WARMING TO NEW ENERGY

Forecasts from the US Energy Information Administration put global demand for energy increasing by 54% over the next 20 years.Another long-term forecast from the EIA puts world electricity demand in 2025 at nearly twice what it is now. 
The bulk of the world’s energy comes from fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas.  Their energy is released when they are burnt, with carbon dioxide released into the air at the same time.Not only are these conventional sources finite, they also result in harmful emissions when being burnt, so we need to develop more environmentally friendly and renewable energy sources like solar, wind, water and geothermal.   
The amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth’s surface is six thousand times the amount of energy that we use on Earth.Humans have used energy from sun since ancient times, but with environmental issues becoming more prominent, solar energy is growing in scale and scope.
Traditional fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas are being replaced by renewable energy sources such as solar power, which is mainly used for heating water and electricity.  
From futuristic office buildings and gigantic sports stadiums, to regular homes around the world, solar power is becoming an increasingly popular clean, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable energy source.   For example, the recently completed 55 000-seater stadium in Kaohsiung, Taiwan is the first stadium in the world to provide power using solar energy technology.  Built for the 2009 World Games, the gigantic 19-hecare structure has nearly 9 000 solar panels on its roof which will generate sufficient energy to power the building’s 3 300 lights and two enormous television screens.  
That’s solar power on a giant scale.For domestic energy needs on a much smaller scale however, solar power can also provide a cost-effective, low maintenance option.
Solar energy experts, Perth based Solar My World, say that by installing photovoltaic or solar panels on a domestic property, homeowners will ultimately save on electricity, add value to the house and contribute to creating a greener Australia.For Perth homeowners looking for solar power, there are two systems available, grid connect and off-grid.
Grid connect systems are predominantly installed in populated areas and supply solar power to the home through an inverter.  If the system provides more energy than the property requires, the surplus can be diverted and ‘sold’ to the electricity grid.The other type is a standalone system which uses a battery bank for energy storage.This system is more common in remote outlying areas where people have no or restricted access to traditional power sources.  
Solar power systems can be designed for AC or DC, and can be expanded to meet growing needs making them very versatile systems.
There is increasing concern over the impact that energy generation has on greenhouse gas emissions as it is the largest single contributor to emissions, and there is increasing urgency for people to investigate ways of reducing their own CO2 emissions.By using solar energy technology to generate power, the new Taiwanese stadium alluded to earlier in this article, will prevent 660 tons of carbon emissions each year.A decision to install solar panels in our homes could just be the energy needed to save the world.