Solar Power : The Pros And Uses Of Solar Energy

Solar energy is a resource that is not only sustainable for energy , It’s is indefinitely renewable. Solar panels also require little maintenance. The primary disadvantages of solar power is that it obviously cannot be created during the night. The power generated is also reduced during times of cloud

In this modern fast paced world that we live in, there are many issues that are looked over, energy is one of these. As a world, we are dependant on dwindling fossil fuel supplies and take for granted electricity, oil, and gas. There are four completely renewable sources of energy around us that should be used and developed, they are: wind, growing plants, flowing water, and the sun. These sources of energy are the ones we should be tapping, because they are reliable and renewable. Harnessing the suns energy is the most certain and ultimate energy source. Looking at a brief history and some facts about solar energy, a glimpse of the future can be seen, a future not dependant on

The use of solar energy does not cause greenhouse gas emissions and is healthier for the environment than traditional forms of energy.

First of all, there are numerous advantages to using solar energy unlike our traditionally used sources like oil, gas, and coal. It is not only beneficial to owners, but it benefits the environment

Solar energy is a type of energy that is used in many households all around the world it is a renewable resource meaning once you use it you can replace it. It is a great energy source that is going to rule over coal and oil when we run out of fossil fuels. Electricity received from the panels is light energy that has been converted.

As the demand for solar power has grown, legislatures across the country have responded in different ways. The North Carolina legislature passed legislation in 2007 that successfully incentivized solar energy development in the state. By 2015, North Carolina ranked only behind California in solar installations. South Carolinians often compare themselves to North Carolinians and this is no different when it comes to renewable energy. The South Carolina legislature passed extremely different legislation in 2014 from that passed earlier in North Carolina. Both houses of the legislature in South Carolina unanimously passed the Distributed Energy Resource Program Act (Act 236) with the full support of investor-owned utilities, municipalities, the electric cooperatives, the state’s Office of Regulatory Staff and most of the region’s environmental conservation groups that work throughout the state . It is too early to determine, but the South Carolina legislation may or may not see similar success as that seen in North Carolina to incentivize solar power generation throughout the state. The South Carolina legislation requires the state’s three investor owned utilities to subsidize and socialize the additional cost of solar energy to incentivize solar energy’s development across the South Carolina. However, the distributed energy law does not require the 20-member owned electric cooperatives of South Carolina to subsidize or socialize any additional cost of solar energy. Instead the cooperatives are left to determine individually if adoption of solar is prudent for their membership.

If we choose to switch to solar energy in future, it will greatly save our environment because, it does not pollute our air and it is reasonably efficient. It will help reduce global warming, and thus a future green environment with no pollution from fossil fuels, and other conventional sources of energy. To add on that, it will also help in conserving our remaining fossil fuels so that it may not run out in the coming 100-500 years, as it has been predicted.

Of all the non-depletable energy resources, I am most interested in Solar Energy. Although it is the newest and least developed non-depletable energy resources, its benefits makes it an energy resource that many people are interested in studying and developing. The concept of solar energy was first studied by 19 year old French expiramental physicist Edmund Becquerel in 1839 so it is a fairly new energy resource. Some pros of using Solar energy are the environmental benefits, high reliability, and low operating costs. Two of the draw backs are low efficiency (9-15%) and High costs; however, as more people start to use solar energy the costs will drop. Solar energy works by converting electromagnetic energy using photovoltaic cells into electricity. Location, time of day, season, and strength of sun are all important factors to solar energy. Today, there are some minor experiments with solar energy and they have all proved to be very efficient with their savings outweighing the costs. For example, there is a house in Massachusetts that uses solar energy.

Solar energy is an eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuels. Our planet has been experiencing an average increase in global temperatures. Slowly but surely our planet is deteriorating, unless we change our form of energy into a greener alternative. Deterioration of our planet may occur at a faster rate. The depletion of fossil fuels is detrimental to our environment. By substituting fossil fuels with the solar energy, our planet will benefit. These benefits include: reduced climate change, beneficial economic opportunities on both a large scale benefitting our government and on a smaller scale helping individuals decrease their energy bills, and solar energy is renewable and sustainable.

