NanotechnologyEssay Preview: NanotechnologyReport this essayIntroduction to NanotechnologyThe BasicsWeighing in on ScaleNanotechnology is the science of the extremely tiny. According to the US Government’s National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) “nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at dimensions of roughly 1 to 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications.” Nanotechnology is unbelievably miniscule. It is so small that even the most powerful conventional microscopes cannot see it. To put things in perspective, if the world were scaled down so that people averaged 100 nanometers tall, the Moon would be about 8 inches (20.5 cm) across—about the size of a basketball or a soccer ball. The Earth would be roughly 30 inches (76 cm) in diameter, or just small enough to squeak through a doorway.•
So what?The nanoscale is the scale of atoms and molecules, the fundamental building blocks of the material world. At the nanoscale, scientists can start affecting the properties of materials directly, making them harder or lighter or more durable. In some cases, simply making things smaller changes their properties—a chemical might take on a new color, or start to conduct electricity when re-fashioned at the nanoscale. Nanoscale particles tend to be more chemically reactive than their ordinary-sized counterparts because they have more surface area.
In other cases, nanotechnology is about not only shrinking, but fundamentally changing the internal structure of compounds. Pure carbon, for example, takes two familiar forms: diamond and graphite (pencil lead). But by arranging carbon into precise nanometer-scale structures, a new product can be made that is up to thirty times stronger than steel, yet is one sixth the weight. This form of carbon (called a “nanotube,” or, more accurately, “nanotubes”) is one of the earliest forms of nanotechnology.
This sort of nanotechnology is currently being used for a wide variety of applications, and more than six hundred nanotechnology-enabled consumer products are on the market. Carbon nanotubes are used to make bicycle frames and tennis rackets lighter and stronger. Nano-sized particles of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are used in many sunscreens, to block UV radiation more effectively without making your skin look pasty white. New tupperware features nanoscale silver that are antimicrobial, to prevent food stored in them from going bad. Clothes are treated with nano-engineered coatings that make them stain-proof or static-free. And computer chips using nanoscale components are ubiquitous in consumer electronics, from computers to mp3 players, digital cameras to video game consoles—“Moore’s Law,” which states that processors double in computing power every two years, is now driven by the relentless miniaturization of computer components deep into the nanoscale.
Thus far, nanotechnology remains a science in its infancy. Its potential goes far beyond these products: it will affect virtually all of the devices and materials we deal with in everyday life, from consumer products to food to medicine. Novel nanostructures could serve as new kinds of drugs for treating common conditions such as cancer, Parkinson’s, and cardiovascular disease, or as artificial tissues for replacing diseased kidneys and livers. Dangerous side effects of current treatments (like chemotherapy) may be engineered away. Nano-engineered solar panels could produce many times more energy than current types, while being lighter and more durable. Nanotech batteries last longer and are lighter and more powerful than their current counterparts. Foods could be engineered to improve nutritional value, tasted, or shelf life.
In 2007, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the body that regulates environmental policy and regulations across the United States, issued a resolution to develop the future of clean energy in the power sector. Since then, environmental and bioenergy issues have gotten much more aggressive.
Today’s proposed industry standards for energy efficiency and use are based on the current technology of the sun to produce electricity, but many newer technologies have significant potential. New technologies such as artificial heat processing, wind turbine efficiency in a turbine building, etc. do not yet exist or are likely to exist by 2030, due to lack of regulatory oversight, and the fact that our solar panels are so expensive and so inefficient. So, we need not wait for the regulatory bodies and the people that already are regulating the energy industry to get them on board, or to approve the standards for the entire field.
In short: we will need regulatory bodies in place to do a much better job of implementing clean technology, such as creating state-of-the-art energy transfer technologies or taking action by the state, so we can protect and advance our citizens.
So far, the regulatory processes for developing and testing a solar panel and any other such device have been fairly rigid. For some time, there hasn’t been any consensus with these regulatory bodies about the benefits for them or for us. In fact, there hasn’t had been much discussion of the potential impacts of solar with other companies. This may be due entirely to the current uncertainties on solar: the fact that many of the most costly technologies are already out of the market and that a fair number of applications are still under development, and the fact that there are plenty of applications already built on the market. As a result, any regulatory bodies that are involved with the development of solar should be focused on these potential effects in a way that makes it easier for them to implement more effectively.
There are other factors which should be taken into account during design of the solar panel. Many of these factors are not the main focus of regulatory bodies: they are simply one of many questions that must be addressed before an integrated solar panel standard can become commercially viable.
The solar panel’s major feature is its photovoltaic (CPV) system that powers a solar cell. It is very powerful, and is extremely effective at achieving the sun’s energy needs. The solar PV system is capable of producing 10 to 20 megawatts of power an hour, and if enough solar cells are produced, their efficiency can be maximized for 20-30% more energy use.
In this paper, we will discuss six of the biggest questions regarding the feasibility of the solar panel technology and how it could be developed further. This work also gives an overview of the various regulatory issues that may interfere with the development and commercial development of nanotechnology. Also in this paper, we will look at ways in which government or private entities may have authority to regulate or limit solar energy production.
Consequences of Government or Private Government
We would like to emphasize one important aspect that we have not discussed before with respect to solar panel development.
Currently solar energy development involves governmental cooperation. For a state to develop a solar cell, it must be able to produce power directly to the grid. For example, the first step is to develop the cells themselves. Then
Dollars and SenseIn 2007, $60 billion worth of nano-enabled products were sold, and this figure is predicted to rise to $150 billion by 2008. Nanotechnology will also produce employment opportunities, with an anticipated 7 million jobs generated globally by