Solar Power's FutureHulya Aktas Solar energy can be one of the renewable energy sources of the future to function and improve our kind on earth with the other resources being used. Limited energy sources make governments and scientists search different ways of finding renewable and clean resources. In desert climate, energy from the sunlight can be obtained, harnessed and stored. There are some locations that is not feasible for collecting sun light. Transporting stored energy from the Sun light to such places will not be the right action if the expenses are considered. The report Hulya Aktas, Maximilian Hagan and Qiwen Huang prepared argues that the Solar energy will be the main source in functioning and improving our planet for future. The idea of an unlimited, renewable and free energy source seems agreeable. The disadvantages and high prices though decreasing in the last few years are the most important concerns. There are other options that governments can adopt according to feasibility, the efficiency, and economy. This is important because energy resources that are used in the world are limited and using them creates harms in many ways. Renewable energy concerns every government, business and household on earth. Solar energy is being used increasingly. The report states that “ as technology improves, the number of businesses and homeowners that use the solar system increases.” California in the U.S. is the state that uses the solar energy most followed by Arizona. It is known that California and Arizona are suitable to get enough Sun light to use. Most time of the year sun light can be harnessed and stored easily in these states. It can be unreliable for other states if their climate conditions are otherwise. The graph given by The U.S. Energy Information Administration in it's 2014 outlook, shows the rates of renewable energy supply in the US. |
Even with the expected numbers for 2015, solar energy supplies have a very small rate. California and Arizona produce the most of these shown supplies. So the growth of solar industry does not apply to other states as much as these two states. As stated in the report solar energy is free as it is stated in the report. To produce free energy will take time because of the recovery of initial expenses. The statement in the report, “After recovering the initial investment of installing solar panels, energy from the sun will be free.” does not have adequate details. Solar PV system components are solar panels, mounting hardware, solar inverters and a data monitoring system that measures performance. Also lightning arrestors, surge protection devices that are additional safety components and a plastic conduit to keep the wiring that run from the solar panels to the electrical grid to buy. Installing the solar PV system is done by licensed PV installer. Investment of solar energy is not economical when these initial expenses and the average power bill amount are compared. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average monthly power bill paid by consumers in 2012 is $107.28. Lindsay Wilson of The Energy Collective web site stated that the average gas bill in winter time of 2012 was $598 in the U.S.. The initial cost of a solar system for a house hold in Salt Lake City is $37,000 with tax incentives. The $2,400 will be the bill paid for power and gas. It will take around 20 years to recover the solar system for a house hold. These results are estimated by a solar calculator from the web site solarenergy.net. |
Even though there are benefits of using solar energy there are also important down sides. Solar PV system causes pollution because of the harmful equipment that has to be used. The report states that “The manufacturing process involves toxic by-products and panels are non-recyclable. Solar power requires big and heavy batteries to store the energy that is produced.
Storing used batteries creates environmental problems as well because these batteries contain toxic materials.” Additionally, fossil oil using trucks transport the solar panels through out the nation leaving a polluted environment behind. The disposed panels have to be carried by trucks to a wasteland that is hundreds of miles away. Mathias Maehlum who is a writer of the web site energyinformative.org states that “solar power certainly is less polluting than fossil fuels”(Maehlum).
Solar energy is one of the important renewable energy resources. Every energy source used creates pollution, so does using a solar system. When compared with the other energy sources, solar energy causes the lowest level of pollution. Researches lead and supported by government continue to find ways to use the solar energy more efficient, with lower expenses and less harmful way. When the initial prices of installing a solar PV system are reduced, solar energy will be used increasingly and become one of the renewable energy resources used to function and improve our planet for future. |