The next alternative energy source to be discussed is Solar Energy. Solar power is energy from the sun, which is converted into thermal or electrical energy (Solar Energy). Solar energy is also the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy source available, and the United States has some of the richest solar resources in the world (Solar Energy). Technology now days can use this solar energy for several different uses, including generating electricity, providing light, and heating water for all uses (Solar Energy). There are several ways to harness the solar energy: photovoltaics also called solar electric, solar heating and cooling, concentrating solar power, and passive solar (Solar Energy). The first three ways are called active solar systems, which use mechanical or electrical devices that convert the sun’s heat or light to another form of usable energy (Solar Energy). Passive solar on the other hand are buildings designed and oriented to collect, store and distribute the heat energy from sunlight (Solar Energy). Solar energy is a flexible technology since solar power plants can be built as distributed generation meaning they are located at or near the point of use, or as a central-station, utility- scale solar power plant similar to a traditional power

Even though only a small amount of the sun’s heat ever reaches Earth, it is enough to power the whole world. Solar energy is always being provided to us by the Sun. Solar energy can be converted into electricity and heat. It helps provide the warmth necessary for people, plants, and animals to survive. With the help of today’s technology, scientists have found a way to use the sun to help us in our everyday lives. The idea of solar energy has, resulted in the use of solar power. Thus, it could lead to a more modernized and efficient society. Solar energy is a renewable resource and is converted to electrical energy in two ways: by using photovoltaic materials or the thermal process. The photovoltaic method, generates electric power by using the solar energy to convert energy from the sun into a flow of electrons. (Sethia, et al., 2017). The thermal method is a process that uses the energy from the sun to heat a working fluid in an electric generating cycle. Solar energy is one of the most important sources of energy we could have because it is a non-polluting energy. This, in turn, helps in lessening the greenhouse effect. The most popular way to use solar energy is through the use of solar panels. To generate the high temperatures necessary to make steam to generate electricity, the sunlight must be concentrated. Solar thermal technology often uses reflectors in the form of parabolic concentrators or flat mirrors to focus the sun's rays onto a water-filled pipe.

What is solar energy? Universe Today defines solar energy as radiant energy produced by the sun. It is both light and heat. Solar energy, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, accounts for most of the renewable energy on Earth. (Coffey 1) The deliberate use of solar energy began sometime between the 7th century B.C. and the 13th century A.D. when people used magnifying glasses to concentrate sun’s rays to produce fire. Today we concentrate the sun’s energy in a number of ways and use this solar energy for everything.

Utilizing solar energy helps reduce pollution, waste, and aids in the protection and conservation of many natural resources.

The Clean Power Plan needs to be implemented and followed if solar energy is ever going to become more prevalent in the United States. Many states have already begun shifting away from coal without the CPP ordering them to. However, the Trump administration has already stated it plans to reenergize the coal industry. The administration is also trying its best to repeal the CPP completely, although this will not actually help the coal industry. The plan has already been stalled once after the Supreme Court issued a stay on the CPP in 2016, and if it gets repealed then the CPP would not have made any progress at all (Kestler D’Amours, 2017). With coal use already on its way out, it does not make sense to start revitalizing it now. Many people are turning to alternative sources of energy, and the job market there is continuing to expand. Even if the CPP does get repealed the coal industry will continue to decline as more and more people turn to alternative forms of energy. If the clean power plan is reinstated and executed properly it would open the door for many renewable resources, including solar energy. Without the CPP the United States carbon emissions would most likely still decline, but with the CPP carbon emissions would decline much faster, and more money could be allocated to alternative, clean energies.

Solar power is an important aspect of life that people should consider putting in their homes. Solar power is the process of obtaining the energy from the sun and converting it to multiple uses. It can be used to light, heat, and cool homes for cheaper than electric companies. Solar power is created by using a device called a solar panel. Solar panels are used to soak up the sun’s rays to create renewable energy for homes and businesses. Solar power is saved during the daylight so that it can be used during the night. If it is a cloudy day; enough energy can be preserved. If it isn’t, the solar panel can still get the energy it needs if the sun’s rays shine through the clouds. On a cloudy day, the thicker the clouds the less energy obtained(U.S. Department of Energy,2009).