Solar Panel Energy as an Alternative to Traditional Electrical Energy - Research Paper Example

? Solar Panel Energy as an Alternative to Traditional Electrical Energy for Residential Dwellings of Institution: Date: Introduction The urban environment energy consumption in most of the developed countries is fossil fuel dependent and has been associated with environment risks such as climate change and global warming effects. Reducing the use of fossil fuels is an important factor as it helps in diminishing the adverse economic impacts resulting from climate change. This is the main reason why individuals are focusing on the utilization of greener energies such as solar, wind, hydropower among others (Pullen, 2009). The solar energy is a significant source of energy to all living things on the earth. Traditionally, individuals depended on fossil fuels such as coal and oil for electricity production. However, coal and oil being fossil fuels are infinite and cannot be renewed or regenerate themselves. According to research conducted, it is evident that the fossil fuel reserves will become exhausted in few centuries to come. Traditionally, there existed a belief that an alternative fuel to coal and oil would be nuclear power. However, its rate of nuisance is characterized by the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe in Japan. This has made solar energy to be regarded as the best replacement for fossil fuels. This is because of its greatest accuracy and safety. In addition to that, it is the most reliable and impressive energy source. For instance, the solar radiation on an average day can be five times higher in summer as compared to winter. Nevertheless, in winter to be precise during the sunny day, it is possible to capture a radiation of 4-5kWh/M2 /day. This is possible in regardless of the temperatures within the surrounding (Brown, 2006). Solar systems and panels are significant in solar power exploitation and have application in various dimensions. These are such as, domestic hot water preparation, heating of pool water, technology process heating and heating of buildings via heat input. In residential dwellings, there is incorporation of solar thermal systems that are modern without any difficulties in the facilities of the building (Hodgson, 2008). Furthermore, the systems have a longer lifespan (more than 20yrs) thus making them to be effective in complementing the modern technology of heating. Thus, the purpose of this proposal is to analyze solar panel energy as an alternative to traditional electrical energy for residential dwellings. Problem Statement The demand for energy in the world is increasing rapidly. People require energy to communicate, light their houses, and prepare their meals among other functions. The demand is as a result of increased population growth and individuals living standards. The utilization of energy in the world has doubled over centuries. The main source of energy being utilized in the world is oil whose production is projected to peak in the coming few years. Another most utilized source of energy is coal. Coal and oil greatly pollutes the environment. For instance, they are the major causes of climate change and acid rain. That is why the world needs urgently cleaner energy to satisfy its energy demands and reduce negative environmental impacts as a result of traditional method of electrical production. Justification of the study Many environmentalists and scientists perceive that the world needs to reduce on its greenhouse gas emission for purposes of decreasing global warming. Greener energies such as solar power provide a solution to this problem. Even though solar energy is a cleaner alternative source of energy, there exist many challenges that need to be addressed. The challenge is such as its ability to be utilized on a wide scale and replace the utilization of fossil fuels as the principal source of energy. In comparison to other methods of electricity production, solar energy is a renewable form of energy that is clean; the solar panels can be utilized sufficiently and effectively to heat homes and water. Moreover, after the initial instalment of the solar panel, an individual can produce his or her own energy as it is plenty and free. Rather than leaving millions of root tops to go into waste, the addition of solar panels to businesses and homes would help in pollution reduction and strain exerted on the power grid. Statement of objectives The main objective of the study is to document how Solar panel energy can be utilized as an alternative source of energy in comparison to traditional electrical energy for residential dwellings. As such, the study will focus on the importance of renewable energy sources and how they are effective in combating climate change and reducing global warming. Moreover, the study will focus on the challenges faced in the utilization of solar energy in electricity generation. Hence, the purpose of the study will be to determine the effectives of solar panel energy as an alternative source of energy to electrical energy produced traditionally in residential dwellings. Research questions a) To what extent are solar panels being utilized in residential dwellings? b) What significance does renewable energy sources have to the environment? c) Are there principles of nuclear power and solar energy sources? d) What is the importance of atmosphere, sun and earth’s temperature? e) Is the solar energy capable of meeting the global energy demand like fossil fuels? f) What are challenges experienced while utilizing solar as a cleaner source of energy? g) What