Solar Energy

Solar Energy
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Solar panels have gained popularity as a way of generating electricity. Reports indicate that the solar energy uptake quadrupled in a span of one year between 2009 and 2010 in the US. Sixty percent increase in solar energy uptake was noted in countries such as Australia, Germany, India, Spain, Italy and China over the same period (Pavlovic, Radonjic and Milosavljevic 3896). Solar panels use technologies to convert sunlight into either thermal or electrical energy. The size of a solar panel depends on whether it is for utility or distributed scale. The distributed scale systems produce less than one megawatt and are installed on rooftops of different facilities. Utility scale systems are located in large geographical areas and generate more than one megawatt (Hernandez, Easter and Murphy-Mrisacal 768).
Solar devices can be classified into solar thermal collectors and solar electricity. The thermal collectors utilize dark panels on rooftops that gather heat and use it to heat water that circulates through the panel. Some panels are also connected with turbines that use the steam from the boiled water steam to create rotational energy that is then converted into electricity through a generator. The solar electricity devices use photovoltaic that transform the light from the sun into electricity. These devices contain two layers of semiconductor material made from silicon. The photovoltaic cells capture solar rays when light lands on the silicon that converts it into electrons. The metallic grid conducts the electrons as direct current which is transmitted through an inverter as alternating current.
Solar power does not get depleted which makes it a reliable source of energy in different contexts and in varying weather conditions. They convert daylight into electricity which guarantees consistent electricity supply even on cloudy days (Daily Mail). They however are more efficient during sunny days. The panels are also environmental friendly in the sense that they are silent, they do not produce emissions and require no extra energy to run. There is a global call for countries to reduce the rate of greenhouse emissions in compliance with various international agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol. The panels are minimal pollution sources that conform to such agreements (Kalogirou 3075).
Some governments like the US has instituted subsidies in the form of tax free return for every energy unit of electricity that one generates through solar panels. This is in a bid to encourage more citizens to utilize renewable energy. It ensures double benefits for those using solar panels to generate emery because the energy is free and the government through the power company offers rebates once in every three months. Customers are less dependent on grid power and they also receive tax-free income when they sell the solar generated power to the national grid. Families of four in a three bedroom house, in the UK can make savings of about eight hundred dollars per year (Daily Mail 3).
Solar home systems have less economic and environmental implications in availing electricity to people in developing countries that suffer from deprived electricity supply. It is cheaper than grid expansion to rural areas in developing countries. This is because grid expansion requires substantial financial investment in developing the appropriate infrastructure such as transmission lines and power substations. Grid electricity also runs on fossil fuels which release large amounts of greenhouse gases (Komatsu, Kaneko and Ghosh 4022).
One of the disadvantages of photovoltaic systems for households is the fact that their potential to generate electricity is limited. This low unit range restricts households to use ...