Get Instant Help From 5000+ Experts For
question

Writing: Get your essay and assignment written from scratch by PhD expert

Rewriting: Paraphrase or rewrite your friend's essay with similar meaning at reduced cost

Editing:Proofread your work by experts and improve grade at Lowest cost

And Improve Your Grades
myassignmenthelp.com
loader
Phone no. Missing!

Enter phone no. to receive critical updates and urgent messages !

Attach file

Error goes here

Files Missing!

Please upload all relevant files for quick & complete assistance.

Guaranteed Higher Grade!
Free Quote
wave

You will write a pros and cons of an energy source that you believe has the most potential for widespread use as an alternative to fossil fuels for electricity generation.


Some suggestions include:

  • Nuclear power
  • Solar power
  • Wind energy
  • Geothermal energy

You are not limited to the above choices. There are other alternative and/or renewable fuels (hydropower, biomass, etc.). If your research leads you to an energy source not listed here, you may discuss that source in your paper.


The discussion should cover the following:


1. General discussion of your chosen energy source (how does it work?)
2. Pros and cons of its use and challenges that must be overcome
3. Economic considerations
4. Discussion of why the source(s) is the most reasonable alternative for widespread use.

Advantages of Solar Power

Sources of energy such as nuclear power, wind power, solar power, and geothermal power have the potential for use as alternatives to fossil fuels. However, solar power has the most potential for widespread use as alternative fossil fuels for generating electricity. While solar power has many advantages, and therefore, the most viable for this task, it also has several disadvantages and researchers are looking for practical ways of overcoming them.

The energy from the sun is converted into thermal or electrical energy using devices like solar panels, and the product is what is known as solar power. This type of energy is the cleanest, safest, and most abundant source of renewable energy.  According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, many developed countries including the U.S.  has developed advanced technology that harnesses solar energy for a variety of uses, including industrial use, heating water for domestic use, commercial use, providing lighting, and generating electricity (Schill et al., 2017; (Solar Energy, n. d.).

The solar industry relies on several ways to harness this energy.  The industry uses photovoltaic, passive power, concentrating solar power, and solar heating and cooling. The industry, however, still faces certain challenges and is working on scaling up the production of solar technology and bringing down both the manufacturing and installation costs (Solar Energy, n. d.).

A major benefit of solar energy is that it is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.  According to Akbarzadeh and others, Fossil fuels have an expiration data that quickly approach (Akbarzadeh et al., 2009). However, NASA has established that the sun is likely going to be around for at least several billion years. The sun also provides over 73,000 terawatts of solar energy every day, and that is 10,000 times the amount of energy the whole world requires per day. This supply is enormous, making the need to develop the appropriate technology to harness an emergency (Pimentel, 2008).

Solar energy also has a significantly lower environmental impact than fossil fuels.  Since the technology requires no fuel combustion, the sun’s greenhouse effect is inconsequential. However, the major downside to solar technology is it can produce several toxic chemicals as electronics do. In addition, as the use of solar energy becomes more popular by the day, the problem of disposing of the hazardous materials could become a major problem. Nonetheless, there is hope that research will help discover ways of meeting the challenge of proper disposal of wastes. If this happens successfully, solar energy will become a more attractive alternative to fossil fuels given the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (Pimentel, 2008).

Disadvantages of Solar Power

Another important factor is the independence of solar energy.  The Sun shines in all countries, and this makes all countries potential energy producers. The independence allows for greater energy security. Other than bringing independence and security at the national level, solar energy has the potential to make every home to use their own solar panels and reap the benefits of using a power source that is not connected to a larger electrical grid (Pimentel, 2008; Hantula & Voege, 2010).

While the above features make solar energy the most attractive for widespread use as an alternative to fossil fuels for the production of electricity, solar energy has cons as well that the world must overcome before it can fully benefit from this type of energy. There is the problem of intermittency. The energy can only be generated when the sun is shining, which means overcast and night time can affect the production of energy.  For solar energy to remain the best option, it is critical that low-cost ways of storing energy be created. The amount of energy that can be harnessed from the sun in a day is far much than the whole world needs. Germany is one of the countries that appreciate this and has already started creating adequate storage to sort out this particular issue (Hantula & Voege, 2010).

Another problem concerns land use. Many experts are concerned that solar energy may take large tracks of land and lead to habitat loss for world life and land degradation. Credible studies show that large utility-scale PV systems require approximately 3.5 to 10 acres per megawatt.  At the same time, CSP facilities require about four to 16.5 acres per megawatt. This land use issue has moved different actors to oppose plans to turn to solar energy.  However, research has indicated that the impact of these facilities on the environment can be limited by placing them in low-quality areas or along corridors that are used for transportation and transmission (Hantula & Voege, 2010).

The scarcity of material is another major concern. Armentrout and Armentrout (2009) say some solar technologies require materials that are scarce for their production.  The fact that there are known reserves already makes it easier to deal with this issue. It is possible to deal with this matter by recycling PV materials and advancing nanotechnology.  A better way, however, would be finding material substitutes that available of greater abundance.

Ways to Harness Solar Energy

Whether solar energy is cheaper than fossil fuels is one of the most debatable aspects on the pros and cons list.  Critics in many countries consider that solar energy is a costly tax-payer-funded project. However, that is not always the case. The U.S. government, for example, spends a lot of money yearly to subsidize fossil fuels as well (Solar Energy, n.d.).

