BBC 6分钟英语学习 节省空间的太阳能黑客

6 min English from BBC learning english dot com.

Hello. This is 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 UNS 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 program, will be exploring two surprising solar projects to build PV panels in all kinds of weird and wonderful places.

And as usual, will be learning some useful new vocabulary.

Too great. But 1st, I have a question for you, beth.

Harnessing the power of the sun is not new.

In fact, solar power dates back over 2700 years.

In 213, B-C mirrors were used to reflect sunlight back onto Roman ships attacking the city of Cyracuse, 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 Pythagorous?

I think it was Pythagoras. OK, beth.

I'll reveal the answer later in the program.

Our 1st surprising solar project takes place in one of the world's biggest car parks, owned by US supermarket giant Walmart.

Joshua Piers, a researcher at Western University in Ontario, canada, once Walmart, who 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 program 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 enormous increase.

Solar canopies provide free charging points, making electric cars are cheaper.

More enticing option for American drivers.

If something is enticing, it's attractive because it offers advantages or pleasures.

Joshua hopes will see more solar canopies in the near future, at some time, very soon.

Our 2nd surprising solar project is quite literally out of this world.

Martin Saltau is founder of Space Solar, a company planning to build solar panels 22000 mi away in outer space with no night or changing seasons.

It's believed that solar panels in space would generate 13 times as much electricity as on Earth.

Martin's plans sounds 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 explains to BBC, world Service program people fixing the world.

And then in really the late sixties, the American scientist Peter Claysia designed the 1st practical, technically practical system.

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

And so it's really only the last six or seven years that it's actually now become economically feasible.

So the whole cost of getting things into space as tumbled by over 90 %.

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's 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 romanships

in 213 BC. I said it was Pi Fagger, 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 Cyracuse, a trick which schoolchildren still do today, using a magnifying glass and some beams to make right.

Let's recap the vocabulary we've learned from this program, 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 6 min are up.

Goodbye for now. Bye 6 min English from BBC, learning English dot com and.

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