Alternative Energy - the Solar Option - Essay Example

Alternative energy: the solar option Alternative energy: the solar option After 200,000 years of existence, we have become the most dominant species on this planet. We have built entire cities in deserts, artificial islands in oceans, skyscrapers taller than mountains, increased the fertility of land by hundred times. Today we carry all the worlds’ knowledge in the palm of our hands. We have also wiped out an entire species of animals and rain forests, caused irreversible damage to our environment. All these achievements weather good or bad have made us a force of nature. We have achieved all this by utilizing the remains of dead plants and animals that have been decomposed under earth’s enormous pressure for millions of years i.e. the fossil fuel. It was in 19th century that we realized that by using fossilized fuel we could achieve endless possibilities but today we have realized that if we continue using it our existence might be threatened. The carbon dioxide released in the process of converting it in to energy, is stored in the atmosphere and traps the heat of sun inside the earth’s atmosphere. This causes the earth’s climate to rise consistently causing the polar icecaps to melt and raise the global water level. This rise in global water levels will cause many of the low-lying population centers to submerge, making millions of people homeless and creating all sorts of problems in these nations. It is interesting to note that the biggest sufferers of this “Global Warming” will be those who have never fully achieved the benefits of this fossil fuel driven industrial revolution. So today we face a difficult decision, weather we should continue using the same sources of fuel that are causing irreversible damage to our planet or switch to newer more cleaner sources of energy. The decision is not difficult when we consider the fact that if we continue with our old habits we are moving one step closer to our own destruction. When we talk of newer and sustainable sources of fuel, all we have to do is to look upward at the giant ball of fire that showers the planet with enough energy in one minute to meet the energy needs of the entire global population for one year! The Sun like other stars is basically a giant fusion reactor, the enormous pressure at its core causes the helium atoms to fuse with each other and release colossal amount of energy every second which is equivalent to the energy released by thousands of hydrogen bombs. So question of finding a source of energy is not a problem; however the problem is how we can tap in to that source to use that energy for our own advantage? When it comes to harnessing suns power there are many way in which it can be done, the most well know method is to convert the water in to steam by converging sun rays on water to boil it, then using this highly pressurized steam to move the turbines which through electromagnetic force generate electricity. This technique is easy to comprehend and can be implemented if proper investment is made. Countries like Spain, USA and France have fully functional “solar thermal power plants” that use the same technology and cater to the energy needs of a large chunk of population.(Punter, 2002) The conversion efficiency of these solar power plants is as high as 40%, while theoretically it is possible to achieve the conversion efficiency of 90% (Narisada). Which means that with improvement in technology we are likely to have more efficient plants in future then we have today? These solar power plants use giant mirrors or reflective surfaces to converge the sunlight on a single point to generate enough heat to rapidly boil huge amount of water to create high pressure steam, which is powerful enough to move huge turbines. For better efficiency it is necessary that these mirrors receive as much sun light as possible, so a lot of plants use solar tracking devices which enable these mirrors to move in the changing direction of the sun rays (James). The arrangement of these huge mirrors is also important in a solar plant; different plants use different designs and arrangements of these reflective surfaces to achieve maximum sunlight. Many plants use “parabolic structure” in the design of their systems, as the name suggests this structure uses many curved mirrors arranged side by side, a tube filled with water or other liquids pass through them. These mirrors converge light on these tubes which boils the water and generate steam. Plants built on this design are located in the deserts of Nevada and in California USA (K, 2012). In 2008 a plant built on this principal went online in Spain (Burgen, 2010) Another structure that can be used in solar plants is “Central Tower Structure” this system is comprised of a Tower and a Mirror Field. The tower is located in the center of a field of mirrors on the ground. These mirrors converge the sunlight to a single elevated point on the tower, which stores molten slat, when this salt is heated to maximum temperatures it is used to generate stem. The advantage of this design is that it can achieve greater levels of heat then the parabolic plants, because the point of converging is a single body rather than a large tube. Plants based on this structure are under construction in Spain, South Africa and Morocco. (Francis, 2006) The existing plants are located in the Nevada desert. The central tower model is not only applicable for electricity generation but it also works well for other industries which require heating of material to form amalgamated products, such as the polymer industry which require certain chemicals to be heated together to amalgamate with each other, in such industries the materials can be heated through the solar tower . The materials can be stored in place of molten salt. This would eliminate the use of coal and gas which is used to heat these elements. Then there is “Dish Structure” which uses large dishes like the satellite dishes. These dishes are made up of reflective materials which concentrate the sun light on a single point above the dish. These