Evan Grottenthaler

8/9/16
Solar Energy and its Future

The mining and usage of fossil fuels has been a significant discussion within the past
decade or two. There are arguments concerning the extraction of these fuels and how they have
been destructing landscapes and diluting our valuable water reserve in the process. On the other
hand, the combustion of these fuels have been scientifically proven to release CO2 emissions
into our atmosphere, causing air pollution and stress to our environment. The problem is that
fossil fuels are a destructive and diminishable resource. This appears to be an inevitable loop
towards total earth degradation. We humans continue to depend on fossil fuels for sources of
electricity, heating, cooking, transportation, and the list goes on. We are not hopeless, however.
In the more recent years, teams have been working constructively for alternatives to fossil fuels.
Some examples are biomass, nuclear, wind generators, hydraulic powering, and the use of solar
panels. Many professions are built around formulating new and innovative ideas to conduct
energy using our environment in a non-harmful way. One of our fresher approaches is the
capture of solar power from the sun. What is more plentiful then the sun itself? Nothing, it is
inextinguishable. The sun continues to shine multiple hours of the day in majority of regions in
the U.S. This alternate energy approach has just come to our attention in the more recent years,
so there is a large window for expansion and employment. There is also plenty of room for
improvement for solar panels, which are responsible for the transition of sunlight to energy.
Currently, scientists are working every day in attempt to make this alternative energy as efficient
as possible. My goal while conducting research is to better understand the process of the solar
panel and compare its costs and benefits (both economically and environmentally) with fossil
fuels such as gasoline. I think it is important to learn how efficient they really are compared to

fossil fuels and how much of a positive impact it makes as we direct our sights towards
environmentally driven electricity. We can use the never ending force of sun radiation in our
quest to ease the environmental pain of climate change and environmental deprivation.
A fossil fuel is a constituent frequently residing underground comprised of crude oil,
natural gas, and coal. Gasoline is a byproduct of these fuels. Hydrocarbons have a heavy
presence in all types fossil fuels. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration,
Gasoline is a toxic and highly flammable liquid. The vapors given off when gasoline evaporates
and the substances produced when it is burned (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate
matter, and unburned hydrocarbons) contribute to air pollution. Burning gasoline also produces
carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas linked to global climate change. The Oil and natural gas
industry is also the largest emitter of volatile organic compounds, also known as VOCs. They are
chemicals that can formulate smog which is interconnected with a long range of effects including
asthma, increased hospital visits, and premature death. Not just that, but the industry is also
significantly responsible for methane (CH4), a very powerful toxin, along with other gases such
as benzene, ethylbenzene, and hexane. CO2, on the other hand, is the most responsible for global
warming than any other greenhouse gas. According to NASA, the increase in industrial practices
in the past century has raised our carbon dioxide levels from 280 parts per million in the air to
400 parts per million. In turn, these suspended solids are acting as a blanket, disallowing earths
heat to exit our atmosphere. This results in multiple issues concerning oscillation effects, sealevel rise, melting of our ice caps at the poles, and a semi-permanent temperature increase. The
reason I say semi-permanent is because I believe we can make a change. In this case, we want to
decrease the amount of fossil fuels burned, which is quite clearly the leading cause of CO2
discharges and global warming. Even a slight temperature rise is enough to cause a solid

transformation on the earth we live on. The immense carbon dioxide is only one of many issues
when dealing with fossil fuels. Land will lose its beauty and water will be contaminated. Workers
on site will argue that their methods are safe, but there is plenty of physical proof saying
otherwise. Another argument is that they will compensate you well for using your land. Have
you ever stopped to think about its selling value once it has been used up? Aside from the extra
noise and transportation in your local area, air quality will diminish and youll be stuck on the
smokers side of the restaurant, metaphorically, of course. Trenching, dumping, clearing, traffic,
and of course drilling will all assist pollution, particularly in your backyard. Dont get me wrong,
I am not completely against drilling; I believe that there is a time and a place for everything. I
think that all the people who would like to bring it to a complete halt are not entirely familiar
with the circumstances. America is already in deep debt to begin with. If we cease local drilling
we would be forced to pay boat loads of money to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting
Countries, which is comprised mainly of the Middle-East. On that note, this is an international
issue, as well. Just because it isnt in your backyard anymore doesnt mean you wont be affected
by global warming. If that would be the case, our polar glaciers would be just fine being that
there is little drilling in those areas. The polar ice caps are perhaps the best evidence that global
warming does, in fact, exist. The true answer is change. We need to learn to adapt to what is
given to us. We need to advance our technologies in alternate energy as we use fossil fuels
responsibly, as we do currently need it.
Solar electricity is a clean and safe alternative to fossil fuels. The sun is abundant and
reoccurring. The Union of Concerned Scientists states that, The suns energy contains about
1,300 watts per square meter. Just 18 days of sunshine on Earth contains the same amount of
energy as is stored in all of the planets reserves of coal, oil, and natural gas. From that we can

