Ali Samiq

21100023

Ms. Mahrukh Baig

30-04-2018

SS 100: Writing and communication

Horizons of the Sun

The Global population has depended upon the traditional energy resources for well over a

century. The concept of power resources and energy development came into being during the

Industrial Revolution of Great Britain. With increasing mechanization and the invention of

electricity the people were searching for new energy resources. Perhaps Coal is an energy

resource that was found during that time, and being an economical fossil fuel it immediately

became a target of large-scale burning. Today Coal meets 26 percent i.e. more than quarter of the

global primary energy need. Another renowned fossil fuel is Oil which was discovered in the

early eighteenth century. From its discovery, its global usage has increased exponentially and

today more than four billion tonnes of oils are consumed each year, meeting over 35 percent of

world energy need. Natural Gas another fossil fuel became part of the energy cycle around the

late twentieth century and today it fulfills 23 percent of the worlds energy demand. Henceforth

up till the twenty first century these nonrenewable sources of energy made up more than 80

percent of the global energy supply. In contrast, renewables contributed around 16 percent to

global energy consumption (Fang) .The excessive usage of fossil fuels by the rapidly growing

global community has led to the rapid decline of the resources and has produced a devastating

effect on the climate .Alongside this, the global spike in energy costs has led many to find

alternative and sustainable fuel sources. There are many options available today including wind,

solar and hydropower. Of the three, solar is the fastest growing .By definition, solar energy is
energy harnessed from the sun. The energy can be used directly to light, and heat homes or it can

be converted into electricity using solar energy technologies like photovoltaic cells. Solar energy

is indeed one of the biggest fields for researchers worldwide as it has a virtually untapped

potential that can be harnessed for the benefit of the global population and environment. Thomas

Edison famously stated that “I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of

power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that” (Edison).

Thomas’s quotation enumerates the importance of investing on inexhaustible sources of energy,

in which he underscores solar as the best option. Although solar energy is dependent on the

presence of sunlight, however it is the most sustainable, economical and feasible source of

energy.

Solar power is environmentally the most sustainable source of energy as it is both clean

and green. The development of solar power has a detrimental effect on the increasing air

pollution that is perhaps one of the most pressing challenges of the world today. The energy

being produced from solar panels replaces the energy that was previously being produced by

burning fossil fuels. As a result of which the toxic emissions of oxides of Sulphur and nitrogen

along with carbon dioxide are greatly reduced. A decrease in pollutants curbs pollution making

solar a highly sustainable source of energy. Curbing pollution has a trickle-down effect on

various other issues. Global Warming is a global issue, being caused by the excessive carbon

dioxide emissions into the environment which leads to a consistent rise in global temperatures. In

2016, emissions of carbon dioxide by the U.S. electric power sector were 1,821 million metric

tons, or about 35% of the total U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions of 5,171 million metric tons

(EIA). In contrast, most renewable energy sources especially solar produce little to no global

warming emissions. Life cycle emissions of sustainable energy are the emissions from each stage
of a technology’s life—manufacturing, installation, operation and decommissioning. Even when

including “life cycle” emissions of clean energy the global warming emissions associated with

renewable energy are minimal. Integrating solar energy into our local grid systems would allow

us to replace carbon-intensive energy sources and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This would reduce the carbon footprint on the planet, leading to mitigation of global warming.

Controlling global warming will help solve various other issues being caused by it. Examples

include acid rain and smog which have devastating effects on people and wildlife. In an

overview producing solar energy leads to positive health outcomes. Regionally, a UN report

finds that low- and middle-income countries in the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific

Regions had the largest environment-related disease burden in 2012, with a total of 7.3 million

deaths, most attributable to indoor and outdoor air pollution (WHO). Most of these negative

health impacts come from the environmental pollution that solar energy simply doesn’t produce.

Henceforth, indirectly a large number of lives can be saved from installing solar energy systems.

The pollutants associated with thermal power stations are linked with respiratory issues,

neurological damage, cancer and premature death. The pollution affects everyone: one Harvard

University study estimated the life cycle costs and public health effects of coal to be an

estimated $74.6 billion every year. That’s equivalent to 4.36 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity

produced—about one-third of the average electricity rate for a typical US home (Epstein, 73).

Solar energy systems generate electricity with no associated air pollution emissions making them

highly clean and green. Furthermore, non-renewable sources can have a significant impact on

water resources: either coal mining or nuclear enrichment can pollute sources of drinking water,

and all thermal power plants, including those powered by coal, gas, and oil and uranium

withdraw a substantial amount of water for cooling. At least two-thirds of the global population
that is over 4 billion people, lives with severe water scarcity for at least one month every year,

according to a report by the guardian (Carrington). In contrast to other energy resources, solar

energy essentially has no requirement of water to operate and henceforth it does not pollute

water resources or strain supplies by competing with agriculture or domestic usage. With no

dependence on water and a minimal effect on the environment solar is perhaps the most

sustainable source of energy.

