The world has been quickly draining its own natural resources for the past few decades due to the rapid growth of the population and the development of formerly undeveloped countries. It is estimated that by the year 2005, that the energy demand will be increase another 50%. (Eco-Info) In 2009, it was estimated that within the next hundred years, all of the earth’s resources like coal, oil, and natural gas will be completely exhausted. (Eco-Info) Along with the depletion of these resources, many companies that harvest oil, natural gas, and coal are destroying the ecosystems and environments around them. People are slowly beginning to realize that there needs to be a change in the way we use and find energy. The solution: finding clean and efficient ways to give energy to the public. For the past thirty years, there has been a surge of people trying to find new ways to gain energy. One of the most popular new ways of energy is solar energy. Countries have been investing millions of dollars into providing solar energy to their people. According to GTM Research, a solar energy device is being installed every four minutes around the world. (Stephen Lacey) Many world powers are moing towards solar energy like China, Japan, the United States, and many more. Australia is just beginning its own movement in solar energy. Solar energy is Australia is beneficial to the country due to its optimal weather conditions throughout the year, and the rising popularity of using alternative energy sources. In order to keep the solar energy movement strong in Australia, they should model the United States efforts in solar energy. Solar energy in energy harvested from the sun’s radiation. The Sun is so powerful that it provides Earth with as much energ... ... middle of paper ... ...S. (Solar Energy Industries Association). Even though the solar energy movement is increasing, out of all of the 9.23 million megawatts, it only produces .23% of total US electricity. (Energy.gov) There are over 550 major solar projects across the US. Now under the Obama Administration, 16 more projects have been approved and they will provide 6,000 megawatts of power. (SEIA) However, the concentration of the biggest and most powerful plants are located in the Southwest. (SEIA) In fact, the oldest solar energy plant, the SEGS thermal power plant resides in California and generates about 354 megawatts of power. (SEIA) Popularity of solar energy in both Australia and the United States is rapidly increasing. A poll in March discovered that 76% of Americans believed that the country should begin to put more of an emphasis on solar energy production. (Carole Feldman)
Wind energy, on the other hand, is where Kansas excels. According to American Wind Energy Association the central states through Kansas and down to Texas are the leading states in wind energy (Wind Energy and Wildlife). We are the windiest states of America, so we would gain more from wind energy than solar
Solar energy is energy taken from the light that reaches earth's surface from the sun. There are four different kinds of solar energy, which are active solar systems, passive solar systems, photovoltaic cells and concentrating power systems. An active solar systems is a system that captures solar energy by mechanical means. Common active solar systems are often in buildings or homes. Some examples are roof collectors and water heating. Low Intensity and high variability have limited the use of active solar energy in Canada. A pass...
The sun has been a major aspect of life since the beginning of time. People used many other forms of energy before electricity was discovered. There has been a debate over energy resources for years. Many people are worried about what current energy resources may be doing to the environment. Oil spills and nuclear power plant mishaps have only been a few accidents that have had a big impact on the environment and the people who inhabit it. There are plenty of energy sources that do not harm the environment and are still able to get the job done. Solar energy is one energy alternative that will insure the betterment of the country and, at the same time, protect the natural environment.
This report is referenced many times in this article and is an important part for the information of this work as a whole. This is where most of the facts come from and is used as the backbone for this article. The rhetorical appeal of both logos and ethos is most exemplified here. This report uses evidence-based research to estimate the market for solar power, both developing companies and their technologies, and at home installation of panels on rooftops in Australia. Morgan Stanley’s research looks at companies and consumer reports pertaining to battery technology and its mass adoption. A lot of the detailed figures Parkinson uses are derived from this report, and even the infographic displayed within this article is found in this research report. Parkinson writes that the small amount of Australian homes in the market for battery storage, 2,000, will expand to a million by 2020. This information comes directly from the Morgan Stanley’s report. Parkinson relies heavily on combining the credibility of this research report with the mass amount of information it holds to effectively spark interests in his audience and for them to agree with
...rket share (Please refer to Figure: 6). The increasing opportunity and market growth is promising in the countries located in sunbelt region like India, China, Mexico and Australia (Please refer to Figure: 7) as all these countries are highly populated and in need of power. By 2020, demand for solar installation will reach to 84 GW globally and China alone could add up-to 10 GW of PV installations each year, as announced by the Chinese authorities (global market outlook).