conclude that proceeding to research solar energy is an advantageous move for our future. As I
stated, the use of solar power has only come to our attention in more recent years. The discovery,
on the other hand, not so much. It is not so surprising to find out that our well-known Albert
Einstein made a unique discovery in 1905 concerning the photo theory of light, which defines
how light can free electrons on a metal surface. In 1954 Gerald Pearson, Calvin Fuller, and
David Chapin of Bell Labs created the worlds first solar cell, also known as the photovoltaic
cell. The photovoltaic (PV) panels are responsible for capturing the sunlight, or photo cells, and
converting them directly into electricity. PV cells are comprised of two layers of silicon
semiconductor crystals. A semiconductor is typically a poor conductor of electricity, but this is
intentional. The doping effect is a process of adding impurities on purpose as it produces a
preferred electrical result through a chemistry theory called the octet rule. The octet rule
basically implies that elements tend to combine so that each atom has eight electrons in its
valence shell. Referring back to silicon, the element has 14 electrons but 3 shells. The two inner
shells which can only hold up to 2 for the first and 8 for the second disperses its last 4 into the
outer valence (third) shell. Being that the silicon shell is half full, the PV cells is typically doped
with boron, a positive charge, and phosphorous, a negative charge. Imagine how a battery works;
the electric field allows electrons to flow from the p-layer to the n-layer. Thus, making the sun
rays their impurity which scatters electrons amongst the crystalline structure of silicon. I can
spend all day explaining the chemical processes in depth, but Id like to direct our attention to the
importance of representing the positives of this alternative renewable energy. This electricity
system can be used on small-scale (rooftop systems) or large-scale (businesses and utilities).
One benefit when considering rooftop solar power is that it is most active when it is most
needed. From about 11am to 4pm, the sun is more than likely pressing at its highest level.

Coincidentally, thats when you will be needing the most for lighting, cooking, and airconditioning. Another aspect that differentiates them from fossil fuels and even other renewable
alternatives, such as wind or hydro, is that rooftop PV panels require no land space. As of 2015,
almost 800,000 PV systems have been installed on roof tops across the United States, according
to the Solar Energy Industries Association. The SEIA also estimated some 35 million potential
rooftops (residential or commercial) are suitable for PV, but have yet to oblige. On the larger
scale, fields of solar panels, called solar thermal power plants, use the gathered heat to boil water
which is then used to operate steam turbines. This process is similar to fossil fuel power plants
beside the fact that there are absolutely no pollution. This technology is very versatile. According
to National Geographic, solar cells generate energy for far-out places like satellites in Earths
orbit and cabins deep in the Rocky Mountains as easily as they can power downtown buildings
and futuristic cars. Solar energys rapid growth is apparent as we transition to a generation of
improving technologies. Scientists may be able to make predictions involving CO2 levels or
temperature rise in the future, but they are forgetting to include variables such as renewable
energy expansion.
You are probably wondering why we havent converted to PV panels completely after
everything we have just covered. There are still plenty of obstacles that need be overcome on our
adventure to stray away from the polluting fossil fuels. Solar powering can be expensive. Aside
from the constant upgrade of equipment, solar powering is still being used on a comparatively
small scale as opposed to concrete energys such as oil or gas. The U.S. government provides
incentives to multiple energy production markets. According to the Nuclear Energy Institute,
from years 1950 to 2010 renewable energy sources have received 74 billion dollars. That may
seem like a lot, but the oil industry has received 369 billion, natural gas received 121 billion, and

coal received 104 billion. Also, lets not forget that renewables are classified as both solar and
wind, so we can go ahead and cut solar powers incentives in half figuratively. Another aspect we
need to consider is that the sun is limited at certain times of the day. Oil and gas have been
admittedly competent and reliable through-out its wide-spread use. Predicting the weather may
be amongst one of the trickiest jobs on earth, in my opinion at least. Lets say a home decides to
go green and power exclusively on solar power. If the sun doesnt shine for a week, or even a
day, would that household be restricted to using less energy than usual, if any at all? This leads
us to the interconnected issue of energy storage. The technology that corresponds with storage
systems is also very expensive. I mentioned before that we use most of our electricity during the
day, but would energy in the middle of the night be a promise to us? Ill say it again, time,
technology, and collective efforts are necessary to make this form of energy more reliable and
efficient. There are no complete risk-free forms of energy in the world, but solar power is
amongst one of more pleasing ones. Lets not forget that it is renewable, sustainable,
conservative, continuous, and full of future achievements. Today, the technology only produces
less than one tenth of one percent (<0.01%) of global energy demand according to National
Geographic. I believe that this statistic has nothing to do with the future of solar power. The
Solar Energy Industries Association mentions that we expect the U.S. solar industry to install
14.5 GW (gigawatts) of volume by the end of 2016, which is near double the quantity installed in
a record-breaking 2015. Through the end of this decade, there will be robust growth, eventually
reaching a 20 GW annual solar market. These numbers are indeed unsubstantial
currently. According to the International Energy Agency, in the year of 2012 the United States
used 41,500 TWh (terawatts) which is equal to 41.5 million GW. Aside from solar energys poor
present influence, there more than 8,000 companies that work in solar in every state in the U.S.