Solar energy is highly economical as it is a major source of affordable electricity and

leads to stability of energy prices. Solar energy is harnessed from the sun which is an

independent source of energy. Sun’s energy is evenly distributed all across the globe making it

available to everyone. Henceforth there are no on-going costs for the power being generated by

solar panels as the input is completely free. According to the US department of energy the cost of

solar energy will run from as low as $0.85 per watt to $1.25 per watt with output ranging from

150W to 350W for a typical solar panel (Matasci). The cost stated is much lower when

compared to other sources of energy make solar the most economical source of energy. Energy

being derived from thermal power stations is in reality dependent on the availability of fossil

fuels. Due to an outburst of population and industrialization the demand for energy has increased

exponentially. Due to the doubted availability fossil fuel prices can vary dramatically and are

prone to substantial price swings. For example, there was a rapid increase in US coal prices due

to rising global demand before 2008, then a rapid fall after 2008 when global demands declined

(Freese 12) .In contrast to these solar panels are provided with a never ending supply of energy

from the sun leading to stability in prices. This leads to improved energy security as the

dependence of a household on foreign energy suppliers is reduced. Due to a regular exposition to

the sun a household using solar energy can also gain independent from the expensive energy of
the local grid system. Solar energy can be utilized to offset utility supplied energy usage. This

ensures a consistent supply of energy even in the case of a power outage. Another perspective of

this is that if surplus solar energy is being produced by a household, it can be sold to the local

grid authority and profit can be earned. Also; the cost of solar panels has decreased exponentially

over the years having an overall positive effect on its popularity. According to the Solar Market

Insight Report the average price to install solar dropped more than 70 percent between 2010 and

2017 (SEIA). The decrease in price of solar technology makes it available to a wide range of

people. The availability of electricity has a ripple effect. It promotes local industries and

facilitates the people in various manners leading to both development and prosperity .Along with

this, another benefit solar energy brings is a large number of employment opportunities. In

contrast to fossil fuel technologies the solar industry is highly labor intensive. Due to minimal

mechanization most of the work is setting up solar farms is done by humans. From installation to

maintenance, a solar farm needs a skillful work force for it to run successfully. The solar energy

industry employs skillful workers for various fields such as manufacturing, installation, logistics,

and transportation, causing the production of a large number of diverse job opportunities.

According to the solar job census in 2016, the solar industry employed more than 260,000

people, including jobs in solar installation, manufacturing, and sales, that is a 25% increase over

2015(NSJC 2016). The promotion of solar energy leads to the elevation of the local high tech

industries leading to more employment opportunities and a better lifestyle for the people

involved. Henceforth the correlation between solar and various economic benefits underscores

that solar is indeed the most economical source of energy.

Another reason which is increasing the popularity of solar power is that it is a highly

practical and feasible source of energy. Various remote and inaccessible areas are deprived of
electricity as it is not feasible to enter them into the grid system. The reason is that those areas

are at a huge distance from the local energy system as a result of which transmission costs of

electricity become very high. Also, in long transmission lines the line losses increase

dramatically. Line losses are basically the electrical energy being lost to the resistance of the

wires in the form of thermal energy. As a result of which transmission becomes economically

unfeasible. According to a study by Schneider Electric the overall losses between the power

plant and consumers is in the range between 8% and 15% (Jacques). The percentage may seem

small but in the long run it can make utility electricity really expensive. Meanwhile solar energy

systems are completely independent of the transmission factor as it does not require a connection

with a gas or power grid at all. This makes solar a highly cost effective and practical solution to

energy crisis in isolated locations. Furthermore, in comparison to thermal power stations solar

technologies are less prone to failure as they are both decentralized and modular. Solar

photovoltaic cells are the latest technology that utilizes distributed generation. Incorporating a

distributed system solar power systems provide a supply of electricity that remains unaffected

from a severe weather event. Meanwhile, being a modular system solar energy is supplied even

if some of the cells are not working properly. Hurricane Harvey caused substantial electricity

outages, as power plants and transmission infrastructure—was affected by high winds and

significant flooding. At its peak, more than 10,000 megawatts of electricity generating capacity

in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid and a substantial number of

transmission and distribution lines experienced forced outages (EIA). As solar leads to

decentralization of energy, it has evolved as a reliable solution to modern issues. Furthermore

solar technologies can be successfully incorporated into a variety of portable applications leading

to vast future implications. Unlike conventional sources of electricity solar cells can be made
compact enough to fit pocket-sized gadgets or can be enlarged to power gigantic planes. On

September 11, 1995 NASA launched its solar power plane ‘Path finder’ which flew through the

sky at a record-breaking height of 60500 feet. (NASA). In modern times solar cells are being

applied to calculators, watches and cars which further increase its popularity. Another thing

which gives solar leverage is that it can be customized. Solar panels can be added into a system

or can be removed depending upon the requirement. Unlike traditional methods which have fixed

capacity, solar electricity can be varied which makes it much more feasible. Also solar energy

technologies require no constant addition of fuel and is completely sound proof further adding to

its feasibility. Its unique feasibility is what makes it easy to be used for both domestic and

industrial purpose.

