...What is Solar Energy? Sunlight is a renewable energy source which can be converted into usable energy by solar panels. There are two main types of solar energy. Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels directly convert solar energy into a usable form of energy using a PV cell containing a semiconductor material. CSP (concentrating solar power) on the other hand, concentrate energy from sunlight to a heat receiver which transforms energy from heat into mechanical energy, and in turn, solar thermal electricity. Converting Sunlight into Electricity Light striking a silicon semiconductor causes electrons to flow, creating electricity. Solar power generating systems take advantage of this property to convert sunlight directly into electrical energy. Solar panels (also called “solar modulesE produce direct current (DC), which goes through a power inverter to become alternating current (AC) — electricity that we can use in the home or office, like that supplied by a utility power company. There are two types of solar power generating systems: grid-connected systems, which are connected to the commercial power infrastructure; and stand-alone systems, which feed electricity to a facility for immediate use, or to a battery for storage. Grid-connected systems are used for homes, public facilities such as schools and hospitals, and commercial facilities such as offices and shopping centers. Electricity generated during the daytime can be used right away, and in some cases surplus electricity...
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...City Panning SCI/362 ENERGY SOURCE | INITIAL SET UP COST | MONTHLY COST | ENERGY OUTPUT LIMIT | Solar Power | $3.5 billion | $300,000 | 1,000 Megawatts | City Planning The state of Florida is known as the sunshine state. It is probably most famous for its beautiful, tropical like weather. South Florida (City of Miami) is probably the sunniest place in the state of Florida. Due to the Miami’s almost constant exposure to the sun, it would make Miami an ideal place for a Solar Power Plant. To set up a solar power plant in Miami, a couple of necessities have to be established first. For example, one would need to know the initial set up cost for the energy production. The cost to set up solar power plant will cost approximately 3.5 billion dollars. So if the yearly budget only allotted ten billion dollars for set up cost, there could be the potential for three facilities to be built. Also, the monthly cost will have to be figured out and calculated. If the monthly cost was $300,000.00, and the yearly budget after the initial receipt of the 10 billion dollars for set up cost was 1 billion dollars per year, there could only be one solar power plant built. The building of three would take the plans over the allotted budget because, although there would be set up funds available, the monthly cost would fall short. Moreover, the energy output limit would have to be established and maintained. Take a look at the chart above, it would take 1,000 megawatts to power Miami...
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...‘‘PERSUASIVE SPEECH OUTLINE’’ Solar power is a viable source of energy. ‘INTRODUCTION’ ATTENTION GETTER: It’s the human condition to underappreciate what we are given when we become accustomed to its presence .The everyday convenience of electricity isn’t fully appreciated until a power line goes down and you’re thrust back into the colonial times with candles and fire stoves. Unfortunately as Pakistani’s we visit the dark ages several times a day. So now I ask you to imagine a Pakistan where unlike the false promises of politicians there is actually electricity in every house, where you don’t have to hear the gyrating noise of a generator everywhere you go. A Pakistan which isn’t plunged back into the dark ages every 3 hours. BACK GROUND: With the depletion of the energy resources in the world, governments, industries and scientists are in search of cost effective and readily available energy resources that can be exploited to satisfy the increasing energy demands in the world. Solar energy has been regarded as one of the most paramount and cardinal sources of renewable energy. As per scientists, the energy received from the sun in one hour is more than the whole world’s total produced energy in a year. It would take only around 0.3% of the world's land area to supply all of our electricity needs via solar power. Pakistan is going through a very severe energy crisis right now. Though Pakistan has got a lot on its plate right now, solving this issue would eradicate dozens...
