Against Solar Energy - Essay Example

Environmental Studies Argumentative Essay against Solar Energy Department Grade 18th November, Argumentative Essay against Solar Energy Solar energy is harnessed light and, heat from the sun converted in electricity. It has a wide range of uses e.g. heating of water, producing electricity, heating and lighting in buildings, industrial and commercial uses etc. in lighting it is used for various uses e.g. billboard lighting, street lighting, and instant power lighting. Supporters of solar energy argue that, solar energy is cheap as it requires no fuelling or maintenance. But do they consider the cost of putting up the solar system in use. It involves a lot of technology which must be learned for a period of time. Engineers spend a lot of time in class and in laboratories trying to develop the best solar systems. This requires a lot of money especially in purchasing the equipments used in laboratories and paying school fees for their tuition. The wise men said, “Time is money”. This in its self means time is a valuable resource and, it needs good management. Technologists and expertise spend a lot of time when developing solar systems until they are ready for use. The time they use could be used else where for investing or developing other resources instead of using them. They also use a lot of time in reading theories about solar energy in books. The books they read are also expensive. In addition, engineering laboratories’ must be fully equipped in order to allow students and technologists test and experiment a solar system. All this are costs that are or were involved in making solar systems. As if that is not enough, high quality solar systems are also very expensive. This shows that it would be difficult for the poor and low class people to afford. Only those who can afford use them. They can never be ignored because they are classified as the production cost of the equipments. It is therefore, a fact that the solar energy is not cheap or readily available because it requires a lot of resources until its completion. Some people may say that solar energy is the most effective compared to other types of energy because the light and heat are natural. However, they forget some facts: solar energy is derived from sun. This means that without the sun, no energy can be available. Some places on planet earth are found in very cold places e.g. Countries on the extreme north and south of the globe. They rarely have sunlight and if they have, the heat is very little. This means that the heat and light cannot be harnessed to produce solar energy. In addition, not all the time or months there is sunlight. Some months are normally very cold and rainy. This means that the solar energy systems cannot be much effective. At such a time, the heat available can only be used for some purposes and not all e.g. lighting. It cannot be enough for warming or generating electricity. Some homes or factories are constructed in places that have not direct sunlight rays e.g. in the valley. This means that it would be difficult to harness the sun rays because of the barriers. It is therefore right to say that solar energy is highly affected by physical and geographical barriers. After analyzing this evidence, there is no way we can agree that solar energy is effective. Green power is a program initiated by the government to allow energy providers buy energy that is renewable on your behave (U.S EPA, 2011). Is solar energy harmful to our environment? It is the best source of power for our future. This is what the proposers of power energy stand with. They have a point to a certain extent in thinking like that. But do they know that, in making of photovoltaic panels there are chemicals used. These chemicals are elements that are harmful to the environment. “Cadmium” and “Arsenic” harmful to the environment and can bring bad side effects to people. In addition, there are batteries used to store generated power that are the same as the ones used in vehicles and marine machines. They require good disposal to avoid pollution of the environment. The disposal methods used incur costs to ensure safety. The dangers are slight but, their effects are vital. I therefore, need no point of correction when I say that solar energy is not environmental friendly. There is also a concern in the ecology about the solar energy. This makes me feel better. Solar energy system plants need a lot of space that could otherwise be used for other things. The area needed needs to be free from all sorts of objects that can obstruct light rays. This shows that it can be problematic to people who have small compounds especially the ones who live in cities. It leads to depletion of animal habitats. Some people will still insist that solar energy is safe and efficient to our water sources. I am of the same opinion as Arizona Agricultural University. Heat is a by- product. When energy is produced, it is one of the by-products given out. Big and large generating systems need cooling system for efficient operation. Some areas will favor production of solar energy but, there may be insufficient cooling system. Lack of water available locally will make operation tedious and sometimes impossible (ScienceDaily, 2010). Compared to some cells needed in production of solar energy, e.g. inorganic cells, the organic solar cells need much energy. This shows that, in case of mass production of solar energy, it is not economical. It therefore has an impact in the environment in terms of material collection. It does not also produce the same or equal energy compared to other sources of energy e.g. energy produced using petroleum products (Landi, 2010) It is also true to say that production of solar energy is dependent. The operation and effectiveness of solar cells depends on a balanced mixture of some compounds. This mixture harness light energy and then takes it to another contact that works electrically. More so, the life span of organic solar cells in very short. It can only stay for only 5 years in commercial applications. Its efficiency is only 5%. A research was done at Interuniversity Microelectronics centre, Hasselt University Campus to improve on the stability of the organic solar cells. This shows that they are not stable. Again, am not afraid to say that solar energy is the most reliable source of energy compared to other sources of energy (Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC) 2008). Nowadays, solar systems use elements that radiate higher levels of radiation. They use radio frequency electromagnetism that is very dangerous to people with health complications. People with electromagnetic hypersensitivity are at a higher risk. They get sick due to small amounts of the radiations. Production of solar energy increases the risk to this people. If a person with such disease lives in a home which is solar powered, he or she lives with health complications (ScienceDaily, 2011). More so, solar panels are made of different components and elements. It is made of purified silicon which is very harmful to human health. It results to silicosis. This is a lung disease that is developed when a person inhales silicon dust for a long time. The disease reduces the lungs’ capability to accommodate and process air. In addition, solar cells are made of non- biodegradable materials. Therefore, there is a need for a good and favorable environment to dispose the solar cells not in use. With all this health complications, am fully convinced that that solar energy is not an excellent source of energy. I am of the opinion that people should use other types of energy but not solar (Vaux, 2001). Solar energy is a very safe source of energy; this is what the proposers will say. But, do they know how wrong their perception can be? Solar energy uses heat from the sun to heat water. The system can heat the entire house. If the heat is excess, there are higher chances of the objects around the system getting excessive heat which can result into fire. Some people are also affected by chemicals and electricity and if they are constantly exposed to it, their health is at risk (Milam, 1999) William G. Cobb, a General Motors technologist invented a car that used solar power. This is a strong point that that the proposers of solar energy will use to support themselves. But, how can this technology be supported in the world? This car can never be suitable for our routine use. First, it can only work in some selected places, where there is supply of light and heat from the sun. Secondly, solar cells and panels are much expensive. I firmly believe that solar energy is not reliable if it cannot function like other sources of energy (Napoli, 1999). References Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg (2010). Sunny Record: Breakthrough for Hybrid Solar Cells. Retrieved November 18, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2010/02/100202103446.htm. Delaney’s Site (2010). Residential solar heating. Solar cooking. Retrieved November 18,2011 from, http://davidmdelaney.com/. Ingber, E, (2011). The effect of solar energy. Green Power. SAGE Publications, Inc. Koeth, M. (2010). Shining Light on Cost of Solar Energy, the Great Energy Challenge. National Geographical society. Landi, Brian (2010). Environmental Impact of Organic Solar Cells Assessed. Rochester Institute of Technology. Napoli, A. (2011). Solar Power: Environmental and Health Concerns, E- how Health. Demand Media, Inc. Reysa. G (2005). Domestic Hot Water System. Build It Solar. New York: New inventions Rochester Institute of Technology (2010). Environmental impact of organic solar cells assessed. Retrieved November 18, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2010/09/100917183027.htm ScienceDaily (2011). Dramatically Extending Lifetime Of Organic Solar Cells. Retrieved November 18, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2008/10/081014160813.htm Soriano, R. (2011). Solar Energy Health Effects on Humans, e-how Health. Demand Media, Inc. Read More