Space saving solar hacks ⏲️ 6 Minute English

Hello. This is 6 minute English.

from BBC Learning English I'm Neil...

And I'm Beth.

As the world switches from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy,

solar panels are appearing in more and more places and with good reason.

Yes, today, the world is generating

ten times more solar electricity than a decade ago.

And what's more solar is the only energy source on track to meet

the UN's 2050 net-zero targets.

But there's a problem - space. As the rooftops in our cities

and towns get filled up with solar panels,

finding space for them becomes difficult. In this programme,

we'll be exploring two surprising solar projects to build PV Panels

in all kinds of weird and wonderful places.

And as usual, we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary, too.

Great! But first. I have a question for you, Beth.

Harnessing the power of the sun is not new.

In fact, solar power dates back over two thousand seven hundred years.

In 213 BC mirrors were used to reflect sunlight back

on to Roman ships attacking the city of Syracuse, causing them to catch fire.

But which ancient Greek philosopher was responsible

for this solar heat ray

Was it a) Archimedes b) Socrates or c) Pythagoras?

I think it was Pythagoras.

OK, Beth, I'll reveal the answer later in the programme.

Our first surprising solar project takes place in one of

the world's biggest car parks owned by US supermarket giant Walmart.

Joshua Pearce, a researcher at Western University in Ontario,

Canada wants Walmart to introduce solar canopies in all their car parks.

A canopy is a cover fixed over something to provide shelter or decoration.

Joshua's canopies protect customers' cars from the sun and rain

while the solar panels fixed on top generate electricity.

This electricity can be used by the supermarkets or given to customers

to charge their electric car for free.

Here's Myra Anubi presenter of BBC World Service Programme

'People fixing the world' discussing Joshua's idea.

Of course, if Walmart or an equivalent retailer were to do this,

they wouldn't just be paying off their investment in green electricity.

They would be adding hundreds of thousands of electric charging points

across the US, which would make switching to electric vehicles

more enticing for American drivers.

So we're starting to see more and more of these occur.

I think in the very near future,

we're going to see an enourmous increase.

Solar canopies provide free charging points,

making electric cars a cheaper, more enticing option for American drivers.

If something is enticing,

it's attractive because it offers advantages or pleasures.

Joshua hopes we'll see more solar canopies in the near future - at some time very soon.

Our second surprising solar project is quite literally out of this world.

Martin Soltau is founder of Space Solar, a company planning to build solar panels

22,000 miles away in outer space with no night or changing seasons,

it is believed that solar panels in space would generate

thirteen times as much electricity as on earth.

Martin's plans sound like science fiction and haven't been tried out yet,

but the idea of solar power from space

has existed since the 1960s, as Martin explained to

BBC World Service Programme, 'People fixing the world'.

And then in really, the late sixties,

the American scientist Peter Glazier designed the first practical,

technically practical, system.

And after that, NASA studied it on and off right through the decades and

so it's really only in the last six or seven years

that it's actually now become economically feasible.

And so the whole cost of getting things into space has tumbled

by over ninety percent.

NASA has studied the idea

of putting solar panels in space on and off, meaning occasionally,

or from time to time since the 1960s.

Recently, the costs of travelling to space have tumbled - decreased quickly

and in a short time,

making Martin's idea for space solar panels economically feasible.

If a business plan is economically feasible,

The economic advantages achieved are greater than the economic costs.

It seems that a good idea is a good idea

whether it's thousands of years ago or in the near future,

with that it is time to reveal the answer to my question.

Yes, you asked me

which famous ancient Greek philosopher, used the power of the sun

to destroy enemy Roman ships in 213 BC.

I said it was Pythagoras.

Which was...

I'm afraid to say,

the wrong answer Beth.

It was actually

Archimedes, who used parabolic mirrors to burn

the enemy's wooden ships at Syracuse,

a trick which schoolchildren still do today using a magnifying glass

and sun beams to make fire.

Right, let's recap the vocabulary

we've learned from this programme, starting with 'canopy', a cover

that's fixed over an object to shelter or decorate it.

The adjective 'enticing' means attractive because of the advantages or benefits

it offers

'In the near future' means very soon.

  The phrase 'on and off' means occasionally, or from time to time.

If the cost or price

of something has 'tumbled', it's decreased quickly in a short time.

And finally, if a business plan is 'economically feasible'.

The economic advantages achieved will be greater than the economic costs.

Once again, our six minutes are up. Goodbye, for now.

Bye!