Implementing Nanotechnology and Solar Energy Conversion

Emergencies and natural disaster have affected many communities throughout many decades. Leaving communities vulnerable and without power in many instances. Technology, however, is giving communities an opportunity to recover rapidly and not feel as much of the negative impact caused by natural disasters and emergencies. This paper will discuss the importance of resilient community planning, as well as the use of nanotechnology to enhance the ability to provide electricity through the conversion of solar energy. In order to prepare and protect our communities, we must understand the benefits of community resilience planning, understand ways Nanotechnology is incorporated into solar energy conversion and how together they can provide the resources needed to survive during an emergency or natural disaster. With the implementation of community resilience planning, this will allow communities to prepare for anticipated hazards, easily adapt to changing weather conditions and rapidly recover from disruptions caused by unanticipated disasters. Nano-technology can help overcome barriers that hinder performance and cause a significant improvement of collection and conversion of solar energy because Nanoparticles and nanostructures have the ability to enhance the absorption of light, increase the conversion of light to electricity, and provide thermal storage and transport. How will community resilience planning be impacted by the implementation of Nanotechnology and energy conversion? Resilience planning within organizations as well as community planning requires many to think about the unique circumstances that are experienced within a natural disaster or an emergency; while also identifying and implementing new technology. Community resilience planning is constantly evolving with new research being discovered daily. A nanotechnology is a new form of technology that has the potential to improve community resilience in many ways. During an emergency or a disaster, Nano-technology can assist with the conversion of solar energy which is a renewable source of power that can assist with the demand for energy when an emergency or disaster may strike. Building community resilience will rely heavily on the community itself. Because not all communities are the same; nor do they have the same social or economic background there could be some resistance in working together. There are and will always be challenges and opportunities that a community will have to overcome such as age, social isolation, cultural isolation, and linguistic isolation as well. Public transportation, the availability of healthy food or safe recreational spaces, as well as employment opportunities, are other factors that could affect the way people work together. Poverty, racism, and crime also tend to undermine a community's ability to respond to additional shocks on a large scale. It is imperative that all communities are supplied with the basic need of electricity to continue to go on with their day to day in the recovery stage. States such as Florida, New Jersey, and California to name a few have all began implementing the use of technology as a way to supply electricity in case of an emergency. At this time schools, assisted- living facilities and shelters are all currently equipped to increase energy resilience. Allowing those in need to have access to power during a power outage. An increasing number of states are continuing to improve and continue research and development on the conversion and storage of solar energy. Community Resilience Planning Community resilience planning is an action plan that allows a community to rebuild and recover in a timely manner after a disaster. If properly organized community resilience planning can minimize the effects of an emergency on any scale by capitalizing on the support within the community and having specific guidelines set in place for individuals to follow. Each year there are human-caused and natural disasters all over the world and the cost can affect communities in many ways. A great number of people have been affected by the increased urbanization, globalization and climate change over the years, causing many to want to properly prepare for anything that could affect their community. Community resilience planning allows a community to prepare for disasters and reduce the negative impact of emergencies as well as disasters. All communities want the opportunity to withstand a disaster or emergency and recover from adversity. In an effort to prepare the planning phase of community resilience, a community must have adequate access to health care and be able to care for themselves as well as others through an emergency situation. Disaster or emergency preparedness requires core capabilities that are essential for areas such as Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery. During the planning phase for community resilience, a community must focus on all five aspects in order to accurately assess the capacity as well as gaps, with that in mind each core capability and capability target should require the combined efforts of an entire community, rather than be limited to any single organization or single level of government. There are a few steps to consider when developing a plan for each community: ?—? A collaborative planning team will need to be developed ?—? Individuals must understand the situation ?—? Goals and objectives must be determined ?—? Development of a plan ?—? Plan and preparation methods will need to be reviewed and approved ?—? Plan implementation and maintenance Once these steps have been executed a community should be able to respond accordingly to any particular emergency situation. In planning and preparing communities should also consider the importance of incorporating technology. Technology is ever evolving and with the progression, over the years there have been great discoveries concerning solar energy conversion as a result of nanoparticles being able to transfer heat from the sun and form energy. This information is important because in many instances whether through the human error of extreme weather events sometimes there are power outages as a result. Without adequate power, a community can be stripped of very basic needs. In many cases public and private it is imperative that facilities have electricity in order to keep communication systems available and emergency services available to operate if the grid was to shut down. Long-term power outages can cause health risk as well as leave communities vulnerable. Most communities do not have a policy or plan in place if there is a power outage to provide electricity immediately or even days after a disaster or emergency strikes. There have been instances where hospitals have been evacuated due to loss of power; this is a problem that can be resolved with the help of technology. It is important to understand the true benefits of community resilience planning. Community resilience plans provide a strategic method for working with public agencies that assist with community recovery with the use of its own resources. This may involve other actions, such as: ?