Importance of Solar Power

Sukh Chohla

Student #2115654

Career Life Connections 11

Mr. Myles Koshman

May 14, 2019

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Introduction

Solar power is one of the seven most common renewable power sources existing on Earth. Solar power is

usable energy generated directly from the sun in the form of either electric or thermal energy. There are many

different ways to capture it, and one of the most common processes is the use of photovoltaic solar panels that

help convert the sun’s rays into usable electricity. Perhaps, solar energy is inexpensive and a clean renewable

power source that can be harnessed nearly everywhere in the world. Wherever the sunlight is hitting the surface

of the earth turns out to be a potential location to generate solar power. Since solar energy comes from the sun,

it represents an indefinite source of power. People in rural areas in this world are lacking electricity in their

daily lives, children have to study in the dark and it is tough to make food at home without electricity, but solar

power is the best yet cheap and affordable solution to this major problem of electricity scarcity.

Why should we consider using Solar Power?

One of the most devastating problems that the world is facing today, is climate change. As more industries,

factories are taking over the world, more harmful emissions are being released into the air, causing a

catastrophic change in our environment. Solar power does not come with such disastrous outcomes; in fact, it is

carbon-dioxide free resource. The substantial fact that we should consider is that the sun provides more than

enough energy to meet the energy needs of the whole world! Unlike fossil fuels, solar power will not run out

anytime soon. The only limitation to solar power is our ability to turn it into electricity in a methodical way.

Electricity has been around since the early 1900s. There was not much demand for it when it started because

most people didn't have it in their houses and it was only used for lighting bulbs. Later on, came heaters, stoves,

and then finally the electric appliances and everything else that worked on electricity. Today the demand is so

abundant for electricity that we have to find numerous ways in order to produce it. Canada is the number one

producer of electricity in the world, and that the United States has to buy this energy from Canada. To eliminate

these huge utility prices, it is the best idea to start investing in a solar energy system now, in order to fix your
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electricity rate and protect against unpredictable increases in electricity costs. If you’re a business or

homeowner with oscillating cash flow, going solar also ensures you better forecast and manage your outlays.

Various studies have found that homes which are equipped with solar energy systems, have a higher property

value and sell more quickly than homes with no solar power systems. Solar installations are increasingly being

taken into consideration as homebuyers become more educated about solar power, and demand for properties

equipped with solar power systems will continue to expand.

Positive effects of Solar Power

Solar power is the root of life on Earth, providing a constant supply of energy, which powers nearly every

ecosystem on earth. Beyond making our own existence possible, energy from the sun has attracted attention as a

clean, renewable alternative to fossil fuels for decades. Even though in the present, it supplies only a fraction of

energy worldwide, the solar industry is rapidly expanding in the sector of renewable energy. While numerous

debates certainly continue over the cost and performance of industrial-scale solar installations, the technology

itself offers much promise as a sustainable source of energy. Burning fossil fuels produces greenhouse gases

such as carbon dioxide and methane into the earth’s atmosphere. These gases are named so because they absorb

the outgoing longwave radiation from the planet and are thought to be the reason behind boosting global

temperatures, which further is a process somewhat similar to the function of a greenhouse. Although emissions

can result from the production and installation of solar technology, using solar energy does not emit any type of

greenhouse gases. An assessment published by the International Energy Agency in the year 2014, suggested

that “photovoltaic and thermal energy systems could potentially constitute the largest source of global

electricity by 2050”. (Pozzebon, S., September 30, 2014). This scenario, the agency computed, “could result in

preventing more than 6 billion tons of annual carbon dioxide emissions by the end of that year”. (Projecting

Electricity Demand in 2050). If we compare solar power with reserves of fossil fuel, which are limited to the

human timescale, solar power is a renewable resource of extraordinary scale. As the IEA notes in a 2011 report,

“Solar energy is the largest energy resource on Earth -- and is inexhaustible”. (The importance of renewable
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energy, retrieved from www.acciona.com). The amount of solar energy received by the earth in the timescale of

a year exceeds the energy that has been obtained from oil, natural gas, coal and nuclear sources in the history of

humankind. The amount of energy received by the planet in an hour is ingeniously greater than the globe’s

entire energy consumption per year. Since the solar facilities can be so broadly spread out, and the fact that they

are made up of multiple separate devices, they are well protected against disruptive events such as storms,

which can strike out the power to large populations by damaging just one generator in a concentrated electricity

grid. Many solar technologies use less water than fossil fuel or nuclear power plants; they may also have more

resilience in the time of drought.

Conclusion

For those of us living in developed countries such as Canada, we often do not realize how fortunate we are to

have significant access to electricity. In fact, many of us can agree on how flustered we have been after

experiencing a power outage at some point in our lives. It may have included not being able to go online, charge

our cellular phone, turning on the heater, blow drying hair, cooking, watching television, or even shower

comfortably. It may have lasted for just a day or two, yet many people might have felt powerless. “More than

2.5 billion people do not have access to power around the world”. (Global WASH Fast Facts, retrieved from

www.cdc.gov.com). Light and power come from toxic fossil fuels such as kerosene that creates greenhouse

gases for most of these individuals. Simply put together, the sun is a natural resource that is renewable and does

not deplete. In addition to that, its access does not depend on the location of the electrical grid. This is a

valuable initiative that is being talked about throughout the world. Just consider the fact that if we can

implement solar panels in countries that use toxic fossil fuels as a source of energy, then the world as a whole

can benefit from the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. Developed countries make a huge impact on

climate change because of their dense population and individual use of energy. For poor countries, their impact

on the environment comes from burning fossil fuels, since they have few options available to them. It doesn’t
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mean one is healthier, just because the other one has less. That is why going solar is not just for the rich or the

poor, it is indeed for everybody.

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References

Solar power - unlimited source of energy. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.fortum.com/about-us/our-

company/our-energy-production/solar-power-unlimited-source-energy

Pozzebon, S. (2014, September 30). One Chart Shows How Solar Could Dominate Electricity In 30 Years.
Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-to-become-largest-electricity-source-by-2050-2014-9

The importance of renewable energy. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.acciona.com/renewable-energy/

Davison, A., & Davison, A. (n.d.). Renewable Energy. Retrieved from

http://www.altenergy.org/renewables/renewables.html

Solar Power. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/solar-power

Global WASH Fast Facts | Global Water, Sanitation and Hygiene | Healthy Water | CDC. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/global/wash_statistics.html

Renewable Energy. (2017, November 01). Retrieved from https://www.c2es.org/content/renewable-energy/

How Solar Power Can Benefit Third World Countries. (2018, November 15). Retrieved from
https://ilovemysolar.com/how-solar-power-can-benefit-third-world-countries/

Solar Energy and the Environment. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/?page=solar_environment

Impact Of Solar Energy On The Environment. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/2015/01/impact-of-solar-energy-on-the-environment

Aggarwal, V. (2019, April 02). 2019 Environmental Impact of Solar Energy | EnergySage. Retrieved from
https://news.energysage.com/what-is-the-environmental-impact-of-solar-energy/

Matasci, S. (2019, January 15). 2019 Health & Environmental Benefits of Solar | EnergySage. Retrieved from
https://news.energysage.com/health-environmental-benefits-of-solar-energy/