Solar Energy
“The glorious sun stays in his Course
And plays the alchemist
turning with the splendour of his precious eye
The meager cloudy earth into
Glittering gold…”
The above lines describe that beautiful natural phenomenon which is so familiar, yet so intriguing. It cannot be denied that the sun is the source of all life. Suppose, even for a short moment, this great bail of fire was extinguished. What would happen? We would be enveloped in total darkness. All forms of life would perish.
The sun is a source of perennial energy, and it is high time we tapped it to fulfill the growing need for energy. More so, because the non-renewable sources of energy, like petroleum and other fossil fuels are dwindling at an alarming rate.
Though the solar energy has not been utilized directly, it has been used in the functioning of simple windmills or water wheels. Besides, storing the solar energy is a herculean task, for, in order to ensure that solar energy is not dissipated, mirrors and lenses have to be pressed into action. Scientists are attempting to focus the rays of the sun and using large curved mirrors of polished metal, to absorb the rays of the sun. Solar cookers and ovens can be operated on a mass scale, using this principle.
Another method of channelizing solar energy is by using blackened panels and running pipes behind the panels to’ heat heaters. In advanced nations like Japan thousands of homes make use of solar energy for cooking and heating. In Israel ‘solar ponds’ are being used in Sodom, a city close to the Dead Sea, The ingenuity of the project, however, cannot – blind one to the fact that the use of solar energy has not yet come of age in a country like India, though consistent efforts are being made to fully tap this source of eternal energy.
