Energy - Solar

Energy- Blog Assignment

This was the hardest blog assignment of the nine required topics.

I have very little knowledge about energy and/or alternative sources of electricity. I felt the need to do a lot of research before deciding which direction I would go for my assignment.

Currently, primary energy resources are non-renewable and called nuclear or fossil fuels which are oil, coal, and natural gas. These cause the most air pollution: acid rain, smog, carbon monoxide, and greenhouse gases.

Renewable resources are: Hydroelectricpower, Biomass and Biofuel, Solar Power, Wind Power, Geothermal, and Tidal energy.

Coal emits 25% more carbon monoxide than an equal amount of oil and 80% more than an equal amount of natural gas and it release sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. I figured my research needed to target the largest user of coal, electricity power plants.

While there are several disadvantages for different alternatives, energy storage appears to be the largest obstacle. Most electricity is used as soon as it is generated. The advantages outweigh the disadvantages in many cases only if you have the initial investment. I will focus on one alternative energy source.

Solar Energy – Solar Energy is probably the most common form of alternate energy that people are familiar with and have seen. Governments have offered grants to assist in paying for photovoltaic roof tiles; these tiles are fit to your roof and collect the heat from the sun. This heat can either be used to heat water or can even be converted into electricity. The advantage for the consumer is that by including a grid tie system you can sell unused electricity back to the grid. (www.electricityforum.com)

Ø Solar Energy is measured in kilowatt-hour (kwh), 1 kilowatt = 1000 watts Ø 1 kilowatt-hour=the amount of electricity required to burn a 100 watt light bulb for 10 hours Ø Average American household used approximately 866-kwh per month costing them $70.68

www.facts-about-solar-energy.com

v A home solar system is typically made up of solar panels, an inverter, a battery, a charge controller, wiring and support structure.

v A 1-kilowatt home solar system takes about 1-2 days to install and costs around US$10,000, but can vary greatly and does not take into account any incentives offered by the government.

v A 1-kilowatt home solar system consists of about 10-12 solar panels and requires about 100 square feet of installation area.

v A 1 kilowatt home solar system will generate approximately 1,600 kilowatt hours per year in a sunny climate (receiving 5.5 hours of sunshine per day) and approximately 750 kilowatt hours per year in a cloudy climate (receiving 2.5 hours of sunshine per day).

v A 1-kilowatt home solar system will prevent approximately 170 lbs. of coal from being burned, 300 lbs of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere and 105 gallons of water from being consumed each month.

v About 40 solar cells are usually combined into a solar panel and around 10-12 panels mounted in an array facing due North to receive maximum sunlight.

v The system usually comes with a 5-year warranty, although the solar panels are warranted for 20.

v Relying on the battery back up, a solar energy system can provide electricity 24x7, even on cloudy days and at night.

v Solar energy can be collected and stored in batteries, reflected, insulated, absorbed and transmitted.

Although Solar energy is becoming more popular, the costs and lack of education prevent the larger masses from participating at this time.