Solar power is the most cost-effective source of energy in the world when there is no any subsidy. The best way to look at this controversy, therefore, is to compare solar energy and fossil fuels without factoring in subsidy by studying global energy prices. Global coal, for example, has been historically priced at an average of $0.06/kWh. No alternative energy source came closer to rivaling that rate until the past decade. On the other hand, the price of fossil fuel averages about $0.05 cents/kWh. At the same time, small-scale natural gas can go for as little as $.03 cent/kWh. When a commercial solar installation bid the lowest price ever for PV at $0.029 cents/kWh in 2016, the world was shocked because of this.  This particular action effectively leveled the playing ground between fossil fuels and solar energy’s cheapest offerings. Companies in Germany, the U.S., and other countries are currently building solar PV projects because they understand this difference (Solar Energy, n.d.).

Many factors work together to make solar energy the most reasonable alternative for widespread use. Foremost, the fact that the source of energy is renewable, as opposed to others such as fossil fuels, coal, and nuclear, makes it convenient for widespread use. With the right technology, nationals and individuals can make use of it for several years without running into shortage. As already indicated, the sun will be around for at least a few billion years. The Sun also offers an abundant supply of energy, more than 10, 000 times of the world’s daily need. In addition, solar energy is sustainable. It can meet the needs of the current generation without negatively affecting the lives of future generations. The sun is also available in almost all parts of the world.  Countries that are far from the Equator such as Germany have already developed a high capacity of solar power in the world (Pros and Cons of the Renewable Energy, 2014; Harat, 2008).

Conclusion

This analysis indicates that solar energy is the most viable alternative to fossil fuels because of its sustainability, availability, renewability, and cost. However, there is need to develop low-cost ways of storing the energy, identify low-quality areas where the facilities can be placed, and continue investing in research and development activities.

References

Akbarzadeh, A., Johnson, P., & Singh, R. (2009). Examining potential benefits of combining a chimney with a salinity gradient solar pond for production of power in salt affected areas. Solar Energy, 83(8), 1345-1359. doi:10.1016/j.solener.2009.02.010

Alternative Sources of Energy. (2006). Integration of Alternative Sources of Energy, 1-27. doi:10.1002/0471755621.ch1

Armentrout, D., & Armentrout, P. (2009). Solar energy. Vero Beach, Fla..: Rourke Pub.

Hantula, R., & Voege, D. (2010). Solar power. New York, NY: Chelsea Clubhouse.

Harat, A. (2008). Excursion guide - Morava 2008: topic: alternative sources of energy = (alternatywne z?ro?d?a energii). Ostrava: VS?B - Technicka? univerzita Ostrava.

Pimentel, D. (2008). Biofuels, solar and wind as renewable energy systems: benefits and risks. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.

Pros and Cons of the Renewable Energy Application. (2014). Acta Polytechnica Hungarica, 11(4). doi:10.12700/aph.25.04.2014.04.14

Schill, W., Zerrahn, A., & Kunz, F. (2017). Prosumage of solar electricity: pros, cons, and the system perspective. Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy, 6(1). doi:10.5547/2160-5890.6.1.wsch

Solar Energy. (n.d.). Retrieved May 25, 2017, from https://www.seia.org/about/solar-energy

Solar energy technology and clean energy jobs: hearing before the Subcommittee on Green Jobs and the New Economy of the Committee on Environment and Public Works, United States Senate, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, second session, January 28, 2010. (2016). Washington: U.S. Government Publishing Office.

Cite This Work

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below:

My Assignment Help. (2021). Solar Power As An Alternative To Fossil Fuels Is An Essay.. Retrieved from https://myassignmenthelp.com/free-samples/bem3501-air-quality/solar-energy.html.

"Solar Power As An Alternative To Fossil Fuels Is An Essay.." My Assignment Help, 2021, https://myassignmenthelp.com/free-samples/bem3501-air-quality/solar-energy.html.

My Assignment Help (2021) Solar Power As An Alternative To Fossil Fuels Is An Essay. [Online]. Available from: https://myassignmenthelp.com/free-samples/bem3501-air-quality/solar-energy.html
[Accessed 29 March 2024].

My Assignment Help. 'Solar Power As An Alternative To Fossil Fuels Is An Essay.' (My Assignment Help, 2021) <https://myassignmenthelp.com/free-samples/bem3501-air-quality/solar-energy.html> accessed 29 March 2024.

My Assignment Help. Solar Power As An Alternative To Fossil Fuels Is An Essay. [Internet]. My Assignment Help. 2021 [cited 29 March 2024]. Available from: https://myassignmenthelp.com/free-samples/bem3501-air-quality/solar-energy.html.

Get instant help from 5000+ experts for
question

Writing: Get your essay and assignment written from scratch by PhD expert

Rewriting: Paraphrase or rewrite your friend's essay with similar meaning at reduced cost

Editing: Proofread your work by experts and improve grade at Lowest cost

loader
250 words
Phone no. Missing!

Enter phone no. to receive critical updates and urgent messages !

Attach file

Error goes here

Files Missing!

Please upload all relevant files for quick & complete assistance.

Plagiarism checker
Verify originality of an essay
essay
Generate unique essays in a jiffy
Plagiarism checker
Cite sources with ease
support
Whatsapp
callback
sales
sales chat
Whatsapp
callback
sales chat
close