There are roughly 200,000 workers in the solar field which is twice as much as 2010 and is
expected to be doubled again by 2020. According to The United States Bureau of Labor
Statistics, employment in the oil and gas well drilling industry is currently employing ~170,000
in the month of July, 2016 and their numbers have been dropping drastically within the past
couple of years. I would like to add, however, that this figure does not include fossil fuel power
plant workers, which would probably add another 100,000 or so. In my own experience, I
watched my cousin make a great living on the fracking site when he graduated college a few
years back. He had a beautiful home, a nice site truck, and plenty of people who cared about
him; but he moved down to Texas away from the ones he loved because he wasnt making
enough to support his family in Pennsylvania. Engineers and technicians all across the U.S. are
left unemployed after the decline of the oil boom. Im not so much defending the workers
involved in fossil fuel extraction, but Id like to challenge the government as to why they
directed so much attention to it in a short period of time. If some of that wealth was delivered to
other alternatives, would we be experiencing more advanced solar technologies? Would our
environment perhaps be in better physical shape than it is today? Not even experts can answer
these questions and thats why theyre classified as issues not solutions.
I was very excited to find out that on July 26 of this year we completed the first flight
around the world by a solar aircraft. The Solar Impulse landed in Abu Dhabi after a 25,000mile journey in 16 different stages that took over a year to complete, all without using a drop of
fuel. This is fantastic for our future. We did it just to promote clean technology. Continuing this,
we can do it attitude is positive reinforcement for the future renewables. We want people to
say, wow! I didnt think we could even do that. Familiarizing individuals with this evidence
makes people, such as myself, want to join the team. We need to understand that even though

crude oil and natural gas are our primary source, it is, in fact, reducible. Energies should be fixed
towards consistent sources such as hydropower, wind power, and certainly solar power.
California has already dominated the U.S. solar marketplace with 44% market share in 2015.
They have a program called The California Solar Initiative, which offers cash back for installing
solar in your homes. They are striving to create new solar electricity moving the state to a clean
energy future. We need other states to join their efforts. The cost to deploy solar systems has
dropped ~70% in the last 10 years and ~30% in the past 3 years alone. This allows the industry to
continuously expand permitting them to spread their innovative systems across the nation. The
future of solar energy is bright- no pun intended. Some researchers are attempting to increase the
amount of heat directed towards solar panels on homes. Other researchers are inventing windows
to be placed on sunny sides of buildings allowing heat-absorbent materials within the
infrastructure to absorb more. Another future technology involves plates on roofs that can heat
water in pipes to supply a house with hot water. What will be the next step? That may be up to
you to figure out.
Ultimately, we are entering renewable energy generation. There has been too much
dispute conversing drilling and climate change to continue on the path that we are on today.
From this research alone, I learned that there is too much potential for solar power to not direct
attention towards it. I believe that with the rapid expansion of solar energy and other clean
energy sources that we should be a nation strictly ran on renewable resources. By 2100, I believe
that our mission would be successful whether it is by choice, or simply because we ran out of
other options. I trust that CO2 emissions will eventually rebound. There are other expanding
technologies such as carbon sequestration to aid our environment as years go on. There are many
advanced corporations putting all their efforts towards recreating a green planet. It is important to

understand this issue even as a non-geographer as we learn to acclimate to these new

alternatives. As humans we naturally require to adapt to scenarios such as this. After learning so
much about renewable resources, I can confidently say that we will eventually be victorious in
the fight against global warming. I hope that in the near future we can continue to think of
solutions rather than pointing fingers at who is to blame. Aside from what we hear on the
evening news, I believe that we are entering an era of peace and containment quicker than most
would imagine. We have done it before and well do it again. In my experience, there couldnt be
a better time to be alive. I am ready to make the world a better place with my skills, and I hope
that you readers are by my side when we approach a pollution free, renewable powered future.

Property of

Works Cited

http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/renewable-energy/how-solar-energyworks.html#.V6opyIMrKUk

https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp72-c3.pdf

http://bioscience.oxfordjournals.org/content/52/12/1111.full

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/solar-power-profile/

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2013/september/curtail-energy-storage-090913.html

http://www.seia.org/policy/solar-technology

http://futurism.com/transparent-solar-panels-could-turn-entire-buildings-into-power-sources/

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/solar-cell2.htm

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http://energyinformative.org/the-history-of-solar-energy-timeline/

http://climate.nasa.gov/causes/

http://energyinformative.org/solar-energy-pros-and-cons/

http://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag211.htm

http://www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/csi/index.php

http://www.nei.org/Issues-Policy/Economics/Incentives-for-Energy-Production

http://teeic.indianaffairs.gov/er/oilgas/impact/drilldev/

https://ourfiniteworld.com/2015/06/23/bp-data-suggests-we-are-reaching-peak-energy-demand/