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...May 25th, 2010 English 1010 Prof. Mrs. Betancourt Energy emergency! Starting from humanity history, humans have been trying to create and establish new things to have better conditions at life. We know from physics lessons that if we want to do a new invention, we need energy in progress. The variety of energy sources actually enables people to obtain their needs in terms of this issue. Due to this fact, the usage of those energy sources has beneficial effects when they are used in the right progress. Sustainable and renewable energy sources such as solar, wind; hydro, oceanic and geothermal energies provide the needed energy for people efficiently and are the best options to improve our planet future. Firstly, economic benefits are very important for societies nowadays in the world. As a result of this, societies are trying to find cheaper way to produce energy. Here we can suggest geothermal energy. The source of geothermal energy is hot underground water. This kind of water can be found by sounding and this technique is not expensive. After making canals that water flow inside it is enough to finalize the progress. Energy types which are produced by sun are example of this situation. Besides from the normal risks, geothermal energy can also provide a cleaner source of energy. According to Energy Consumers Edge (ECE) “geothermal energy use does entail some environmental impact, but it is safe to say that the environmental benefits far outweigh the costs’’. Most geothermal...
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...INTRODUCTION Solar energy, energy that comes from the sun, dates back from the 7th Century B.C. This energy is radiant light and heat from the sun which also makes it a renewable energy that is reliable. It started off with people using magnifying glasses to burn ants with the strong sun rays and now we use it for electricity purposes. I have noticed many schools and buildings around my city have had solar power systems installed on the roof tops and in the parking lot. It shows that this is a popular technology that is going to keep growing in the next few years. SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS Solar energy can be used in two different ways in agriculture. There is a solar system that converts solar energy to D.C power and there is a solar system that converts solar energy to heat. Solar energy electricity, also called photovoltaics, can be used to power water pumps or it can be stored in a battery for night use. Systems that use the sun’s energy to create heat can be used in the process of drying crops and grains and water heating. As the usage in solar power is expanding, the more workers solar energy companies will be needing. I read an article on the internet that stated “ The solar power industry employs a wide range of occupations in a number of major industry segments: research and development, manufacturing of solar power materials, construction of solar power plants, operations of solar power plants, and solar power installation and maintenance”. If all goes well there...
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...such as the semiconductor-based solar cell, that would allow humans to produce energy in a way that is very similar to that of a plant’s photosynthetic process. In this paper, I will compare and contrast the photosynthetic process with that of semiconductor-based solar cells in their capacities to generate energy while also explaining the application of thermodynamics to each process. In order to discuss the photosynthesis and the semiconductor-based solar cell, it is crucial to understand what is involved in each process and how they could be different or the same. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants and some bacteria use the energy from sunlight to produce sugar, which cellular respiration converts into ATP, the fuel used by all living things. The solar cell connects solar energy to convert it into electricity, which is required by all humans. This process can be understood as solar electricity, which is created by using Photovoltaic technology, which is converting solar energy into solar electricity from sunlight. This system is providing sunlight to everyday use constituents such as computers, lighting and electrical equipment. The foremost contrast between photosynthesis and semiconductor-based solar cells is that they require solar energy, or sunlight, to commence the processes. In photosynthesis, plants use chlorophyll, often found in green leaves, to engross solar energy from the sun. Likewise, a semiconductor-based solar cell utilizes photovoltaic (PV)...
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...With all this talk about fossil fuels polluting our earth, I have failed to demonstrate why solar energy is the superior "clean" alternative. Solar energy is a "clean" energy source because it takes the suns energy and converts it to usable energy without any pollution. The article "How Solar Power Works" explains this process. Solar panels contain cells made of silicon under a layer of glass for protection. These cells, when hit by sunlight, generate what they call electron activity. This electron activity is what creates the energy and that energy can then be stored in a battery or immediately used (Morris). Solar panels are not as "high tech" as I originally thought going into my research. This simple design eliminates the need for pollution....
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...sulfuric acid when the minerals are oxidized with air. This will lead to formation of acidic rain that may decay or crust the roofs of the houses and also increase the acidity of the soil leading to infertility of soils. When burning the coal to make a product it includes nitrogen dioxide, which leads to formation of photochemical smog and acid after oxidation with air. It can be the cause of respiratory diseases to both human beings and animals. Also, coal mining can’t provide the energy that we need for a life time. So, we should stop the coal mining on the Aborlan as early as we can, before all these dangerous effects happen to us. Alternative Energy Resource in Palawan As the time goes by, the energy needs of Palaweños are out of hand, so that alternatives of use of non-renewable and polluting fossil fuels are needed. Today, technology can make many alternatives that can help us to provide the energy we needed in our everyday life and sustain the non-renewable resources that we have. Solar energy is the best example of the...
