Essays on Photovoltaic Cells

Solar Energy

Solar Energy Background What can be more useful for humanity if not an unlimited power source, which we can use without any harm to the environment? Probably nothing, but solar power. Humanity has always tried to conquer the unlimited power of the sun – the history of solar technology dates back to the 7th Century B.C. and continues to this day. In the beginning, we tried to concentrate the sun’s heat by using glass, mirrors or other devices to light fires. From those times, we greatly progressed, but still we did not conquer this magnificent source of power. Why ...

Use of Fossil Fuels for Power Generation and the Need for Renewable Energy

According to Nelson (2011), more than 85% of the world’s energy consumption, which is estimated at 520 exajoules, is generated through the burning of fossil fuels such as petroleum, natural gas and coal (p.19). Electric power generation from non-renewable sources will, unequivocally, result in their exhaustion and creation of a major energy crisis. For this reason, it appears primordial to shift in a greater scale to alternate power generation, such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, etc. Amongst these, Sorensen (2011) explains that though hydroelectric power does represent one of the major forms of power generation, its growth is stagnant ...

Introduction

The electricity industry is facing numerous challenges today including environmental pollution, increased demand, and aging infrastructure. Environmental issues are the primary concern of the power generation industry and have necessitated the inclusion of renewable energy sources in the generation of electricity. Renewable portfolio standard has set forth new requirements in the industry obligating electricity generation companies to generate a certain percentage of generated electricity to come from renewable sources. However, rapid integration of new energy sources on the old transmission and distribution infrastructure will cause quality, security and reliability challenges on the electric power supply. The good thing is ...

Introduction

Modern technological trends are moving towards the application of sustainable energy resources. Sustainable energy is that which is balanced on the lines of consumption and supply (Berndes, 2003). Concerning this, the utilization of such energy sources promotes the maintenance of controllable collateral implications. Sustainable energy leads to insignificant levels of environmental degradation. Additionally, the sustainability of energy resources can be understood according to their longevity. Such sources are deemed to fulfill the needs of the present while guaranteeing their progressive benefits into the future. Sustainable development has become a mainstream topic that is addressed in various forums globally. Hitherto, ...

Solar Power Generation

Sustainable Technology – Solar Power Generation Power Generation from Fossil Fuels and Global Warming Global warming, as defined by Lineman, Do, Kim and Joo (2015), is the long-term trend of increasing average temperature of the lower atmosphere. It is widely known that this phenomenon is related to the concentration of greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, among others. Activities related to human development such as industrial processes, agriculture, cattle raising for meat consumption, transportation, deforestation and power generation are the major causes of greenhouse gases emissions. Specifically, power generation based on ...

            The generation of electric power through the exploitation of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas, is one of the main factors influencing climate change due to the greenhouse gases emissions resulting from the process. In consideration, there is an increasing need to shift towards systems of power generation derived from renewable sources, which have a significantly lower environmental impact; among these are solar, wind, geothermal, hydraulic and ocean power generation. This essay will focus on solar power generation. The energy contained in sunlight can be converted into electricity through the use of Concentrated Solar Power systems ( ...

Introduction

Over time, the growth of a city of a locality leads to the increase in the demand for electricity. The growth in population and the commercial activity puts pressure on the national grid. Without commensurate investments in the generation of power, the increase in demand results in shortages. To supplement the shortage of electricity in the region, more power can be brought in from the generation sources. However, this is complicated if the power generation plants are located far away. This is because more high voltage overhead transmission lines would be required. The Ministry for the Environment (2010) finds ...