Our mission is to provide the world with an inexhaustible source of clean, renewable energy by harvesting the energy of the sun to produce economically viable sources of energy.
SHEC will help usher in the renewable energy economy by using the sun to economically produce clean renewable energy sources.
Humanity currently consumes 15 terrawatts (TW) of energy annually. 1 TW = trillion watts. The amount of solar energy bombarding the Earth amounts to 89,000 TW annually. There is thousands of times more solar energy bombarding the Earth than all of the energy requirements of humanity. Harnessing this vast renewable energy resource can provide a clean and sustainable energy future for all of humanity.
Most of the world's energy is based on non-renewable fossil fuels. The history and future trend for energy consumption is generally upward, and will continue to increase, particularly as heavily populated countries such as China and India develop a greater demand for energy. Fuel prices will continue to fluctuate and will likely trend higher as the finite reserves of fossil fuels are depleted and new production does not satisfy growing demand. According to some geologists, approximately half of all known petroleum reserves have been depleted.
We all see the destructive consequences of burning fossil fuels, and our quality of life will only decline if we do not find alternative methods of energy production.
The sun can be harvested to produce alternative fuels including hydrogen, electricity and heat.
Electricity consumption makes up about 1/3 of the energy requirements of humanity. Electricity is generated primarily from fossil fuels today. SHEC's Solar Concentration Technology can be used to produce electricity by producing steam to run turbines, running heat engines like the Sterling engine or by using amplified photo voltaics. Some of these alternatives could offer a more economical means of power generation over conventional flat panel photo voltaics or over the long term fossil fuel requirements for fossil fuel powered plants.
Alternative fuels will be essential as the world's demand for fossil fuels exceeds supply. SHEC's technology can be used to produce various gaseous and liquid fuels. Currently SHEC is producing hydrogen. Hydrogen production technologies have been available for generations. Initially hydrogen was manufactured primarily for use in the production of ammonia for fertilizers and other industrial uses, but over the years, the technological base for hydrogen utilization has expanded tremendously to incorporate applications in chemical and petroleum refining, metallurgy, hydrogenation of edible fats and oils, space and weather programs, fuel cells and the manufacture of some electronic components. NASA is the primary user of hydrogen as an energy carrier to power equipment.
When consumed, hydrogen's only significant emissions are water vapor and heat. When produced from renewable sources, hydrogen becomes an inexhaustible source of energy.
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, and SHEC understands that it is important to find ways to supply the fuel for the emerging hydrogen economy.
Heating applications, whether for homes or industrial applications make up about another 1/3 of humanities energy requirements. SHEC's Solar Concentrator Technology can be used to provide heating for industrial applications, district heating and heating for green communities.
