Alcatraz to go Solar
The Rock is going solar.
In its heyday, Alcatraz prison locked up mobsters such as Al Capone, “Machine Gun” Kelly and Alvin “Creepy” Karpis. Now, the famous penitentiary in San Francisco Bay will capture something new: the sun’s rays.
On Friday, the National Park Service announced it will fund a project to put about 1,360 solar panels on the main prison and laundry building at Alcatraz Island. The panels, which are scheduled to be installed later this spring, will provide 40 percent to 60 percent of the electricity for the iconic island, reducing the need for two aging diesel generators that currently keep Alcatraz’s lights on — yet also belch out heavy smog and cost $700,000 a year to fuel and maintain.
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Looking into a Solar Panel
The sun is the source of life. Now, the sun is the source of energy as well. With the help of science, man has been using solar energy to get heat, help cut electricity costs and protect the environment. This is made possible by man’s ingenuity and invention known as a solar panel, a device that turns sunlight to energy.
This panel actually has two types which are the crystalline (brown) and amorphous (black) panels. Basically made up of silicons, these panels differ in color, design and production.
The crystalline panel is commonly used among the two. It is made up silicon wafers which are finely sliced silicons that are cut, polished and layered with dopant (an element added to alter the electrical property of a crystal). The silicon wafers are then lined up in a backing panel and secured by conductive metal strips. It is then layered with clear glass to seal the panel.
Another type is the amorphous panel which is a very thin layer of silicon atoms and dopants sprayed into a glass, metal or plastic backing material. It can be used as flexible panels and solar roof tiles. Amorphous panels are also thinner than the crystalline ones.
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