are the impact of industrial age and global warming? Hypothesis With the availability of numerous renewable sources of energy, solar power may be viewed as the sustainable source of energy and more pivotal. This is because it is free, plentiful and absolutely clean. However, the main challenge is its tapping and distribution. Individuals researching on solar power energy are scanning the ocean for clue as it is a solar power natural reservoir. The oceans’ are significance as a thermal energy source. Therefore, the hypothesis of the study is that, harnessing and concentrating of solar power can help in providing large-scale, environmental friendly and domestically secure electricity. Definition of terms Global warming- It is the increase in the average temperature of the earth’s surface because of greenhouse gases impact such as emission of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels combustion. Solar panel- It is a thin, large panel comprising of a range of solar cells. It is always attached on the roof tops, artificial satellite for purposes of generating electricity from the sunlight directly Fossil fuels- These are fuels that contains carbons such as gas, oil and coal. They were developed a couple of years ago via the decay, compaction and burial of decaying vegetation and marine organisms on land and sea floor respectively. Literature review As observed by Dalal (2004), a substantial number of the world population lacks grid of energy in their residential areas. Among those greatly affected are the segment of the population which resides in rural and slum areas. Lack of reliable sources of energy has increased reliance on traditional form of energy in production and health. Energy is the basic element of empowering people in any society (Dalal, 2004). It guarantees community members access to food and water. In this regard, access to energy is a basic right to every individual. Solar energy has a prospective of producing environmental friendly source of energy in dwelling areas. Advance use of solar energy in expense of other traditional sources of energy reduces environmental risks. Sustainable development can only be enhanced through effective utilization of renewable sources of energy. According to Dalal (2004), policies and sensitization initiatives are very essential for sustainable management of natural resources. In a research conducted by Kunchornrant (2009), about 18% of the world consumed energy comes from renewable sources of energy with 0.8% of the total consumed energy coming from solar panel energy. According to Kunchornrant (2009), renewable energy potential utilization is very high. Despite of the critique brought forward regarding the unsustainably of renewable sources of energy, solar panel energy is exceedingly accredited in the economic and environmental sphere. The installation of solar panel in dwelling areas is more popular in rural and remote areas in developing countries. The raise in the cost of fuel, increase in government support, and climatic change are the core factors responsible of the increased in reliance on solar energy in developing countries. European Union leaders propose more than 20% utilization of renewable sources of energy by 2020 (Kunchornrant, 2009). As observed by Otegbulu, Osagie and Afe (2011), unlike traditional sources of energy which includes gas, oil, and coal, solar panel energy does not require burning of fossil fuels. Solar panel energy is therefore environmental friendly and has very limited impact on global warming. Solar panel has no negative effect on the environment. This increases it’s prevalent among environmentalists as compared to other traditional forms of energy which emit hazardous gas to the environment (Otegbulu, Osagie and Afe, 2011). It is also suitable in desert and other marginalized areas where other forms of energy are inaccessible. In reference to a research conducted in sub-Saharan countries, solar energy is the main source of energy in remote and dry areas. In accordance to the research findings, the popularity of solar energy in remote areas is due to its low cost and its accessibility (Otegbulu, Osagie and Afe, 2011). According to the United Nations Environmental Programme (2010), Solar panel energy is expected to be a major player in the energy sector in future. The low cost of the collector material have increased its popularity among middle and lower class people. Environmentalist have also advocated for its use because of its reduced effect to the environment. In a research carried out by UNEP (2010), solar energy has very limited effect on the environment. Due to its pollution free status, environmentalists are advocating for it in expense of other traditional sources of energy. To reduce global warming and its effect, a source of energy that is pollution free is very apparent and considered necessary. The same research further observed and analyzed the impact of traditional forms of energy in the environmental degradation. However, lack of adequate public sensitization on the importance solar energy as well as limited resources of installing solar panel energy were observed as the major limitation for global installation of solar panel energy (United Nations Environmental Programme. 