With the rash of winter storms that have hit Canada lately, urban dwellers are experiencing some of the power uncertainty that is part of country living. City folk take electricity for granted. In the country, brown outs, black outs, even week-long power outages are commonplace. Rural property owners may have hydro on their land but that's no guarantee they will have electricity when they need it. Many of Canada's most beautiful cottage areas are too remote for affordable hydro.
Cottagers regularly look for alternatives to electricity.
Ironically, the space race and NASA may provide practical solutions for these energy problems. Satellites, space shuttles and space stations require cost-effective, efficient solar power. Photovoltaic technology, developed to allow us to use the sun's energy to live in outer space, may make living on earth more comfortable, too. Solar panels capture sunlight and store this energy in batteries. Inverters convert battery power to alternating current so normal lamps and appliances can be used.