Solar Power as an Alternative to Reduce Emissions of CO2 - Research Paper Example

Solar Power as an Alternative to Reduce Emissions of CO2 The introduction of alternative sources of energy such as solar power has been a trending topic due to the continuous climate change. Human impacts on biodiversity have led to enhanced greenhouse effect. Activities such as burning of fossil fuels increase carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere leading to the greenhouse effect. Solar power energy is a form of energy derived from the natural energy contained in sun rays. As the sun rises, solar panels are used to tap this energy throughout the day. It undergoes a conversion into electricity that is then used in various ways including cooking, lighting as well as in factories as a source of power. Energy researchers have recommended the use of solar energy as an alternative to fossil fuels (Jenny et al. 5). This is because it does not require further processing once itis tapped. As a result, use of solar power energy is encouraged as an infinite energy source to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. However, the topic on reliance of solar power remains a debatable topic. Opponents of the adoption of solar energy to reduce carbon dioxide emission claim that, solar power contributes to global warming (American Society of Mechanical Engineers 8). In addition, they also allege that the process of producing solar panels leads to pollution and is very costly hence not everybody can access them. Despite the prevailing debate on the adoption of solar power, there is need to come up with alternative renewable energy to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels. Burning of fossil fuels increases carbon dioxide in the air. This increase in CO2 gas is one of the causes of continuous changes in climate. Approximately 86% of energy being used comes from fossil fuels (American Society of Mechanical Engineers9). Fossil fuels are mainly used in generating electricity for lighting and cooking and fueling automobiles. Burning large quantities of fossils produces hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide. An annual release of an estimated 21 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere is too large to be fully absorbed. CO2 released into the atmosphere is used by plants for use during the photosynthesis process. However, the amount of gas released is too much to be absorbed by plants or to be neutralized by earth. This Co2 gas is a major contributing factor to greenhouse gases that lead to global warming (Vasilis, Chul and Fthenakis 2551). The greenhouse effect causes a steady rise in global temperatures which is a link between burning fossil fuels and global warming. As the climate warms, the location of climatic envelopes changes resulting in non-conducive conditions of some species. This may result in their extinction. This is because species survive in specific climatic conditions. To continue surviving, they have to move to cooler environment (Masters and Gibert 89). Global warming effects affect plants, flowers as well as animal species. How solar power works Solar power energy is one of the different ways of reducing carbon dioxide gas emissions. Once sun rays have been tapped using solar panels, the photovoltaic systems convert sunlight energy into electricity directs (Florides et al. 559). This is a simple procedure, unlike other energy sources where they undergo various stages before converting to electricity. Once the sun rays hits the photovoltaic panels, they are absorbed by the silicon solar cells. The photovoltaic panels are placed on a rooftop or a surface that can receive direct sunrays. The silicon solar cells then produce electrons that create a direct current from the solar panels to an inverter (Dresselhaus and Thomas 335). The inverter will then convert the sunlight electricity into an alternating current. This AC is then used to provide power at home or in the business. This is used for lighting the premises, cooking, use by home electrical items as well as to distributing it to other users. Those for the idea of solar power energy as an alternative uphold that by using solar derived energy, there will be a great reduction in greenhouse gases. This is because the process of transforming solar energy from the original forms requires no further processing. It is generated directly from the silicon solar cells. Further, the inverter used to convert the electricity is 95% efficient hence less wastage (Florides et al. 559). An efficient solar powered home can produce 80-100% of its electricity from sun rays. This effectiveness of solar energy is a major reason the practice of harvesting sunrays should be encouraged. Solar power energy can be consumed wholly or partially in a home or business setup. A whole house can run fully on solar power (Florides et al. 559). Alternatively, large houses or businesses can use solar power in combination with another source of energy. Solar power is used for water heating, lighting, battery charging, as well as solar powered signs. Advantages of solar power as an alternative source of energy Solar energy is sustainable and an infinite source of energy. It occurs from the naturally occurring sunlight that is freely available. Unlike fossil fuels, solar energy will exist even in the near future without the possibility of depletion. Solar energy is available always and is important for future generations (Tyagi et al. 445). The infinite availability of solar energy is a good reason for switching from fossil fuels to solar power. The mining of fossils pollutes the environment, and fossils deposits may get depleted with time. Solar energy should be encouraged as a better alternative