plants also generate high levels of heat but their implementation on large scale is limited. There are other designs as well based on structural differences. The solar thermal technology can be used to replace the current thermal plants which run on coal and oil as sources of fuel. These resources are depleting and cause environmental damage on the other end solar energy is renewable and has no effect on the environment. Countries such as China which are raising players in the global economies are moving towards the use of solar powered thermal electric plants. But it is also the responsibility of major contributes towards the green house gases, to make efforts to cut down their carbon footprint. The move towards solar energy is also supported by the majority of the public in these countries the political will must be there to encourage the adoption of more eco-friendly policies. Apart from the Solar Thermal technology another technology that can be used is “photovoltaic cells (photo = light, voltaic = electrical potential) or PV cells”. Instead of heating the water to produce steam and then generating electricity through that steam, the PV cells directly convert the photo energy (light energy) in to electric power. These cells use silicon which absorbs the light particles (photons). These photons knock out the electrons from atoms and create an electric potential difference that tries to stabilize itself by attracting other electrons and that flow of electrons is captured by an electricity conductor (Soper, 2001). These solar cell a light and can be used on small electronic devices like cell phones, PCs and even electric cars. The PV cells are already used in many small gadgets such as calculators, toys etc. Due to their light weight and thin structure these cells are used to power satellites, the satellites have huge solar panels which are comprised of small PV cells; these cells are the only source of power for the man-made satellites in the space. (Perlin, 2004)The arrival of the semi-conductor technology has reduced the cost of manufacturing PV cells up to 300 times as compared to the space programs of 50s and 60s. These PV cells are produced mainly in Germany, China, USA, Japan and Taiwan. Chinese companies such as Suntech Power, JA Solar and ReneSola are dominant players in the solar cell manufacturing industry. These companies produce PV cells on large scale which makes them cost effective and supply them to different electronic manufacturers to be integrated in to different devices. The PV cell technology has huge potential for the future energy consumption, it is eco-friendly, it has no moving parts, require little maintenance and no mass scale installation is required which means that they can be installed in homes, Cars, Hand held gadgets and in remote areas which are off the grid from the main electric plants. These solar cells can be used to power houses in the third world countries such as sub-Saharan African countries, far flung Indian villages and in small island communities in the pacific. Infect many countries have taken such initiatives for example Mexico plans to install solar cells in 60,000 villages by 2015, India plans to power 100,000 villages in its most backward areas. Israel installs 50,000 solar cells every year. On average the roof of the houses receive enough sunlight in a day to fulfill its energy needs for months. These solar PV cells can be installed on rooftops where there is maximum exposure to sunlight. These cells can power home appliances such as televisions, personal computers, toasters, Air conditioners, lights etc. so imagine living in hose with Zero-carbon footprint and no electricity bills! These solar cells can also be used to power hospitals and small businesses. Many banks in the third world countries provide finance to local entrepreneurs to install solar cells to facilitate their business ventures and pay back the Bank when they start making profits. Such incentives not only promote the eco-friendly sources of fuel but also promote the social entrepreneurial spirit. The public mass transport system can also gain advantage from the solar technology, the public Busses can have solar panels installed at their roofs. Imagine the London’s iconic double-decker busses having PV cells at their roofs, the electricity generated can be used along with gasoline to power the car and reduce it gas consumption. In the same way trains can use the solar panels (Nichols, 2012). Cars can also be powered with solar cells. Electric cars and hybrid cars have already become the trend of today but these cars use the battery powered sources. There are endless possibilities for car manufacturers if they integrate the solar cell technology in to their cars. This would also reduce the air pollution that is produced from Oil and gasoline. Recently efforts have been made to develop “solar powered Aircrafts” these airplanes have solar panels on their wings and their wing-span is slightly wider to accommodate enough PV cells to power the aircraft. Aircraft achieved the 24 hours test flight without re charging. The solar cells stored the energy during day time and used it during night. This test flight was the first of its kind and has marked the beginning of a new era in aircraft manufacturing. The street lights can also be powered with solar cells. These cells will store electric energy during day time and use that to light the city at night; this would save the public authorities from the huge burden of providing city lightings. These cells can be used to power other public institutions such as hospitals, national data centers, schools and universities. This would reduce the burden on the national grid and help plan better and smarter cities in the future. Those areas which are not connected with the national grid line such as highways, telecommunication towers, phone lines, mining industries etc. they can use the solar powered cells to provide electricity as it is their only reliable solution. In order to improve public awareness about the solar technology, SANYO a Dallas based technology company provides