APART from intermittent showers and thunderstorms, the weather in this country has been relatively warm these past few weeks. The weathermen say that this is normal due to the inter-monsoon season.
For many of us, this warm weather is a major topic of conversation. It is perhaps the number one ice-breaker, not only at top-level meetings, but also at casual gatherings.
However, for the inspired few, the heat generated by the sun is a potential source of energy. A number of companies are already tapping the solar energy available in abundance especially in the tropics.
The sun is in fact the ultimate source of all the world’s energy. The salted fish industry, which uses solar energy for drying, is one of the most notable beneficiaries.
Homemakers, too, are perennial users of the daily sunshine. Imagine having to go through a day without the sun. How on earth would they hope to dry the laundry? Not everyone can afford the dryer. Few even loathe it.
To many, sunlight is the energy of choice. Solar energy is unlike fossil fuels which are non-renewable and cause air pollution.
It is free of pollutants, does not contribute to global warming and the supply is virtually infinite.
In fact, the earth receives billions of megawatts of solar radiation, which is about 10,000 times more than the world’s current energy use.
Although we can only use a fraction of this, as most of the energy is of very “low grade”, it still translates into a staggering figure of a few hundred trillion watts.
But why can’t we get more from the sun? What are the challenges associated with tapping solar energy?
One of the most promising methods to harness solar energy is the use of photovoltaic collectors.
These are photosensitive silicon cells, otherwise known as solar cells, that can transform the sun’s rays into electricity without generating any by-product.
Photovoltaic cells are actually a spin-off from space science research. They are built into the space shuttle to form a source of power.
The cells have found their way into both domestic and commercial facilities. They could make homes and factories virtually independent of traditional energy sources such as coal, oil and gas.
However, the major barriers are the high cost of construction and installation. Maintenance is also costly.
In addition, the efficiency of commercially available photovoltaic equipment is still far below the theoretical limits of performance.
For example, the cells only convert 30 per cent of the sunlight it receives into electricity. This figure may even be lower for mass produced cells.
The solar-powered pocket calculator has an efficiency rate of about three per cent only. Nevertheless, it can garner enough energy to function fabulously.
To a large extent, the production of these cells also entails a high level of labour coupled with a low level of automation. Further, the cells lack the support of high-quality weather-proofing for use in the field.
Nevertheless, mass production techniques are expected to reduce the cost tremendously. In addition other strategies have been adopted to enhance the efficiency of these cells.
The recent announcement of the setting up of a factory in Sabah to produce affordable hand-phone chargers using solar energy augurs well for the future.
The other method of tapping solar energy is by converting sunlight into heat. This then heats up oil that is used to generate steam at very high temperature.
This steam is utilised to drive turbines that give rise to electricity. This process is termed solar thermal electricity generation.
Significant progress has been made in developing economically competitive solar thermal electric technologies. The efficiency has improved tremendously since the successful completion of several pilot projects that were started in the 1980s.
The use of low-cost optical systems to concentrate sunlight on comparatively small, high-efficiency cells has boosted the conversion rate of solar energy to electricity even in average climates.
So promising are the prospects of solar energy that some Governments are already discarding planned coal, and even nuclear power stations, for solar power facilities instead.
The incentives to exploit solar energy are at least two-fold. First, we cannot depend on non-renewable fuels forever. The supply is bound to finish, if not during our lifetime, perhaps in the next or two generations.
Second, despite the many preventive and corrective measures undertaken by those involved in the production of energy from fossil fuels, environmental degradation due to the emission of pollutants still persists.
Many Muslim countries actually do not realise that God has not only given them prosperity in the form of oil underneath their lands, but also provided them with high-grade sunlight, which is a potentially powerful source of energy.
Energy is perhaps the single most important power that shapes the political landscape of the world. Today, the power of solar energy is there for the taking. Those living in the warmer regions of the world should have an edge over the rest.
Malaysia, too, should make better use of its rich supply of sunlight. It is estimated that the country receives an average of six hours of sun daily. Certain parts like Alor Star get more than that.
As many Malaysians live in rural areas, a comprehensive programme of tapping solar energy may be able to contribute positively to the country’s energy requirements.
The setting up of efficient solar energy stations in rural areas may be a way of providing electricity to remote settlements.
As we observe Earth Day today, maybe we should pray that our scientists will be able to come up with practical projects that could reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and enhance use of solar energy.
The sun is indeed a source of life for mankind. It is also a sign of God’s providence. The Quran states this in the first two verses of Surah al-Shams (The Sun) translated thus: “By the sun and its glorious radiance and by the moon as it follows the sun.”