to fossil fuels because it is a renewable and pollutant free source of energy. Fossil fuels are non-renewable sources whose effects are adverse on the environment (Tyagi et al. 445). Solar power is renewable and is depended upon by future generations. Its generation is non-pollutant since it does not involve further conversion once it is passed through an inverter. Solar power can easily be used in remote areas which are not accessible. Extending power grinds to such areas will be an expensive activity. Solar power is naturally occurring, and such areas just need to setup solar panels to capture sun rays. This energy will be converted to alternate energy that will be used for various uses around the house(Tyagi et al. 445). Disadvantages of Solar Energy Solar energy is not a reliable source of energy since the earth receives varying intensity of sunlight depending on weather conditions, location, time of the day and time of the year. In addition, smog and pollution will also limit the amount of sunlight reaching the earth. Some countries with limited access to solar energy cannot solely rely on solar energy. Instead, they will be forced to rely on other forms of energy (Singh 7). Incorporating other sources of energy into the process will still contribute greenhouse gases such as methane, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide into the earth’s surface. Solar energy contributes to pollution indirectly since the production of solar panels releases harmful toxins into the environment. Manufacturing photovoltaic cells uses heavy metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium. Burning of these metals produces greenhouse gases including CO2 and nitrogen oxide. This greenhouse gases cuase global warming. With the increasing adoption of solar energy, there will be increased manufacturing of solar panels (Singh 7). This will create and release the harmful greenhouse gases making it useless to adopt this source of energy and decreasing the use of fossil fuels. Opponents of solar power note that the cost of installing and using greenhouse gases in homes and businesses. Do to the high costs, people are turning to cheaper sources of energy. When settling for the solar power option, then you have to take into account the cost of materials, installation costs, the cost of maintenance and the benefits. You also have to evaluate the amount of solar energy expected to be consumed as well as the amount of direct sunlight available (Singh 7). Due to the high cost of installing and running solar power energy, people turn to cheaper and more reliable sources of energy that may not be environmentally friendly. The Latest Innovations in Solar Power With the advancement in technology,there are several innovations that have been developed as people adopt solar power energy. These technologies aim at making solar power affordable and more effective unlike the older solar panels (Kalogirou and Soteria 61). The innovations aim at making it cheaper to access the solar power to all households. Approximately 20% of power 2025 will be solar power. The three main innovations include the thinner film cells, racking options as well as micro-inverters(Luz and Tuna 134). The ultra-thin solar panels are a new technology that is being undertaken during the manufacture of latest solar panels. They come on a roll rather than a panel making it easier to manufacture it. Most solar-manufacturing companies have adopted this technology and this has made it more affordable to all consumers (Del and Enzo 489). The other innovation is the micro-inverters thatare more affordable to the consumer. It is also efficient in the conversion of direct current (DC) into alternate current (AC). Previously, the inverters were large, bulky and were not easily affordable by a medium consumer. However, their sizes have decreased drastically and were easier to install. A single solar panel and a micro-inverter will be enough to start a solar power system at home, which is an environment-friendly option to cut reliance on fossil fuels(Erdinc and Uzunoglu 1412). Racking option is the last innovation in solar power technology. Previously, the process to have the solar panels installed on the rooftop used to be expensive and tiresome. However, new technology has reduced the costs of mounting by introducing improved designs and materials, and the mounting of solar panels takes a short time. They can be used on the ground or placed on the roof top (Erdinc and Uzunoglu 1415). The flat roof racking systems will not require additional tools and once clamp will be enough to hold the panel in place. In addition, there is a new fiberglass racking system that is light in weight and cheap, and cab be installed within a short time(Prasad and Mark 127). Benefits Obtained by Adopting Solar Power Businesses and homes that adopt solar power benefit from low electricity bills. By installing solar power systems, then the business will benefit from savings in electricity costs as well as federal solar programs that will reduce the capital costs incurred. For businesses, the costs saved will be ploughed back to the business (Tyagi et al. 447). Homeowners and business persons will have control over power costs. Power cost covers a big portion of bills that people are supposed to settle. Solar power is an efficient source of energy that can help homeowners control the amount of power costs they ought to pay for a given period. By producing own solar power, you will stay away from the unpredictable energy costs therefore helping you budget properly (Tyagi et al. 445). Solar power will increase business visibility. Having a solar panel on the rooftop of your business will show how progressive and responsible your business is. In