—? Supporting and identifying vulnerable people before, during or after a crisis ?—? Maintaining accessibility across the community ?—? Supporting businesses within the community ?—? Reduction of environmental damage ?—? Reducing business interruption ?—? Protecting historical assets ?—? Helping lower emergency response and disaster recovery costs Well-rounded community resilience as described above is the result of integrated preparation practices that have been adopted within a community. These processes help guide the development of a community. Nanotechnology and Solar Energy Conversion Nanotechnology is the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules, the branch of technology that deals with dimensions and tolerances of less than 100 nanometers. This new wave of technology has been researched for years and scientist and researchers are discovering that nanoparticles are very effective in converting solar energy into electricity. Nanotechnology can provide cleaner, more economical, more efficient and more dependable ways to obtain renewable energy resources. Many do not understand the importance of solar energy conversion; however solar energy is a very practical alternative for fossil fuels in which we use daily for electricity, fuel, and heat. Earth is provided with an enormous amount of energy from the Sun; it provides so much power that it is the cause of currents both oceanic and atmospheric. It assists with the cycle of evaporation and condensation while orchestrating typhoons, earthquakes and the flow of rivers and so much more. Solar energy conversions are technologies that transform solar energy into other useful forms of energy, such as fuel and heat. Energy is a major factor in the socio-economic, technological and political development of any community. Solar energy that has been converted into electricity is an opportune way of producing clean energy from a renewable source to meet growing energy demands. Solar cells assist with the conversion process, they have a low production cost and provide an ingenious factor of applying nanomaterials and nanotechnology concepts throughout their operation. Solar energy technologies have the capability to resolve urgent issues that a community may face within a disaster. Solar energy does have pros and cons just like any other technology. Provided are a few pros that are beneficial to everyone. Solar energy, unlike fossil fuels and coal, is a renewable energy source. Solar energy also has a vast range of potential, most importantly solar energy is sustainable, and therefore generations to come will not have to worry about harsh effects on the environment from the use of solar energy. Communities all over the world have an opportunity to save money on electricity and for those who may not have an opportunity to own homes with solar panels, community shared solar gardens are and can be made available. The cons are simple, the manufacturing of products, transportation and installation may have emissions that could affect the environment but not nearly as harsh as the energy sources we use today. Some may even debate that the cost of solar energy is expensive. We also have to be mindful that the storage of energy may be where cost becomes a problem. Finally, we cannot control the sun therefore if there is bad weather or a cloudy day we may not be able to reap the benefits of solar power. Implementation of Nanotechnology and Solar energy conversion with Community resilience planning Community resilience planning requires a need for resilient electricity. Without electricity, a community can be vulnerable and some may even suffer. New technologies that allow energy from the sun to be stored can be an effective strategy to provide communities with reliable electricity. Over the years communities have worked hard to evaluate the needs of their community as a part of disaster preparedness planning and are beginning to understand the importance of having power during a time where a disaster or an emergency may strike. Solar panels have become a very popular form of renewable energy. Businesses, households, are using them to produce their own electricity. Solar panels are made up of photovoltaic cells, this is the device in which solar energy is converted into an electrical voltage. Advancements made through this new technology will only enhance the efficiency and cost of solar panels. Nanotechnology will assist in the enhancement of cells because nanowires, radial junctions, and quantum dots help with efficiency of the solar cells. If a community is properly prepared to handle power outages; that community will have a better ability to cope with the changes that may hinder another day to day activities. Having adequate power can provide a way to assist with medical devices, communication, and life-threatening disturbances. Communities also have the opportunities to assess the damage and began the recovery phase. A traditional solution for dealing with outages has been backup generators. These generators are designed to only run during an emergency and are prone to fail if needed. If on-site fuels are exhausted these generators are of no use. If facilities have the technology to use solar energy that has been stored, these systems can provide a continuing benefit of power, with energy cost savings, limited emissions as well as provide power during critical times if the grid goes down. Conclusion In conclusion, nanotechnology is an essential resource for the conversion of solar energy. It is imperative that we continue to support the efforts of sustainable energy in order for the environment to allow itself to rejuvenate while we capitalize on the largest source of energy to the world. While preparing to make our communities resilient to disasters and emergencies we must consider the importance of electricity. Through research and discoveries, the enhancement of nanotechnology will only increase over time. It is up to our communities to incorporate resilient power initiatives that harness electricity and provide storage for a time of need.

Cite this page