Is Solar Power a Renewable Source of Energy?
Solar power is energy, usually electricity, converted from the light and heat of the sun. Because the energy generated by the sun is, for human purposes, essentially inexhaustible, solar power is considered a renewable source of energy, meaning it is drawn from naturally replenishing natural resources. Most solar power is harnessed through the use of photovoltaics, or solar cells. Recent concerns about climate change and U.S. energy independence have sparked a surge of interest in renewable energy sources, including solar.
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History
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The first recorded use of renewable solar power was in 1767, by the Swiss scientist Horace de Saussure, who used a primitive solar collector to heat water and food. Since then, solar power has expanded to more than 100 countries, due to the fact that it is renewable. Recently, a number of state and local government have passed laws encouraging residents to outfit homes and businesses with solar panels so as to draw their electricity from a renewable rather than a conventional source of power.
Significance
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Besides being renewable, solar power is also noiseless and safe, and the electricity drawn from it generates almost no carbon emissions. It can also be cheaper to use in certain remote areas than powering these areas by running electricity cables from more conventional sources of power.
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Drawbacks
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While solar power itself is free and renewable when conventional, nonrenewable fuels are readily available, many times electricity drawn from these fuels is less expensive than the cost of using technology to convert solar power to electricity.
Significance
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Solar power is significant in large part because it is renewable; unlike fossil fuels, which are derived from finite resources--mostly coal, oil and natural gas--it cannot be exhausted. Countries with insufficient natural finite energy resources must either generate their own power through renewable sources or import finite resources, which is often costly. With recent concerns about climate change, solar power's lack of carbon emissions has also led to increased interest in its use.
Misconceptions
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One misconception about solar, like several sources of renewable energy, is that the electricity generated by it cannot be stored and must be used immediately, or else it will dissipate. In fact, a number of storage methods exist, including rechargeable batteries, paraffin wax and molten salts. The ability to effectively store energy makes solar power less expensive and more useful.
Future
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According to the U.S. Environmental Defense Fund, the price of photovoltaic cells has dropped by half every 5 years for the last 25 years, allowing the use of the technology to expand exponentially. If the trend continues, and the price of solar becomes lower than that of rival technologies, it is expected that solar power will begin to generate a far greater percentage of the electricity in the United States, largely because it is renewable and free.
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References
- Photo Credit Jon Sullivan