leasing options to the business. Which means that the businesses can install the technology without paying for it in full? They can lease the technology from the company and start using it in their business while paying monthly installments. This is a very effective program for small entrepreneurial setups that are looking for cheap and renewable sources to power their businesses. (Cichon) There are no real disadvantages of the solar cell technology. However the cost of the technology and the amount of sunlight are important challenges that the industry must face. The amount of sunlight that an area receives can be an issue for the solar technology. There are some areas which receive access sunlight such as the Sahara desert, the Australian wastelands etc. but these areas have a very low population, on the other hand there are places where sunlight is scarce such as Alaska, Canada, Russia, and Siberia etc. these areas have a considerable population but very low sunlight. (Falco) The cost of the technology is another important issue, the solar cell technology is new and it commercial usage is still limited. The reason for negligence of the solar technology is the abundance availability of the oil and gas all over the world. The first serious efforts to develop this technology were made in the 1970s when the OPEC (organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries), which is the biggest oil cartel of the world, cut of its supplies to the USA and western countries due to political reasons. This creates serous oil shortage in the USA and it was during that time when the policy makers focused on alternative sources especially solar energy for fuel. It was during that time the first electric car came on the scene. But as the oil trade normalized the focus shifted back from alternative sources and towards the fossilized fuel. But today we have realized that we cannot continue using the fossil fuel and we have to shift towards the alternative sources in order to ensure our survival. Due to this renewed public awareness about the global warming the people have been pushing the policy makers to pursue more eco-friendly policies and shift towards the alternative sources of fuel such as wind, hydro etc but the solar option is still seen as the major solution. The international agreements such as the “Kyoto pact” forced the developing nations to drastically cut down their carbon emissions (BBC News, 2003). That is why a lot of money is channeled to the research and development of the solar technology. The cost of making PV cells has reduced significantly and its efficiency has increased more than hundred times. Today a solar powered business pays back its investment in one to three years thanks to the latest technology. (KHO, 2008) However many public policy makers are hesitant to pursue eco friendly policies because of the pressure from the oil lobbies and the lobbies of the industries heavily dependent on the usage of fossil fuel such as the automotive sector, if the politicians implement strict carbon cutting measures for the vehicles then the auto manufacturers will face huge trouble of changing the technology in their existing cars. This will result in huge losses for the already dwindling auto sector. But the automobile manufacturers have to realize that by making their cars more fuel efficient and using technologies such as the solar cells, they will be making their cars more attractive to their customers. Recent trend has showed that fuel efficient cars are in more demand than the fuel guzzling SUVs. Infect many Americans have traded their SUVs for smaller more fuel efficient cars, which are made by Japanese auto makers such as TOYOTA and HONDA. (Cleantech Group, 2007) The solar technology still hasn’t achieved its full potential. Theoretically the solar cells can achieve the efficiency of up to 90% but the current technology available can only provide efficiency up to forty percent, which means there is a lot of room for improvement. The solar panels that are commercially available can last up to twenty years. This is a significant improvement in the life span as compared to the time when the technology was new. Today we face a challenge of shifting from the traditional carbon based fuel to eco-friendly sources of fuel. It is a great challenge because for decades we have been relaying on these sources and we cannot imagine a life without oil and Gas, but we have no other option. The solar power is the most practice and effective source of technology and although a lot of research is needed in this field, it is still applicable. (Francis, 2006) Works Cited 1. BBC News. (2003). Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2233897.stm 2. Burgen, S. (2010). Retrieved from www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jul/13/spain-solar-powe 3. Cichon, M. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/10/leasing-options-bringing-solar-awareness-to-the-masses 4. Cleantech Group. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.solarserver.com/solar-magazine/solar-news/current/2012/kw14/cleantech-group-reports-usd-249-million-of-investments-in-the-global-solar-industry.html 5. Falco, A. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.altenergy.org/renewables/solar.html 6. Francis, T. &. (2006). Wind and Solar Power Systems. 7. James, K. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea//news/article/2007/05/picture-perfect-parabolic-solar-collector-systems-48660 8. K, H. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/A-Look-at-Arizona-and-the-Best-Solar-Resource-in-the-Nation/ 9. KHO, J. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/charting-a-path-to-low-cost-solar-1128/ 10. Narisada, K. Light Pollution Handbook, Volume 322. 11. Nichols, W. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/mar/21/solar-powers-kings-cross-station 12. Perlin, J. (2004). The Silicon solar cell turns 50. 13. Punter, A. (2002). Retrieved from http://practicalaction.org/solar-thermal-energy-1 14. Soper, D. E. (2001). Retrieved from http://zebu.uoregon.edu/~soper/Sun/fusionsteps.html. Read More