Solar Energy

What will our world be like if/ when we run out of energy? We have become too reliant on our current source of energy and with the never ending demands we could be on a path to turmoil. Solar energy has it's ups and downs but the ups definitely outweigh the downs. Solar panels may be expensive at the beginning but they do pay for themselves over the course of their life spans.

Photovoltaics which is more commonly known as solar power is our source for renewable energy. The energy is created by the sun and as long as we have sun, we will have power. When the solar panels are hit by the sun energy is created. Photovoltaic cells are made from semi-conducting materials which help to convert light into electricity. The solar cells are made up of silicon which consists of two thin layers of semi-conducting materials. The stronger the sunlight is, the stronger our flow of energy will be. This energy source is great because it is sustainable. Another benefit to solar energy is that it is free to harvest.

Some of the drawbacks to Photovoltaics are that to create the solar panels themselves, the process unlike fossil fuel based technologies the solar photovoltaic power does not lead to any harmful emissions during operation but the production of the panel's leads to some pollution. Another drawback is the lack of reliability. Since photovoltaics are dependent on the sun to produce energy, weather and the absence of sun, eliminate energy production. Finally, the cost of installation of photovoltaics is a drawback because it is not affordable to the population as a whole. In many cases, the installation requires the money up front and people may need to take out a loan to pay for it. Not everyone has the ability to take these loans out so this may cause a problem.

The cost of the installation of these solar devices may differ based on a few things. The location is one of them. The weather in certain locations plays a large role in the cost. Another is the angle of the roof which determines the angle of the panel. Production costs of solar panels are high due to the shortages in silicon and high installation costs. Current solar technology produces electricity at about 3 - 6 times more expensive than the rate of current prices. We are a little behind on that aspect so we still have some work to do in finding cheaper methods to produce these panels. The maintenance may change also depending on the location. In cold weather areas, the cost will rise to maintain and will need more insulation. For those people in the temperate regions the cost may be lower because they do not require a lot of insulation. However, the high cost of installation may be worth it because the electric bill will decrease as the years pass.

With the demands for energy always growing we cannot continue to rely of fossil fuels. Unless something is done, we will eventually run out of our current energy supply. A world without energy