| Solar power has long been a minor power source | | | | often see it! |
| compared to mighty oil. As oil prices rise and | | | | Flipping the coin, oil has some serious advantages |
| conflicts occur in oil countries, perhaps the issue | | | | over solar. We have already developed |
| needs to be revisited. | | | | technology to efficiently convert oil to power. The |
| Solar vs. Oil | | | | cost of converting industry, vehicles and such to |
| The industrial revolution was built on the back of | | | | solar or any other power source would be huge. |
| oil and coal. There is no denying that solar played | | | | Oil also has an advantage in that it is easier to use |
| no part whatsoever. This is particularly true since | | | | in a wide variety of applications, such as vehicles. |
| solar cells were not invented until the 1950s! That | | | | One simply can't power a vehicle with solar |
| being said, it appears indisputable that we have | | | | power, not on a practical level. Finally, it is easier |
| reached or are approaching a new debate about | | | | to use oil to provide power to massive energy |
| how we deal with our insatiable thirst for power. | | | | platforms, such as electricity for New York City. |
| At first glance, the mere mention of a | | | | For large scale energy needs, oil is still a superior |
| comparison of solar to oil as an energy source | | | | choice to solar as an energy resource. The |
| sounds laughable. It is laughable when we are | | | | technology simply does not exist to provide solar |
| talking about large scale energy production, but | | | | energy solutions for vehicles, national electrical grid |
| the tide is turning. | | | | systems and so on. Advancements in solar |
| In a comparison of solar to oil, solar power has | | | | technology, however, may be changing this fact in |
| numerous advantages. The power source for | | | | the very near future. Technologies such as |
| solar, the sun, is free. Solar is available as a | | | | quantum dots, essentially microscopic solar panels |
| resource in every country, regardless of location, | | | | that could exist in the paint on your home, may |
| economic strength and so on since the sun shines | | | | make oil a thing of the past. |
| everywhere. The process of converting sunlight | | | | For now, oil remains the backbone upon which our |
| into electricity or heating produces no greenhouse | | | | energy needs sit. In the next 5, 10 or 20 years, |
| gases. Whether you believe in global warming or | | | | however, new technological applications may |
| not, solar still is advantageous in that it doesn't | | | | change this. Don't believe me? Then consider the |
| produce pollution. If you live in a big city, you | | | | fact oil companies such as Chevron are investing |
| know how much pollution is in the air. You can | | | | heavily in solar companies. |