Solar energy: Power for the future 123Answer the following question.
- Match each of the following applications with the most suitable type of solar technology:
passive solar energy (PS), photovoltaic cells (PV), or concentrating solar power (CSP).
More than one type of technology may be suitable to some applications.
a. Enhancing natural lighting
b. Powering calculators
c. Heating water and swimming pools
d. Large-scale electricity production
e. Powering satellites
f. Heating homes and buildings
g. Illuminating clocks and watches
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
- What are the main components of sunlight?
- What makes solar energy more environmentally sound than fossil fuel combustion?
- What event resulted in an increased interest in solar energy in the United States?
- What is responsible for the rising demand for solar energy in the United States?
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EXERCISEReading for interpretation and inferenceIndicate which of the following
statements from the reading text support (✓) or do not support (X) solar energy.- “Every day, 173,000 terawatts of energy—100,000 times more energy than humans
use—strike the earth in the form of sunlight.” - “At 20 cents per kilowatt hour, energy produced by PV plants costs ten times more
than energy generated by fossil fuel–burning plants.” - “A two-kilowatt of-grid private system can cost $20,800, and a ten-kilowatt system
can cost up to $104,000.” - “Nevertheless, solar cell manufacturing has become more eicient and cheaper, and
prices have been falling steadily since the 1970s.”