- Introduction
Solar energy is one derived from the sun and can provide socio-economic benefits as well as facilitate in minimizing the greenhouse effect. This can be differentiated from conventional thermal power generation plants that depend on energy from fossil fuels including petroleum, coal or gas. In this growing world, demand for electricity is increasing day by day. According to Osuagwu et al., (2011), “Information technology has opened up tremendous vista for modern societies." A careful analysis of case studies suggested that many countries have major drawbacks in the context of IT application for electric power. In many countries, the national grids are not capable of generating sufficient electricity as per demand of the areas even the infrastructure has been extended. Information technology should drive the economy in current modern era. If this is not established, it will lead to harmful effects. It has been studied whether solar energy is cost effective as compared to conventional power generating plants and other public utilities and what are the social, ethical and economic issues related to solar energy (Akubue, A. 2000; Osuagwu et al., 2011).
- Social and Ethical Prospective
Solar power is emerging as innovation for budget-strapped schools that intend to increase their revenues and minimize building operational costs (Spivak, 2012). This is because incentives provided by many federal and state government, schools across the country are at the forefront of solar’s boom in the United States by exploring this renewable energy trend. As per Judy Marks, director of National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, the solar energy can facilitate the schools at bottom lines for progress. “
- What is the biggest hurdle in getting solar energy?
The biggest hurdle has been breaking the myth that solar is not cost effective," says Barbara Worth (Spivak, 2012). Solar energy has gone beyond lightening of outfield at Kansas City's major league baseball stadium and Phoenix's airport and benefiting the malls at New Jersey. Many communities have not still undertaken solar energy in their planning or zoning documents. International cities and Counties released a survey of 2,500 cities and counties that reported only 113 jurisdictions who had addressed solar energy in their comprehensive plans, and 140 had tackled the issue with zoning ordinances. Solar energy should be important for planners to understand due to its growing option against energy dependency on fossil fuels (Spivak, 2012).
2.2 Why Solar Energy is Getting Popularity?
Solar is not a universal remedy, but it is a way towards clean energy solutions. Today, solar projects are becoming so common that school and industrial organizations can't keep track of them all. There exists no significant statistics for solar installations at schools on large scale, but their number is few thousand, or just a fraction. Part of the difficulty in tracking projects is prevalence of two different solar programs at schools. The Solar Schools initiatives are capturing the nation with the help of state programs in Illinois, California and Louisiana. These programs typically include funding from philanthropic foundations and involve small project having one- to five-kilowatt capacity that is utilized for teaching purposes about electric power. Their size means that they don't really contribute much electricity.
On the other hand, there are large-scale installations intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to contribute in school expenditures. That particular projects that are rising solar's profile. They trim 30 percent to 50 percent from the school's electricity bill. In addition, it is a very noticeable sign that the school and community have a commitment to various renewable energy sources and the environment. That was developing the motivation for the Boulder Valley School District Colorado, which is a progressive district and has its own sustainability coordinator and recently built the first school in Colorado. This performance helped them to achieve the highest level of recognition from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for involvement in green building program. In addition, fifty-five schools of the district were granted to install small solar systems due to their potential..
- Economical Issues
The biggest hurdle has been the concept that solar is not cost effective. Is it true or wrong? The sunlight is free but the technology employed is very expensive. Solar panels that are used to collect and store the sun rays demand sufficient funds to power the homes and industries. Different kinds of solar panels are used to collect and store the sunlight to provide power to the homes and industries.
The solar panels being integral part of solar energy system provide a mechanism to control and transfer electrons to generate electrical energy. There are many solar systems working effectively since thirty years, and consequently this is the motivation for solar technology even in the presence of high initial capital cost. Net Present Value analysis of the investment for twenty five years proves that the initial capital cost can be recovered. Solar panels and solar system process are shown in Figure 1 and 2 respectively. Incentives have been provided by the governments to support them for solar energy in the past. As a matter of fact, it needs low maintenance cost during the operational period. Once the solar panel or devices have been installed, the maintenance can be done yearly. Therefore, with solar energy cost can be saved by minimizing the maintenance.
Figure 1 Solar Panels
Many school officials embark that they could not take intuitive solar projects without particular subsidies. The United States concerned department (As per American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, 2009) has provided sufficient amount having worth of more than USD20 billion for such school building construction and clean energy projects (Osuagwu et al.,2011).
Figure 2 Solar System Process
Source adopted: Akubue, 2000
The United States Treasury Department has provided 30 percent of project grants and the Department of Energy facilitated loan guarantee program for solar manufacturers. Some school districts issued school construction bonds having low mark up and distributed them among states as per rules and regulation of the package. Almost fifteen states offer grants and rebates for development in renewable energy sector and about fifty percent of the states provide solar business as well as manufacturing incentives and tax credits. Many states have permitted selling of surplus solar generation to utility companies. That is why, some schools at California are expecting to earn sufficient amount from projects like solar system. Also, some eastern states located between New Jersey and Ohio permit solar system producers including schools to sell Solar Energy Certificates to different utility companies to earn extra revenue by their electric generation through solar system (Spivak 2012). With so many grants, loans, reimbursements, tax credits, energy credits, rebates and so forth, a small industry developing solar and financing consultants has decided to help institution's understandings and steer the prospect. One of these newer companies, Solar Vision, a small Ohio-based solar developer associated with the Worthington City School District outside Ohio is in the process of installing 300 panels in an elementary school that saving about 25 percent on the school's electricity bill."If it weren't for Solar Vision, we wouldn't have done this project because of the creative financing involved," says Tim Gehring, the school district's director of facility management (Spivak 2012). Solar Vision packaged a bundle of federal and state grants and tax credits by an agreement that will focus on solar panel installations and its operation at no cost to the district. The district is leasing its roof space and receiving cheaper electricity. Typically, such agreements create an income stream from selling the solar electricity while the school district be benefited by non-fluctuated rates for utilities. Solar modules, which comprise about half of the total system's cost, have plunged more than 50 percent in price in the last few years (Akubue, 2000; Spivak 2012).
- Conclusion
For planners, solar represents a new milestone for green building and environmental sustainability, and it is a way onto more municipal and civic buildings. The statics revealed by International City and County Management Association's survey of solar practices that only 37 of the 2,500 responding agencies had a specific solar ordinance that accounts about 1.5 percent and only five percent had a solar energy installation goal. Moreover, community’s response is slow in order to improve their permitting processes for solar, which can be lengthy and add unnecessary costs to solar installation. Lack of awareness about solar energy and understanding about solar technologies are main reasons behind the scenario. To help ease these challenges, ICMA is working with APA and the U.S. Department of Energy, among others, on the SunShot Solar Outreach Partnership. This partnership shares best practices and provides technical assistance for local and regional governments to adopt solar as a mainstream energy source.
Reference
Akubue, A. 2000. “Appropriate Technology for Socioeconomic Development in Third
World Countries” The Journal of Technology Studies, Viewed on June7, 2014 http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JOTS/Winter-Spring-2000/akabue.html
Osuagwu, O.E., Chinedu, P. & Agbakwuru, A. (.2011). Solar power as alternative– energy to drive information technology diffusion in Nigeria: – A comparative– analysis for cost-effectiveness of solar over thermal– energy, Jr.of Mathematics and Technology, 2(3),43-47.
Spivak J. (2012). The ABCs of Solar- Schools across the country are saving serious – money by putting solar power to work. American Planning Association ,8-13,
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