Although the development of solar energy has been lauded by many, a few critics, over

the years have disapproved of the idea. The argument constructed by critics is that nuclear

energy is a more viable energy solution compared to solar. According to them nuclear is a more

economical source of energy compared to solar. It is claimed that the initial investment cost for

solar installation is huge making it an expensive source of energy compared to nuclear.

According to a recent study conducted by the NC WARN, a non-profit nuclear and climate

change watchdog, the cost of building a nuclear power station is increasing as the costs for solar

is decreasing. The study showed that the cost of solar dropped to 15.9cents per kilowatt while

nuclear power costs rose to nearly 20 cents per kilowatt. (CFC). Solar energy is being harnessed

from an inexhaustible and independent source of energy – the sun- while nuclear energy comes

from uranium which is an expensive commodity. Solar energy has a payback time of 1 to 4 years

making it one of the cheapest energy options in the long run (EIA). The second argument made

against solar energy is that it cannot be harnessed during the night.. Agreeing with the argument,
it is quite obvious that in the absence of sunlight a photovoltaic cell cannot be produced which

greatly affects its efficiency. In 2017, a team of researchers at National Renewable Energy

Laboratory (NREL) reported record one-sun efficiencies of 32.8% for dual-junction solar cell

devices (Essig). Although a percentage of 32.8% may appear low to some but in reality that

percentage is a portion from the immense energy being provided to us by the sun. With the

inverter and battery technology the harnessed energy can be stored and can be used later when

the sun sets. Although nuclear energy is independent of any such factor but nuclear depends on

other commodities. Nuclear needs a constant supply of uranium and a massive private capital for

it to function with maximum efficiency. Lastly, it is claimed that the production of solar cells

leads to the production of heavy metal waste which can lead to severe environmental

degradation. The production of solar cells does lead to the production of silicon and cadmium

waste that can be hazardous for the environment. In response, solar firms have begun planning

and forming coalitions to recycle used panels before their materials can leach out, trumpeting

their efforts to guarantee life-cycle sustainability (Nath 1). In contrast, nuclear energy produces

large amounts of radioactive waste that is neither recyclable nor disposable. According to

Bloomberg, Japan currently needs to dispose more than 17000 metric tons of nuclear waste for

which it cannot find a suitable site (Humber). Henceforth solar energy is indeed a better solution

than nuclear to the worlds growing energy need.

In ancient times Sun was thought of just as a source of light on the planet, but that belief

no longer holds true. Evolving as a species burdened with the intricacies of the contemporary

world, demands the constant revision of ideas and accepted facts. Until now, it has been

established that we can harness solar energy for industrial and domestic purposes by placing

solar cells on prescribed locations. A recently rising interest in alternative sources of energy has
revitalized interest in solar thermal technology which incorporates the sun’s heat into the system

to produce electricity. Although the option was focused on earlier but he projects were

languished due to the relatively cheap price of fossil fuel energy. This option has now attracted

the attention of modern researchers who believe that it hopefully will help in supporting

economies incorporating vast deserts. Large desert based power plants concentrate the sun’s

energy to produce the high temperature necessary for certain industrial processes or generation

of electricity. According to the National Geographic journal ‘Deserts’, 20% of Earth’s land is

desert, and if this land is used for making electricity, the world might be producing a surplus of

energy (Desert). Electric utility companies are planning to use mirrors to concentrate heat from

the sun to produce environmentally friendly electricity for cities .According to a research in the

journal ‘concentrating solar power: Energy from mirrors’, nine trough power plants in southern

California, with a capacity of 354 MW, meets the energy needs of 350,000 people (DOE 2). The

study not only explains the future scope of solar but also shed light on how its immense potential

can be used for supporting the economies of the deserted regions of the world. A few decades

ago to think that solar would prove to be the most sustainable, economical and feasible source of

energy could not have seemed further from truth. Today, such thinking is no fantasy, but an idea

that is backed up by credible research and concrete evidence. With the ever growing population

and a depletion of resources it is now more imperative than ever to look at things beyond their

face value, and recognize their true worth. The Sun is one such blessing whose full potential the

greatest minds have only began to unravel.

  

Work Cited Page

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