicals and release it according to demand”(p. 156). Furthermore, the batteries used currently do not meet the demands of modern society, such as the need

A major problem facing the world today is the energy crisis. The amount of energy being consumed is much greater than the fossil fuels of the Earth will be able to keep up with in the long run. As energy use continues to grow, the demand for energy will exceed its supply. This is obviously a huge problem, and why this is being referred to as a crisis. However, nanotechnology can potentially solve this problem due to its ability to help make every aspect of producing or consuming energy significantly more efficient. Yet, the use of nanotechnology in solving the energy crisis would not come without large impacts: some positive, but some negative.

The reason behind this topic being chosen is primarily due to the ever-growing energy demands and recent concerns regarding the rate of usage and future availability of fossil fuels and other conventional sources of energy. Also, as per many environmentalists, the excessive usage of such energy sources is affecting the environment which might lead to severe consequences for future generations. To address this issue, many organizations throughout the world have taken various initiatives to find and hence provide the public with alternative sources of energy. They therefore, have been sources of inspiration for many including ourselves to work in this field.

The reason behind this topic being chosen is primarily due to the ever-growing energy demands and recent concerns regarding the rate of usage and future availability of fossil fuels and other conventional sources of energy. Also, as per many environmentalists, the excessive usage of such energy sources is affecting the environment which might lead to severe consequences for future generations. To address this issue, many organizations throughout the world have taken various initiatives to find and hence provide the public with alternative sources of energy. They therefore, have been sources of inspiration for many including ourselves to work in this field.

The ratification of the UN Sustainable Development Goals is a significant step towards the creation of a modern world by 2030. The 17 goals cover wide ranging aspects that ensure everyone’s human rights are met. Additionally, these goals provide a pathway towards success and prosperity for all future generations, i.e. they recognize that Earth cannot sustain our current habits indefinitely. In this regard, one of the fundamental goals is number seven, ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all CITATION Sus15 l 4105 [1].