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...Nguyen Randy Gifford English M01A March 16, 2015 Cause Paper for the Development of Solar Energy Our modern industrial civilization is based mostly on using fossil fuels for power plants to produce electricity and to fuel vehicles for transportation. Oil, which is the most precious and efficient source of energy, has already started to be exhausted due to heavy overpopulation, industrial demands, and scarcity of resources. The oil crisis in 1970 caused scientists all over the world to look for substitutes to fossil fuels to avoid economic and industrial collapses. Experts in the field of sustainable energy have turned their attention towards solar energy. Thomas Edison, the father of energy once said, “We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature's inexhaustible sources of energy — sun, wind, and tide.... 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” (Mathews 79). Solar energy is the safest, the most environment friendly, and one of the fastest developing sources of energy. The reasons that solar energy will dominate all other energy sources in the future are environmental concerns, renewability of the source, and technological adaptation for using solar power as a source. Solar technology utilizes the sun’s energy to produce electricity and does not rely on continual mining of raw materials. Consequently...
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...the City of Ottawa’s Environment and Energy Department on the topic of promoting green construction policies in Ottawa. After conducting detailed research into Ottawa’s energy usage and environment, I came to the conclusion that the new initiative should emphasize green construction in general and passive solar buildings in particular. The memo set out below provides an overview of the advantages of green construction, an explanation of passive solar buildings, and information about the encouragement of passive solar buildings in Ottawa. Advantages of Green Construction According to the Canadian Environment Report, buildings are collectively the largest consumer of energy in Ottawa, ahead of transportation, and they are also the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions (Government of Canada, 2014). The growth of our communities has a major impact on our natural environment. The design, construction, and operation of the buildings in which we live and work have a significant impact on our natural resources. The common objective of all forms of green construction is the reduction of the overall impact of the built environment on human health and on the natural environment. This overall objective has three main elements. The first element is energy efficiency. Green construction can reduce the requirements for operating energy, which may make up as much as 30 percent of overall life-cycle energy consumption (National Renewable Energy Laboratory, n.d.). The second element...
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...Renewable Energy Sources The Sustainability Revolution John C. Ayers "In a sense, the fossil fuels are a one-time gift that lifted us up from subsistence agriculture and should eventually lead us to a future based on renewable resources." Kenneth Deffeyes (2001) "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." — Thomas Edison, 1931 We cannot create or destroy energy. We can only capture it. The sun provides either directly or indirectly nearly all of the energy available to us. Plants capture solar energy directly through photosynthesis. Fossil fuels contain the energy of sunlight captured hundreds of millions of years ago. Photovoltaic (PV) cells also capture sunlight energy directly. Other energy sources capture the energy of sunlight indirectly. Heat from the sun powers the flowing air and water. We usually capture the kinetic energy of wind and water by using turbines that transfer the energy to an alternator, an electrical generator that produces alternating current. Geothermal energy is different in that it captures flowing heat energy produced by radioactive decay in the earth’s interior. In this chapter we will see that Wind, Water, and Sun (WWS) energy sources are sustainable because they are renewable, clean, safe, and nearly carbon-free. Although they have low energy densities, meaning that they require large areas of land or water to produce energy, they are...