2010). Owing to the increased global warming, increase in the cost of traditional sources of energy as well as increase in global population, alternative source of energy is relevant to substitute traditional energy sources. In a research conducted by (United States department of energy, 2010), traditional sources of energy are squarely responsible of the increased environmental degradation. Increases utilization of traditional source of energy is equivalent to increased destruction of global environment. Environmentalists are campaigning for increases utilization of solar energy for the sake of the future generation and for economic and environmental sustainability. International governments and organizations have the responsibility of initiating policies necessary to necessitate maximum utilization of solar panel energy (United States department of energy, 2010). Referring to the hypothesis of the study, taking into consideration the increase in the world population and degradation of the world environment, changing the sources of energy is paramount and necessary. The literature review has demonstrated the magnitude in which introduction of solar panel energy as a renewable source of energy is relevant and important. Methodology Research Method The most appropriate research method in this study is qualitative research method. Qualitative research method provides an exhaustive understanding of the research problem. It also increase incite on the impact of traditional sources of energy to the environment and the economy. Qualitative research will also aid in analyzing the relationship between traditional means of energy and modern renewable solar panel energy as it is the prerequisite of the study. People experiences and expectations can be analyzed effectively through qualitative research method. Qualitative research also helps in comparing the findings of a research and the literature available. In this study, I will collect data using structured questionnaires and oral interview. In my research, I will interview different people to get their view on traditional sources of energy and the modern renewable panel energy. I will use random sampling to get less biased sample. Other people to be interviewed will be the environmentalists to understand the impact of traditional sources of energy to the environment and to the general economy. During my research, I will also interview solar panel expert to understand the installation expenses as well and the relevant of the invention in the modern technology. Government agencies and representative will also be required to provide their views on the modern solar panel energy Participant The participants in the study are environmentalist, government representatives, solar panel experts and the general public. I will select the environmental experts from different environmental organization to get the environmental impact of solar energy and traditional means of solar energy. The government representatives will be from the department responsible of energy and environmental issues. The government agents are expected to present policies available in replacing traditional sources of energy with the modern renewable sources of energy. The study will be located in residential areas which have adopted the solar energy and the residential areas which rely on traditional sources of energy. I will select the public representative randomly from the residential areas under study. Research design, instrument and data collection plan In my study, I will conduct oral interview to the selected sample. In the oral interview, I will seek to understand the emotional feeling through analyzing their physical response to the asked questions. I will also seek to understand the public view on traditional sources of energy as well as solar energy as a renewable source of energy. After the public response on traditional and solar energy, I will seek to understand the environmentalist opinion on the impact of traditional sources of energy to the environment. I will ask environmentalist whether they are satisfied with the government policies on environmental issues. An understanding of environmental impact on modern and traditional sources of energy can be understood better from interviewing the environmentalist. Additionally, I will interview the government and policy makers’ representative to understand the prevailing policies on the available sources of energy. After oral interview, I will serve my respondent with questionnaires. The questionnaire will have open ended questions to give room for detailed answers. Most of the questions in the questionnaires will be similar to those asked orally. There purpose of using questionnaire and oral interview is for clarification and comparison purposes. In recording the outcome of the interview, note taking method will be constructive. I will also seek handout of any recorded information. With the consent of the respondent taking record through the electronic means will be relevant and appropriate in my study Proposed analysis of data In the study, I will try to compare the impact of both traditional sources of energy and solar panel energy into the environment and the entire economy. The variable included in the study will be the relevant of solar energy to the people economy and environment as opposed to traditional source of energy. The dependant variable in this study is the economy and environment which depends on the available sources of energy. The criterion of compiling the final report is through assessing the opinion of all involved stakeholders in the study and assessing their opinion to the current reality. In this study, I will use SSP computer software in analyzing my data. To get the validity of the measure, I will conduct different research at different time in my study after which I will compare their findings. I will also compare my result with findings from previous researches Limitation of the proposal