Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-03
Great Future Is Seen
For Using Suns Rays
Problem Of Expense Called
Biggest Stumbling Block

Science has barely crossed the
threshold of direct utilization of power
from the sun-which some believe may
be of much greater Importance than
atomic power for the worlds future.
The present solar power status re-
Gently was surveyed at a meeting of
experts under auspices Of the National
Science Foundation at the University
Of Wisconsin, which has just been re-
ported to the American Association for
the Advancement Of Science here.
It remains, the experts concluded,
essentially a question of cost, which
also is the great stumbling block to
industrial use Of atomic energy. Solar
energy, however, will last forever while
nuclear energy may be exhausted in
the next few generations.
At the present rate. according to
the report of DR.. harrington Daniels
of the University Of Wisconsin to the
association, the conferees estimated,
the supply Of fuels obtainable at less
than double present costs can be ex-
pected to last less than 300 years.
They gave coal and oil another cen
fury and atomic fuels a maximum Of
about 200 years beyond that.
Three Pronged Approval.
The solar power problem, according
to the reports. now Is being approached
from three directions. First is that of
storing solar heat and using 1t for
heating water and houses. This can
be achieved in certain climates. but
rather extensively. In most cases aux
iiary fuels still are needed.
Present knowledge indicates" says
Prof. Daniels report, that solar power
in small units might be produced in
certain parts of the world. including
the southwestern United States, at
from two to three times the current
cost of power production from coal
or oil. The chief disadvantage Is that
the power would be intermittent be-
cause it can be produced only during
the hours of sunlight"
Much research is being directed at
present toward producing more fuels
by better utilization Of the basic phe-
nomenon of photosynthesis in growing
crops-especially the very rapidly
growing algae, chlorella. This research
Is being pushed chiefly because Of the
value of algae as food, not fuel. The
conferees generally agreed. according
to the report, that this always would
be an uneconomical power source, ex-
cept under quite special conditions.
Photochemistry Studied.
The most promising field for re-
search, it was agreed, is toward the
discovery of some suitable compound
which will absorb sunlight through
some photochemical reaction similar
to photosynthesis, store the energy
and then release it at will. One such
reaction, the splitting of oxygen and
hydrogen in water through the use
Of a catalyst, recently was discovered
at Massachusetts, Institute Of Technol-
ogy. 1t is at present highly inefficient.
theoretically, one might look forward
to getting all the fuel the earth ever
would need by burning the OCEAN
that is. the hydrogen in water.
Still another means of utilizing solar
energy is by means of electricity pro-
duced through thermocouples. in which
two different electrical conductors are
connected, with one junction heated by
the sun and the other kept cold. The
resulting current could be made to do
work. It will be necessary, however. to
find metals or alloys that, when con-
nected in this way. will produce sub
stantially higher voltages than any pro-
duced thus far.
Considerable attention was given to
possibilities Of poor mans solar en-
CINE" Atomic energy requires central
stations with very large capital invest
ment. whereas, theoretically, small solar
engines could be placed in out-of-the-
way places. They would be inefficient
in comparison with modern conven-
tional engines but might find extensive
use, especially in countries not yet in.
duStrialiZed