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The amount of solar energy reaching the earth exceeds global energy consumption by a factor of almost six thousand. The global demand for energy is 15 terawatts (TW), while 89,000 TW of solar energy bombards the earth. Clearly, the potential capacity of solar energy systems is enormous.
Responsible energy consumption is gauged in part by its environmental impact. The use of conventional energy sources such as oil and coal has well-known detrimental effects on the environment, including the atmospheric release of CO2. Some alternative renewable energy sources suffer similar environmental shortcomings, as well as introducing further tangential complications. For example, the use of ethanol releases CO2 into the atmosphere, while its production has wreaked havoc on global food prices.
Solar-based energy systems begin with the advantage of collecting energy that is otherwise going to waste, with negligible environmental impact. However, while harnesing this renewable energy resource has historically been very expensive, SHEC has developed one of the most efficient solar collection systems in the world. With SHEC's technology, solar energy can be collected efficiently, cleanly, and economically.
