Solar Energy

Fuels commonly used as energy sources (e.g., petroleum) are problematic in that they are limited resources and produce harmful emissions related to global warming. As a result, alternative sources of energy have been sought out. One such source under investigation and development is solar energy.

Cost

A disadvantage of using solar energy is that the equipment necessary to harness it is expensive. On a more basic level, it is the technology within the equipment that comes with a high price. For instance, second-generation solar cells apply a thin film of a material such as silicon over the main material of the cell (e.g., glass). Such cells work by using the photovoltaic effect to convert light into electricity directly. Second-generation cells currently allow less material to be used than with first-generation solar cells and therefore reduce costs, but the process of producing the cells still does not exceed other fuel forms in terms of cost efficiency. Technology is continually improving (third-generation cells already are being devised and tested), thus the cost of solar energy equipment probably will go down over time, but the current standard is still lacking in terms of cost effectiveness.

Light

An obvious problem with solar energy is that it only works when there is sunlight available. This means that solar energy plants cannot harness solar energy at night. It is also difficult to harness the energy in areas nearer to the earth’s poles---i.e., areas that do not receive as many hours of sunlight per day. An alternate fuel source still would be needed for energy production during nighttime hours.

Space

The equipment needed for solar energy takes up large amounts of space---technology is not yet advanced enough (although it is becoming so) to provide optimum efficiency levels with small solar panels. Additionally, even when the panels are efficient given the technology available, the location of the panels doesn’t always provide good performance, such as if the panels are blocked by other buildings.

Supply and Demand

Solar energy is not prone to the politics of supply and demand pricing due to the fact that no fuel is needed to harness the energy. This means that costs can be kept stable regardless of the state of the economy.

Eco-friendliness

Unlike some energy sources such as petroleum, solar energy is completely eco-friendly. It does not produce any emissions that can lead to global warming and does not deplete resources available on the earth.

Renewability

Sources of energy that have been used in the past (e.g., petroleum) will not last for much longer, and although they are renewable, it takes a long time to produce more. In contrast, there is enough energy left in the sun to last billions of years, thus solar energy can be considered more renewable than the alternatives.

Sources of Power

Power provides the energy to drive man’s activities. Power-generating companies derive power from naturally occurring sources of energy and fuels, the most common of which is oil. You may classify all the available power sources as either renewable or nonrenewable sources of energy.

Solar Energy

For centuries, people have harnessed the sun’s energy in form of light and heat using technology that continues to evolve. The sun is a renewable source of energy because it does not diminish regardless of how much it is exploited. Photovoltaic systems harness solar energy and convert it to electricity to run industries, entire office buildings and schools; solar energy can even pump water in isolated areas.

Power from Wind and Water

People are able to generate power from wind and water as well. These two are also renewable sources of energy that produce power by driving electricity-generating turbines. A variety of wind turbines ranging in size can produce considerable quantities of power, as much as several megawatts. Water, on the other hand, including steam, can drive turbines as well to generate power. Running water and wave energy are used to produce electricity in hydroelectric plants, while steam is used in thermoelectric power plants.

Fossil Fuels

Fossils fuels were formed through natural processes of decomposition of plants and animals buried under the earth’s crust over a long period. They include coal and petroleum products such as oil, paraffin and natural gas. Fossil fuels are nonrenewable in the sense that they take a very long time to replenish; we burn fossil fuels for energy at a much faster rate than natural processes can restore them.