addition, the solar panels will make the business visible as well as bring interest in the products and services being sold. Adopting solar power energy will be a step in making the business goes green. Even if the business is not environmental by nature, the business will be valued by the savvy business community attracted to environmentally friendly business practices. Therefore, by being environmentally friendly, the business will capture the attention of growing clientele who are environmentally cautious (Singh10). Mitigation of Carbon Dioxide Emissions using Solar Energy The impact of an energy technology on the climate is measured by the amount of CO2 emitted per unit of energy generated. Fossil fuels technologies emit high volumes of carbon dioxide through the burning of Carbon rich fuels. Renewable energy sources, including solar energy, produce little or no carbon dioxide to the atmosphere; however, they may produce low volumes of carbon dioxide during manufacture. Solar energy can, therefore, be used to reduce CO2 emissions by replacing the sources of energy that release large volumes of CO2 gas (Erdinc and Uzunoglu 1416). The CO2 emission mitigation will depend on the amount of light and heat displaced the carbon intensity of displaced sources as well as the amount of energy consumed in manufacturing, installing and using the solar energy system. The uptake of solar power technology has been minimal for a variety of reasons. Initially, the high cost of solar photovoltaic technology was a hindrance. However, there has been a great reduction in prices, and these systems are now affordable. The cost of components remains high (Erdinc and Uzunoglu 1418). The cost of fossil fuels relative to lower carbon alternatives is very low, and this explains the dominant nature of fossil fuels in the energy systems. The limited commercial experience with the low carbon emissions is alternatives has made it a challenge to increase its adoption and encourage investment that will help drive down their costs (Prasad and Mark129). The innovations in solar energy are also few, and there is a need to give incentives to encourage innovation and investments (Masters and Gibert90). Conclusion and Recommendations There is need to increase the level of awareness among consumers of the importance of solar energy as an alternative source of energy. This is possible through public awareness drives and consumer forums where consumers are made aware of the negative impacts of burning fossil fuels. There should be enlightment of consumer on the advantages of solar power over fossil fuels. There should be subsidies and incentives to investors and consumers. The cost of buying, installing and maintaining the solar systems should be subsidized to make it affordable to the low-income earner. Investors manufacturing and selling solar systems should also receive incentives in terms of reduced taxes and lower costs of production. This will motivate them to produce the solar systems and make them affordable to all consumers. The regulatory measures should be enhanced to ensure there is increased uptake of solar power systems. The regulatory framework should develop clauses to discourage the uptake of fossil fuels that have a negative impact on the environment. Government fees on fossil fuels should be increased to discourage their consumption. There should be a public-private partnership with private entities to provide solar panel systems in remote areas as well as in areas where people depend mainly on fossil fuels. This partnership should provide an incentive to consumers to purchase them at a subsidized price. There should be trained specialist to help in their installation and maintenance in such areas. Such a partnership will result in most low-income households adopt solar power and abandon the use of fossil fuels. . Works Cited The American society of Mechanical Engineers. "Reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the energy sector." (2009): 8-14. Del Sol and Enzo Sauma. "Economic impacts of installing solar power plants in northern Chile ." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 19 (2013): 489-494. Dresselhaus M and Thomas L. "Alternative energy technologies ." Nature 414.6861 (2001): 335. Erdinc O and Uzunoglu M. "Optimum design of hybrid renewable energy systems: anoverview of different approaches." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16.3 (2012): 1412-1415. Florides G, et al. "Review of solar and low energy cooling technologies for buildings ." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 6(6) (2002): 557-562. Jenny Nelson, Ajay Gambhir and Ekins Daukes. "Solar power for CO2 mitigation." Grantham Institute for Climate change (2014): 4-9. Kalogirou and Soteria A. "Solar energy engineering: processes and systems." Academic Press (2013): 59-71. Luz, Jose and Celso Eduardo Tuna. "The need of subsidy for the implementation of photovoltaic solar energy as supporting of decentralized electrical power generation in Brazil." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (20) (2013): 133-137. Masters and Gibert M. Renewable and efficient electric power systems. John Wiley & Sons, 2013. Prasad Deo and Mark Snow. "Designing with solar power: a sourcebook for building integrated photovoltaics (BiPV)." Routledge, 2014. 123-132. Singh G K. "Solar power generation by PV (photovoltaic) technology: a review ." Energy 53 (2013): 3-13. Tyagi V, et al. "Progress in solar PV technology: research and achievement." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (20) (2013): 443-446. Vasilis M, Hyung Chul and Fthenakis. "Greenhouse-gas emissions from solar electric-and nuclear power." A life-cycle study: Energy Policy 35.4 (2007): 2549-2556. Read More