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Here comes the sun 曙光乍現
Wednesday, Jan 24, 2007,Page 14
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Solar panels on the Tenesol Technologies factory in southern France.
法國南部全能科技電廠外部的太陽能板。(照片：法新社)
PHOTO: AFP
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Michael Strizki has a big screen television, a hot tub, and a 278m2 house. Running all his appliances takes a lot of electricity.
But Michael never has to pay an electricity bill.
That's because his house is powered totally by solar panels near his house.
During the summer, there is more than enough sunlight to power Michael's house. Some of the extra power is used to create hydrogen from water.
During the winter, that hydrogen powers anything in the house that the solar panels can't.
Part of the money used to pay for Michael's set up has come from New Jersey state, where he lives. The state government is trying to increase use of renewable energy sources.
In the future, many more houses might be like Michael's. Use of solar panels grew by 20 percent in 2006, and making them gets 7 percent cheaper every year.
(Jason Cox, staff writer with agencies)
麥克．史崔茲奇有大螢幕電視和一座按摩浴缸，佔地兩百七十八平方公尺的房屋，屋內所有的電器設備需要大量的電力才能運作。
但是麥克從來不必付電費。
因為他的房子完全是靠附近的太陽能板發電。
夏天陽光能為麥克的房子提供綽綽有餘的電力，部分剩餘電力會被用來將水轉化成氫氣。
冬天期間，氫氣就能為屋內太陽能板無法供電的電器提供電力。
麥克所居住的紐澤西州政府支付部份麥克的架設費用，因為州政府試圖增加可再生能源的使用範圍。
未來可能會有更多像麥克的房子。二○○六年，太陽能板的使用量增加了20%，製造太陽能板的費用則每年便宜7%。
（翻譯︰鄭湘儀）
| Today's Words 今天單字 |
1. appliance n.
電器設備 (dian4 qi4 she4 bei4)
例: The kitchen appliances in the house were classy.
(屋內所有電器設備都非常高雅別緻。)
2. solar panel n.
太陽電池板 (tai4 yang2 dian4 chi2 ban3)
例: There are solar panels on the roof of this house.
(這間房子屋頂有幾片太陽能電池板。)
3. hydrogen n.
氫 (qing1)
例: Water has one hydrogen molecule in it.
(水含氫分子)
4. renewable adj.
可再生的 (ke3 zai4 sheng1 de5)
例: Renewable energy use will increase greatly.
(可再生能源的使用未來將大幅增加。) |
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