Solar Energy

Introduction

Instead of using energy from the sun, the alternative exists to use wind power or energy from water – using the tides, wave energy or the energy of rivers. However, these requirements are not yet being met throughout the world. Energy from the sun is sufficient all over the world and even in the very north of Europe or in the south of America, the sun could deliver enough energy to meet human energy demands if we were to effectively use it.

Depending on the season and the sunset times, in Europe there are between 200 and 1000 W/m² of energy available from the sun. One way to save the energy is through the use of a collector: the energy from the sun’s rays are gathered in a collector and then travel to a heat transfer system, and from there to the end-user, or alternatively stored for future use. A simple analogy of this process is the garden hose. In summertime the sun can heat up the water in the garden hose to a temperature of 60° C, even in the north of Europe. This demonstrates how the sun’s energy could be used for heating water - for swimming baths or showers at home. These technologies need effective heat insulation so that energy is not lost during the night or on cooler days.

Another system is the solar cell - an electrical component which converts the sun’s rays into electrical energy. An example of this technology is a solar-powered calculator, as commonly used throughout the world.

There are further technical details regarding how these technologies work, however for the time being I would like to focus on my main topic: the benefits of using solar energy.

Globalisation = more energy

As previously stated, the world population has increasing energy demands, and more resources are needed to provide this energy. At the current rate of population growth, by 2050 there will be an estimated 9 billion people on earth, all needing energy. The amount of energy required per person is also increasing, as people seek greater independence, freedom and mobility – all factors which result in globalisation. For example the world’s fleet of cars actually grows faster than the human population does, and industrialisation continues to march on. However it is worth noting that energy consumption in industrial countries is disproportionate to that of developing nations. The industrial countries consume more than half of the world’s energy resources, despite constituting just one-seventh of the world population. For example, the USA accounts for 5% of the world population however they consume 26% the crude oil produced worldwide (Geitmann, Sven: Erneuerbare Energien und alternative Kraftstoffe, Kremmen 2004)1. And because of the progression of industrialisation in the less developed countries, combined with the fact that energy expenditure in the industrial nations is not regressing, new ways of creating energy must be developed.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Individual countries have the potential capacity to use sustainable energy, the disadvantage however is that sustainable energies are still more expensive than the conventional ways of generating energy – oil, gas, etc., despite recent increases in the price of electricity (in Germany). This is due to the high build costs of the technology, and despite the costs involved in, for example, decommissioning a coal power station and replacing it with a solar farm, the long term financial rewards and environmental benefits make it arguably a viable solution. The disposal of by-products is also cheaper and more eco-friendly than for example, radioactive waste (Hennicke, Peter: Erneuerbare Energien, München 2007)2.

Another advantage of using sustainable energy is the independence it offers countries in terms of energy importations. If Germany produced enough sustainable energy for heating they would negate the need to import oil from Russia or Norway (http://www.agenda21-treffpunkt.de/archiv/09/daten/g2641.htm)3. This would avoid conflicts of feed stock and would enable them to save their own supplies. Essentially, widespread sustainable energy could reduce conflicts of resources and effectively make a contribution towards peace on earth.

Also, with sophisticated technologies, sustainable energy could even aid the advancement of poorer countries. With working and reliable electricity, these parts of the planet could enjoy an improved economy, would have better ways of communication and could establish better school systems. So sustainable energy can also become an important part of poverty reduction. It is also important to mention that feed stock is unequally distributed but not in the same way that fossil fuels are (Hennicke, Peter: Erneuerbare Energien, München 2007)4.

Typically, sustainable energy is based on local energy sources, meaning that it plays a part in contributing to the regional value. This could not only create more jobs, but also allow for more future economic planning. So as well as being positive regionally, good energy technologies could also be positive for the export market (Hennicke, Peter: Erneuerbare Energien, München 2007).5

In conclusion, sustainable energy brings many benefits, however there are still several obstacles to overcome before this type of energy is established.

Progress today and tomorrow

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References

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