Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Importance of solar energy in the present world
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Importance of solar energy in the present world
Harnessing the Sun’s Energy: Solar Power for Homes
The use of solar power is all around us. Calculators, roadside emergency telephones, and street-side speed radars all utilize the sun’s limitless rays to provide power for their simple functions. As simple as these functions may be, solar power is nonetheless capable of powering much greater things. The technology and motivation for this exists; all the planet needs is time and funding before it becomes a planet powered solely by the luminous rays of the great sun. But before this universal shift towards solar power happens, citizens have the choice and ability to install their own personal solar power system for their private homes. After weighing the advantages against the disadvantages, the correct choice should be clear.
The sun has been a candidate for a universal power source for centuries. Since as early as 1839, scientists have been researching the concept of photovoltaic cells, in an effort to effectively collect electrical power from the sun’s rays. According to a professor at the University of Oregon, the entire surface of the earth receives an average of approximately 84 Terawatts of power from the sun in a 24-hour day (University of Oregon, 2001). Research done by the Energy Information Association shows that the annual worldwide power consumption in the year 2004 was 15 Terawatts (EIA, 2006). Clearly, the sun provides us with much more energy than we need. Moreover, this energy does not produce waste and is overly available, as shown by the fact that the planet earth intercepts more energy from the sun than is used in an entire year through the burning of fossil fuels (EIA, 2006). The question at hand is, what is keeping us from converting into a civilization tha...
... middle of paper ...
...ea [Online Image], Retrieved Aug 1, 2007, from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Solar_land_area.png
Smith, C. (1995, July 18) Retrieved August 1, 2007, from http://www.solarenergy.com/info_history.html
Solar. (2006, June 1) Retrieved August 1, 2007, from http://www.inforse.org/europe/dieret/Solar/solar.html
Solar Cell. [Online Image]. (2005). Retrieved August 1, 2007, from http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/pv_systems.html
Solar Two [Online Image]. (2006). Retrieved August 1, 2007, from http://www.inforse.org/europe/dieret/Solar/solar.html
Williams, W. (2007, August 1) Retrieved August 1, 2007, from http://www.energyefficienthomearticles.com/Article/energy-efficient-homes---solar-power----Advantages-and-Disadvantages-of-Solar-Powered-Home-/5906
Xiarhos, M. (2007, July 13) Retrieved August 1, 2007, from http://www.enn.com/energy.html?id=1653
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...
Lof, George. “Solar Energy: An Infinite Source of Clean Energy.” Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Vol 410:52
"solarpowerpanels.ws - Solar panels Resources and Information. This website is for sale!." solarpowerpanels.ws - Solar panels Resources and Information. This website is for sale!. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. .
Claim: Solar power has the potential to become the United States main supply of energy and replace are needs for more conventional and harmful forms of power generation.
How Efficient is Solar Energy Technology? Engineering Challenges. n. d. a. d. a. d. d. 8 April 2014. http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/8996/9082.aspx>. How do Nuclear Plants Work?”
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.
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 fossil fuels.
Smil, Vaclav. "The Long Slow Rise Of Solar And Wind." Scientific American 310.1 (2014): 52-57. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 May 2014.
Though this statement is supported by the International Energy Agency (IEA), an authoritative international institution that making his statement much credible, we should realise that there is an underlying assumption for this premise to be true, that is, the current policies are unchanged. Since we are not sure whether the current policies would continue or not, this premise is not necessarily true. On the contrary, according to another report by IEA, solar electricity is estimated to cover 25% of the world’s total electricity needs by 2050, taking up the largest portion of all sources of electricity (IEA,
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.
When picking an energy resource for the topic of this paper, I bounced around a lot of ideas. Then it occurred to me that I should write about what I will be living with in about a month. My mom just finished designing and building our earthbag, solar, off-grid house, a four-year endeavor. I will soon live in a place powered by one of the most common alternative energy resources, solar energy, so I should learn more about it. At our new house, we have two stand alone pedestals with six 170W panels on each pedestal, making for a 2040W or 2kW solar system.
Smil, Vaclav. "The Long Slow Rise of Solar and Wind." Scientific American 310.1 (2014): 52. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
One of the most compelling arguments for the use of renewable energy is how many forms exist of it. Nuclear power, solar power, wind power, tidal power, hydroelectric power, pumped storage, wave power, geothermal power, biomass, and biogas are the most widely known renewable energy sources (Darvill, 2013). This large selection of fuels supports the idea of renewable fuels one day powering the entire planet. All the sources of energy have different niches and benefits. Solar energy is extremely ef...
The adage of the adage of the adage of the adage of the adage Solar Energy: A Realistic Fuel Alternative for Tomorrow?
Ghahremani, L. (2011, January 3). WHY SWITCH TO SOLAR ENERGY?. The Daily Energy Report. Retrieved , from http://www.dailyenergyreport.com/why-switch-to-solar-energy-technology-that-saves-you-money-%E2%80%93-and-what-you-need-to-know-about-it/