Use of Solar Energy in the Early Days - Essay Example

Solar Energy Solar energy is the form of energy obtained by the earth from the sun. This energy is in the shape of solar emission, which makes in feasible to produce solar electricity. Solar energy is very important to maintain life on earth, it facilitates the growth of food crops, control climate conditions, provide warmth, and can be utilized to produce solar electricity. Moreover, solar energy is partially the cause of wind energy, as airstream conditions are significantly controlled by the sun. In addition, the sun is responsible for heating up the land to a considerable level in order to support the utilization of geothermal, ‘ground source heat pumps’. Use in Early Days Humans have utilized solar energy for a lot many years. For instance, ancient civilizations used energy from the sun to stay warm by starting combustion with it. They as well maintained the warm temperature of their residences by means of reflexive solar energy designs. Buildings were planned so that walls and floorings amassed solar warmth throughout the day that was released in nighttime to keep the temperature warm. The breakthrough of photovoltaic during 1839 reveals that electrical current in some specific materials could be raised when placed in light. “During the year 1905, the well-known physicist Albert Einstein clearly explained the photoelectric effect, the principle on which photovoltaic are based. In 1921, Einstein received the Nobel Prize for his theories on the photoelectric effect” (Boxwell, 2011). An economic advancement took place during the 1970's when Dr. Elliot Berman designed an inexpensive solar cell getting the price reduction from ‘100 United States dollar per watt to 20 United States dollar per watt’. This enormous cost savings caused a large number of functions that were not considered before due to high charges. Applications and Uses Solar power is the transferring of sunlight into electrical energy, either directly by means of photovoltaic, or indirectly by means of concentrated solar power (CSP). CSP structures utilize “lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. PV converts light into electric current using the photoelectric effect” (Chiras, 2009). Thermal mass is any substance that can be utilized to accumulate heat from the Sun. General thermal mass substances consist of ‘stone, cement and water’. In the past, they have been utilized in dry weathers or mild humid areas to keep buildings stay cool by soaking up solar energy throughout the daytime. Agriculture seeks to optimize the storage of solar energy for the yield of plants. Methods “such as timed planting cycles, tailored row orientation, staggered heights between rows and the mixing of plant varieties can improve crop yields” (Bradford, 2008). Solar sanitization can be utilized to make salty water drinkable. The initial recorded case of this was taken place in 16th century. “A large-scale solar distillation project was first constructed in 1872 in the Chilean mining town of Las Salinas. The plant, which had solar collection area of 4,700 m2, could produce up to 22,700 L per day and operated for 40 years” (Chiras, 2009).. Solar water disinfection involves placing plastic polyethylene terephthalate bottles, filed with water, in sunlight for couple of hours. Duration of time differ according to climate and type of weather from at least ‘five hours to two days’ in completely cloudy situation. It is a suggestion from the World Health Organization (WHO) as a practical way for domestic water handling as well as protected storage. More than three million people in developing nations apply this technique for their everyday drinking water. Advantages and Disadvantages Solar Energy is uncontaminated, renewable and sustainable, facilitating to safeguard the atmosphere. It does not contaminate the air by the discharge of ‘carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide or mercury’ into the air like several conventional types of electrical generation does. As a result, Solar Energy does not involve in ‘global warming’, ‘acid rain’ or pollution. It aggressively adds to the lessening of damaging greenhouse gas releases. By not utilizing any type of fuel, Solar Energy does not contribute to the expenditure and issues of the improvement as well as transportation of fuel or the accumulation of ‘radioactive waste’. Solar Energy can be used to counterbalance utility-supplied energy utilization. It does not just decrease the electricity bill, but will as well carry on providing electricity even during power failure. A Solar Energy structure can function completely by itself, not needing a connection to a power or gas supply in any way. As a result, systems can be installed in distant places, making it further convenient and commercial as compared to the supply of electrical energy to a new location (Kemp, 2009). The utilization of Solar Energy decreases the reliance on overseas sources of energy, controlled by natural catastrophes or global happenings and so contributes to a sustainable future. Solar Energy systems practically do not require any maintenance and last for decades. Once the system is installed, there are no recurring costs (Duffie & Beckman, 2006). They function noiselessly, have no moving parts, do not discharge unpleasant odors and do not need any fuel. However, there are some negative aspects of