In the conduction of the study various limitations will be experienced. These are such as lack of corporation by participants. The participants of the study may decline to answer some questions or might be too busy to fill the entire questionnaire and respond to the interviews. Another limitation is time. The time will not be enough to cover a wide range of population for purposes of eliminating biasness. Financial inadequacies are also another limitation. Carrying out of research is costly and lack of adequate finance may result to inadequate collection of data. The respondent might not be wishing to respond to the questions asked. This may limit the number of people with the desire to participate in the study. In most cases, the participants expect tangible reward in their research participations. Lack of tangible in this research may therefore discourage people from participating in the study. The selection of sample was based on the assumption that the selected samples were the real residences of the area under study. Other assumption was that the selected sample uses either traditional sources of energy sola panel. The implication of the selected sample is to get an all rounded finding from different people in the area under study. The sample was large enough to collect significant data relevant in the study. The selected sample included people from different gender, ethnical classes, and it incorporated all social classes. The sample covered all spheres of the society. This necessitated broaden view from different social quarters. Regarding the instrument validity and its ability to measure the desired variables, the assumption was that, the tool to be used in the study would be adequate and relevant enough to provide the required information. This tool gave room for comparison of data in the analysis. In the research, the instrument in the study are were assumed to be appropriate and valid in measuring the desired variables due to their comparative ability. Incorporation of both oral interview and questionnaire was designed to assess the truth of the respondent. The findings of the two research instrument were to be compared in the analysis to verify the truth. References Brown, L. (2006). Rescuing a planet under stress and a civilization in trouble, New York, NY: Editura WW Norton & Company. Dalal, V. (2004). Environment: Energy and the Need for New Technology. Energy Conversion Conference, 13, 85-94. Hodgson, P.E. (2008). The energy crisis. Journal of Modern Age, 141-147. Kunchornrant, A. (2009). The impact of climate zones on the energy performance, conversation and recycling juornals, 53, 545-551 Otegbulu, A., Osagie, J. , and Afe, Y. (2011). The built environment perspective of climate change- A focus on household activities in lagos metropolis. Journal of Sustainable Development, 4(5), 174-187. Pullen, S.(2009). An analysis of Energy Consumption in an Adelaide Suburb with Different Retrofitting and Redelo0pment Scenarios. Urban and Policy Research, 28(2), 161-180. United States Department of energy. (2010). Energy savers booklet. Washington D.C: US. Department of energy office of energy efficiency and renewable energy. United nations environmental programme. 2010. A guide to energy efficient heating and cooling retrieved on April 2012. Retrieved from http://www.enrgystar.gov/ia/partner/publications/pubdocs/heatingcooloinggiude%20final-9-4-09.pdf Appendices Time schedule Three weeks are appropriate in my proposal. The first week will be to indentify and search for the required resources. These include looking for literature available for the proposed research topic. I will undertake literature review to get the knowledge on the extent in which the topic has been studied. Literature review will also help me in understanding extensively the topic under study. During the first week, I will write a draft of the proposal and submit it for approval. During the second week, I will adjust the collection proposed by the administration in my research proposal. At the same week, I will look for the required resources. I will also establish the most appropriate location to conduct my research. It is also during the second week that I will compile the final budget of my research. The budget will include all the expenses required in the research. The third week will entail writing the final proposal and submitting to the administration for approval. At the same week, I will inform my entire hopeful respondent on my desire to interview them in my research. I will also search for permission from the relevant authority. Resources required for conducting the Research The significant resources required in conducting a research study include equipment, personnel which constitutes of time and expertise, travel and supplies. Identifying the principal resources is not enough. Thus, researchers should be able to determine the needed resources from distinct categories of people such as the research team and researcher, stakeholders and other subjects involved in the study including funders. These groups may present distinct concerns and interests. As such, their incorporation in the research study might help in shaping the research design significantly. There exist numerous resource issues that are typical in the qualitative designing of a research project. Conducting a qualitative research is quite easier as it involves skills utilized in our lives such as listening, watching and asking. This is achieved via the responded answering questionnaires and responding to interviews. Watching comes from observation and taking of field notes. However, these