Component 1
Task 1
Solar thermal power technologies are technologies that utilize the sun’s energy and turn it into electricity. This
advancement tremendously reduces the usage of non-renewable oil as a source of energy. This methodology also cuts back
on air pollution. The solar thermal power technologies industry began with the oil embargo of 1973-1974 and the industry
was strengthened with the second embargo in 1979. Between 1974 and 1984, the solar industry soared from 45 solar collector
manufacturing firms to 225 firms. Now these solar thermal power technologies do everything from heating swimming pools to
creating steam for electricity. In the 1760’s, Horace de Saussure, a Swiss naturalist, created a diagram of a solar thermal
technology to heat water more efficiently in houses. He discovered that when sun rays pass through glass the rays got much
hotter.
The oldest application of solar thermal energy is passive. When passive solar heating is used the building acts
as a collector of solar thermal energy. For example, greenhouses made of glass or other transparent materials are probably
the most common application of passive solar energy. This concept of passive solar energy is similar to the greenhouse effect
on the earth. The only difference is instead of glass making the rays hotter the atmosphere is trapping the heat and is
constantly heating the earth.
Task 2
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/03/10/1047144918485.html?from=moreStories
-This article was written by Melissa Fyfe of TheAge.com. While the solar panels are a big improvement for
the Queen Victoria market in Australia, the country as a whole is falling behind in the solar revolution.
http://www.otherpower.com/otherpower_solar.html
- This is a website by a company called Other Power. They have information on wind turbines
as well as solar panels, but they have lots of information on solar panels. Solar panels have
no moving parts, and they have know known lasting age, because many of the panels first made are still working today.
http://www.rgj.com/news/stories/html/2003/01/13/31892.php?sp1=rgj&sp2=News&sp3=Local+News
- This article was written by the associated press of the Reno Gazette-Journal. It talks about
the UNLV’s (University of Nevada Las Vegas) research in solar power. They’ve received $1 million in
federal funding for their research into arrays of dishes which soak up 30% of the suns energy. Regular
solar panels can only gather a third of the power that the dish arrays can. Although they are very expensive
compared to normal panels, prices are expected to lower in the future.
Task 3
Our chosen NCT Application is solar thermal power technologies.
From research the team has come up with on solar thermal technologies, we can infer that it has advanced
scientific knowledge. You may want to know in what ways, right? Well, solar power thermal technologies will
advance scientific knowledge by creating a whole new source of energy.
Scientists have more options of energy they could use.
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