MUM courses:
- Energy Use by Man and Nature
- Hands On Course In Sustainable Technologies
- Permaculture Design Certification
- Sustainability Forest Academy
- Artisan Foods and the Slow Food Movement
- Local Economy
Grinnell College courses:
Resource Center
Article Final
Solar power can easily become the way of the future. It has powered the planet for millenniums and continues to do so. No man made power can match the sun's enormous output. Nevertheless, trapping the sun's power has proven to be a task that still befuddles the human mind.
The biggest problem is the technological break-through. Solar energy does not provide an inconvenience for the public, does not even require the major revamping of public infrastructures, instead, right now, all it needs is investment. Trying to persuade the public to invest in this area has proven difficult, as it doesn't promise quick returns. Having private corporations to start has also hit a wall, as many don't seek it being cheaper than conventional fossil-fuel power, and have no incentive to enter the business. Instead, it becomes the government's job to provide that sunk cost for the public and that has been quite a failure.
The government subsidies for solar panels is not enough to break the disincentive. This, in my opinion, leaves two choices for the government. It could demonstrate a major commitment to the business by increasing the subsidies (very unlikely) or put the subsidy money into research. If there were to be a breakthrough like semiconductors with solar cells, the industry will take off. However, much of the squabbling right now is over who will take the initiative. If the public and private industries won't and it is an industry that is worth investing, the burden then falls onto one player - The government.
We have seen this in Germany and Japan, where instead of handing out cash to the public, it encourages private corporations, especially utility companies to explore the industry. This not only gets rid of the traditional antagonistic stance that utility companies have for renewable resources, but also shows them that they can make money from it.
We're still very far away from the whole nation running on power produced by solar electric power plants, however, it is only through the commitment from the government and the hard work of scientist will we be able to reach that summit.