skills take some time to learn them to be precise for novice researchers. Personnel assistance needed in conducting the research Students require various supports for successful completion of their graduate research. The most critical support is from the discipline faculty. Faculty helps students in selecting a suitable research topic. For instance, students conducting a quantitative study may turn to faculty expertises who are familiar with statistical analysis and research design quantitative methods. Another support is in form of emotional and personal support. This is because an individual may conduct a research that negatively impacts on his or her social life, work and family. Budget Particular Expenses Transport $ 50 Interview materials $ 150 Analysis cost $50 Miscellaneous expenses $100 Total $ 350 Consent form Solar Panel Energy as an Alternative to Traditional Electrical Energy for Residential Informed Consent You are invited to participate in a research study about solar panel energy as an alternative to traditional electricity energy in dwelling area. The objective of this study is to indentify the benefits of solar panel energy as an alternative to traditional form, of energy. The study also aims at identifying the important of solar panel to the environment and the entire economy. This study is being undertaken by................. The .........................has offered financial support for this study. There are two qualifications to contribute in this study: 1. be a residence of the area under study.2. Use either, traditional sources of energy or solar panel. Participation in this study is voluntary. If you are in agreement to participate in this study, you would be interviewed for about on to two hours. The interview includes questions about the benefit and important of the source of energy the interviewee is using. The questions will also touch on the impact of the available sources of energy to the environment. Taking part in this study may not advantage you one on one, but it will help us learn more about solar panel energy and it benefit to the economy and the environment. You may find responding some of the questions disturbing, but we anticipate that this would not be different from the kinds of things you discuss with friends or family. You may ignore any questions you don’t want to respond to and you may end the interview at any time. If you participate in the study, you will receive an intangible appreciation for your time (if applicable). The information you will share with us if you participate in this study will be kept completely a top secret to the full extent of the law. Your response will be allotted a code number which is exceptional to this study. The register concerning your description to this number will be stored in a locked file and the Study Director and other researchers will be the only people to access the record or the question you took part in. No one at university will be able to see your response. When the study exercise is done and the data have been analyzed, the record connecting respondent’s names to research numbers will be damaged. Research findings will be forwarded only in outline appearance and the participant name would not be reviewed. In case of any enquiry about this research, please get in touch with (please give your descriptions). In case of an enquiry concerning your rights as a study participant, please (please include the name of your supervisor) YOU WILL BE PRESENTED WITH A DUPLICATE OF THE FORM WHETHER OR NOT YOU CONSENT TO TAKE PART. Questions used in the survey a) To what extent are solar panels being utilized in residential dwellings? 1). Do you use solar panel energy? 2) Since when did you start using solar panel? 3) Do you have an alternative source of energy? b) What significance does renewable energy sources have to the environment? 1) Does solar panel energy have an impact to the environment? 2) According to your views, doe solar panel impact negative to the environment? 3) Which among the traditional sources of energy and solar panel energy is beneficial to the environment? c) Are there principles of nuclear power and solar energy sources? 1) Do you know how solar panel energy operates? 2) Have you undergone any training concerning solar panel energy if so how many times? 3) Are there solar panel experts in the area? 4) Of which benefits are they to your understanding on the principles of nuclear power and solar energy sources? d) What is the importance of atmosphere, sun and earth’s temperature? 1) According to you, does sun, earth and atmosphere have in significant to your life 2) Is the preservation of the environment relevant? 3) Are the benefits of environment (if any important in your life)? e) Is the solar energy capable of meeting the global energy demand like fossil fuels? 1) How many people in the area rely on solar panel for their energy? 2) Who initiated the solar panel energy program? 3) According to you, can solar panel energy satisfy global energy needs? 4) Which other initiatives should be incorporated with solar panel energy? f) What are challenges experienced while utilizing solar as a cleaner source of energy? 1) Are you comfortable with solar energy? 2) Which challenges are apparent in using solar energy? 3) How do you use solar panel energy? 4) Generally which are the main challenges in utilising solar panel energy g) What are the impact of industrial age and global warming? 1) Are traditional sources relevant in the Morden technology? 2) How do they impact on the environment? 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