Solar Energy as an Alternative

By Manuel Cereijo.

Renewable energy sources are energy sources that are continually replenished. These include energy from water, wind, the sun, geothermal sources, and biomass sources such as energy crops.

“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.”

Thomas Edison, 1931

Energy is a long term, capital-intensive business. Energy is critical to economic progress. The global economy is expected to double in size by 2030-mainly driven by the developing nations that today account for just over 20% of the world’s economic output. By 2030, this share will grow to 35%, led by rapidly expanding economies.

Every day, the world consumes about 250 million barrels of energy, with demand split about equally between developed and developing nations. By 2030, it is expected that the world’s energy needs to be almost 50% greater than in 2010.

Over time, an increasingly diverse range of energy sources and technologies will be needed. But for the next 20 years at least, fossil fuels will continue to satisfy the vast majority of global demand. Global oil resources are adequate to meet demand. The world was endowed with recoverable conventional oil resources of over three trillion barrels worldwide.

Natural gas demand continues to rise with growing electricity needs, aided by inherent advantages in efficiency and lower emissions. The efficiency of electricity production and distribution will continue to improve, through deployment of more advanced power generation technology and smart transmission infrastructure. While pipelines will remain an efficient means to transport the majority of natural gas, the world will increasingly rely on liquefied natural gas, transported in large volumes across oceans via tankers.

Nuclear energy has the potential to become an increasingly important option for meeting a growing portion of our long-term energy needs, specifically in the power generation sector.

Renewable energy sources are energy sources that are continually replenished. These include energy from water, wind, the sun, geothermal sources, and biomass sources such as energy crops. In contrast, fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas are non-renewable. Once a deposit of these fuels is depleted it cannot be replenished – a replacement deposit must be found instead. Both renewable and non-renewable energy sources are used to generate electricity, power vehicles, and provide heating, cooling, and light.

Renewable sources of energy vary widely in their cost-effectiveness and in their availability across the United States. Although water, wind, and other renewables may appear free, their cost comes in collecting, harnessing, and transporting the energy so that it can do useful work. For example, to utilize energy from water, a dam must be built along with electric generators and transmission lines.

Renewables themselves are non-polluting, while the structures built to harness them can have positive or negative environmental impacts. For example, dams may affect fish migration but may also create wildlife habitat.

The best way to compare different energy strategies is a simple concept called energy density. Energy density is a measure of how much energy can be produced from a specified unit of weight, volume, or area. As we begin to run up against the natural limits of fossil fuels, it is important to consider the energy density of anything we might use in their place. Wind, water, biofuels, and the direct use of sunlight are anywhere from 5 to 50 times more diluted than fossil fuels.

Electricity, so far, must be consumed the moment it is generated. There are no methods for storage on an industrial scale. This means that supply and demand must constantly match within about 5 percent. Otherwise there will be power dips or surges, which can cause brownouts, ruin electrical equipment, or even bring the whole system crashing down.

The solution is a combination of smart grid and smart generation: a combination of solar and nuclear power generation. Nuclear power can handle the base load. Then, peak demands can be handle with photovoltaics. That is solar greatest advantage, it peaks on hot afternoons, when most needed. Solar power will be essential for Florida, an ideal state for this kind of power generation.