solar energy as well. The initial expenditure is the major drawback of using a solar energy system, mainly due to the high price of the semi-conducting substances utilized in manufacturing the system. In addition, the cost of solar energy is high in comparison with ‘non-renewable utility-supplied’ electrical energy. As lack of electrical energy is becoming more common, solar energy is turning out to be more cost effective. Another drawback is that solar panels need a large place for installation to attain a fine point of efficiency. The creation of solar energy is controlled by the presence of vapors or toxic waste within the atmosphere. Future Prospects There are a number of pioneering advancements being talked about and developed in the area of solar energy. Innovative approaches to take advantage of the energy from the sun are reaching the market at every second. The potential of solar power relies heavily on its cost. Critics of renewable energy protest that coal along and fossil fuels are a lot economical. Actually, a number of utilities even declare that they cannot increase charges for their clients to facilitate the use of solar power for the reason that they have a responsibility to give the least expensive energy (Black, 2008). Luckily, a number of professionals are foreseeing that grid uniformity - that is, the level on which solar power is equal in financial cost to coal-based electrical energy - is about a decade away, and even lesser in a few areas. Additionally, the price of solar power is discharged, to a certain extent, by tax inducements as well as expected increased property rates. In fact, the time to get to the ‘break even’ point for solar panels has reduced in recent times. In some places globally, grid uniformity has been attained by now. The future of solar power is in the grasp of common person although; it is still extremely reliant on financial assistance in solar power generation sector. As governments carry on to invest towards a ‘fossil-fuel-free tomorrow’, main producers are as well making developments to lessen expenditures and boost production. A recent research carried out by International Energy Agency (IEA) revealed that solar power is likely to offer more or less a quarter of the world's electrical energy supplies by the year 2050. Eleven percent of entire supplies are expected to originate from solar panels on residences as well as workplaces whereas an additional eleven percent will be offered by main solar power stations providing clean electricity to densely inhabited regions. The arrangement of solar photovoltaic and concentrating solar power provides substantial outlooks for developing energy safety while decreasing energy-associated CO2 discharges by more or less ‘6 billion tonnes each year by 2050’. The potential achievement of solar power stations will rely on the growth of dedicated transport lines (Chiras, 2010). The main setback facing the prospect of solar energy is the space necessary to construct solar power plants. A solar plant is consisted of thousands of solar panels, similar to those presently used on alternative energy homes. As a result of this, solar plants need a consistently sunlit region in addition to a significant space. Besides making bigger plants, the prospect of solar energy lies in the structure of new buildings, as well as the retro-fitting of various older ones. “As long as the trend toward alternative energy supplies continues, some experts predict that most, if not all, new buildings will have solar-energy panels installed on roofs” (Solar Energy International, 2004). In view of the fact that these are as well convenient installed, a number of older buildings may get improvements to make use of solar power. Professionals as well as environmentalists anticipate that ‘green energy’ building will be promoted by world government by liberal tax inducements as well as exceptions for alternative energy use. Even though there are several explanations to think that the potential of solar energy is brilliant and arriving shortly, the answer actually is in the hands of the citizens of the world. In a world, mainly ruled by economics as well as politics, what common citizens opt to purchase and support will tell the drifts of the future. By using solar panels, contributing to research groups dealing with alternative energies and supporting actions that provide funds to alternative energy growth, anybody can control the future potential of solar energy (Duffie & Beckman, 2006). References Black, D. (2008). Living off the Grid: a Simple Guide to Creating and Maintaining a Self-reliant Supply of Energy, Water, Shelter and More. Skyhorse Publishing. Boxwell, M. (2011). Solar Electricity Handbook. Greenstream Publishing. Bradford, T. (2008). Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry. The MIT Press. Chiras, D. (2009). Power from the Sun: A Practical Guide to Solar Electricity. New Society Publishers. Chiras, D. (2010). Solar Electricity Basics: A Green Energy Guide. New Society Publishers. Duffie, J. A. and Beckman, W. A. (2006). Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes. Wiley. Kemp, W. H. (2009). The Renewable Energy Handbook, Revised Edition: The Updated Comprehensive Guide to Renewable Energy and Independent Living. Aztext Press. Solar Energy International. (2004). Photovoltaics: Design and Installation Manual. New Society Publishers. Read More