The future of the United States solar energy industry will be shaped not only by economic growth, but also by the rate of declining oil resources and the global realization of the consequences of human induced climate change. Political responses to this realization in the United States include; new policies, legislature, and tax incentives to both businesses and private households to promote growth and investment in the solar power industry.
Renewable energy is an energy obtained from the natural resources such as from sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat. Australia has extensive energy resources which include both renewable and non-renewable sources. (Pam Pham, 2015) Additionally, there are varieties of renewable energy technologies use in Australia which provided substantial benefits for climate and health to the environment they are bioenergy, geothermal energy, solar energy, wind energy and so on. Whereas, fossil fuel resources such as black and brown coal which has a huge impact on global warming and environmental pollution. Generally, the energy produces in Australia are usually for own use and to export for consumption in overseas. The primary energy production
Preview: Today I will discuss the potential that solar power has to become this country’s main supply of energy and the latest research that can make solar power more efficient and cost effective. I will also present the environmental benefits that come with using solar power over other and more harmful forms of energy.
Solar thermal energy is dead! A solar thermal heating system can cost upwards of $7,000 to install and it most likely won't even save you too much money. This is why many people debate over whether they should use a solar thermal water heating system, because they think they are saving money, or an inexpensive traditional water heating system. A traditional heating system is a system that is powered off of electricity, gas, oil or some other fuel. A solar thermal heating system uses the energy from the sun, hence “solar”, and it turns that energy into hot water to either heat a home or to provide domestic hot water. The energy from the sun is captured by energy collectors, also known as solar panels. The water is heated inside the panels and then distributed throughout the home for use or stored in a tank for later use. The ideas behind this sound great, but in reality that is not the case.Solar thermal energy is not the best choice for home heating a home or hot water heating.
Solar is a viable alternative energy source with solar panels becoming more affordable and more efficiently designed.
I am certain that all have heard of the terms greenhouse gases, fossil fuels, and global warming. Have you ever questioned what will happen if nothing is done about the environmental problems facing the world today? What if I answer you that, we can merely use the power from the sun to power up our entire planet without the use of harmful energy sources, which affect our atmosphere? The power from the sun is what we call solar power. Solar power is the energy that comes from the sun as light and heat energy, and then it is later converted into electrical energy through solar panels (Nelson, 2008).
The Earth captures around 342 W/m2 of energy from the sun. This energy is in the form of solar radiation, which the atmosphere reflects about 77 W/m2 and will absorb around 68 W/m2 of solar radiation annually. Therefore, the Earth’s surface is receiving, on average, about 197 W/m2 of solar radiation annually. This amount of energy received is roughly more than 10,000 times the amount of all energy humans consume per year. This energy can be used to produce electricity or heat. This energy source is not being used to it’s potential considering how much effort would come into effect to store and transport this energy.
"Top 6 Things You Didn't Know About Solar Energy." Energy.gov. United States Department of Energy, 22 July 2012. Web. 23 May 2014.
Regarding solar power, Mistry claims that although the solar power does not generate pollution, it has a lot of costs. Building solar panels with photovoltaic equipment has high costs. For instance, a photovoltaic system for a home can cost around $35,000 (Kumar, 2012). However, if our goal for the future is to create a healthy environment, switching fossil fuels for solar power might be the best choice to achieve that goal. According to Kumar (2012), Solar power is a clean and renewable energy so, it decreases the dependency on fossil fuel and also reduces the air pollution.
Solar power for instance is one of the most popular and easiest of all of the renewable energy sources to harness, especially for home and business uses. (Galbraith) For around the same ...