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...CHAPTER ONE Introduction Background: Solar energy has been recognized over the years as a reliable and alternative source of energy. Solar energy is the energy that comes to the earth from the sun. It is commonly known as sunlight. This energy arrives in form of electromagnetic radiation, which is energy that travels in waves. A variety of modern technology is able to capture, convert and distribute solar energy mainly in forms of electricity and heat. The sun is by far the earth’s most available energy resource. If more of it could be harnessed which is just a matter of time, it will provide more than ten times the today’s global demand for energy. It is well recognized because of the energy generation process, which is clean because the source is renewable not a natural resource and it is abundant enough to satisfy the demands of the whole world with future advancements in technology. Solar technologies are broadly characterized into two active and passive. The difference between the active and passive solar techniques is due to their collection, conversion and distribution. The active solar technique which is the main topic is the use of solar energy to replace other sources making it the main supply, while the passive technique is the use of solar energy as a back up or and alternate source of energy incase of any problems with the main supply. The main benefit of solar energy is the fact that it is not only sustainable, it is renewable and this means you can never...
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...Title: SOLAR ENERGY: “SUNLIGHT into USEFUL ELECTRICITY” >Introduction< In today's climate of growing energy needs and increasing environmental concern, alternatives to the use of non-renewable and polluting fossil fuels have to be investigated. One such alternative is solar energy. Solar energy is quite simply the energy produced directly by the sun and collected elsewhere, normally the Earth. The sun creates its energy through a thermonuclear process that converts about 650,000,000 tons of hydrogen to helium every second. The process creates heat and electromagnetic radiation. The heat remains in the sun and is instrumental in maintaining the thermonuclear reaction. The electromagnetic radiation (including visible light, infra-red light, and ultra-violet radiation) streams out into space in all directions. Only a very small fraction of the total radiation produced reaches the Earth. The radiation that does reach the Earth is the indirect source of nearly every type of energy used today. The exceptions are geothermal energy, and nuclear fission and fusion. Even fossil fuels owe their origins to the sun; they were once living plants and animals whose life was dependent upon the sun. The sun is an inexhaustible source of energy. Solar energy is radiant energy from the sun caused by nuclear fusion in the sun’s core. The sun’s radiant energy reaches the earth in rays of sunlight. Solar energy in the form of heat and light sustains life on earth. Solar energy can also...
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...What energy resources do you currently rely on in your everyday life? List and discuss at least three energy resources being utilized in your regular routine. Be sure to consider the energy that you use at home, during travel and at work or school. What are the origins of the energy sources? Are they renewable or non renewable? What impacts have been observed on both humans and the environment as a result of increasing energy needs and use? Be sure to discuss both short term and long term impacts. If you were to seek a new energy resource for your home, what would you choose? List specific reasons to justify your choice of an alternative energy resource? What challenges do you anticipate in implementing energy resource? How can simple changes make a big impact? Discuss three ways to conserve energy in your routine life. Consider home, work, transportation, and consumption of food and goods. Include supporting evidence from documented sources on how these methods for conserving energy will help reduce overall consumption of energy. The first energy resource would be Nuclear Energy. I use electric every day, we all do. We turn on lights, use heat or air conditioning. We also watch television listen to music or charging our cell phones and computers. We have to have electric to do that. This source of energy is renewable. The Origin of Nuclear Energy comes from power plants all over the U.S. "Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear...
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...ore facts about geothermal energy include that there was about 33 MW of geothermal power online in Oregon producing 165 GWh in 2013, the latest industry survey identified 19 projects under development in Oregon of additional power within the next few years if appropriate contracts are secured, Geothermal power projects have the lowest land density compared to any other renewable power technology, and the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that there are an additional 500 MW of discovered geothermal power resources in Oregon and 1,800 MW of undiscovered resources. Solar energy is another good resource option for Oregon to strongly consider, even though it seems like it wouldn’t be. The Oregon Solar Energy Industries Association (OSEIA) founded in 1981, promotes and advances solar energy utilization. Solar Oregon gives job opportunities and offers volunteer opportunity. Although Oregon is known for being cloudy and rainy, however, Portland General Electric (PGE) says the western Oregon actually receives as much solar energy as the national average, and will produce as much energy as the same system installed in Florida. Values of solar energy include clean energy, lowered accumulative electricity cost, and adds value to your property. The cost of solar panels in Oregon is 95 cents per watt, up to a maximum of $9,500 for energy trusts. Solar energy is obviously a renewable resource, because it comes from the sun. The sun is not going to run out of energy until long after we’re gone...
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