The Need for Solar Energy
Pollution and calls to fight against global warming have resulted in the demand for new, clean, and renewable energy sources. These sources are what humanity will rely on once the oil reserves eventually run dry. Solar energy is considered one of the clean and renewable energy sources.
Since the Sun is not going to vanish anywhere for a few billion more years, it presents an eternal source of energy that humanity can harvest for their own needs. It is the reason why many governments in the West, including the US and the EU, are making plans to reduce their dependence on oil, coal, and gas, in favor of these sources. At the same time, critics of the initiative point out the unreliability, cost inefficiency, and inability to store excess solar energy. This essay will evaluate the strength of both positions and make conclusions for future development of the energy source.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Energy
Ubiquity of Solar Energy
There are several advantages to utilizing solar energy. First, it is ubiquitous – every part of the world can harvest this type of energy to some degree or measure. The most advantaged countries are those closer to the Equator, as the number of sunny days there exceeds others. So long the facilities are in place, this energy source is, in essence, free. Voss et al. (2021) state that it is possible to design houses to be entirely powered by solar energy.
However, this point comes not without criticism – Nwaigwe et al. (2019) point out that houses powered entirely by solar energy are much more expensive to construct and maintain and that it is difficult to integrate solar platforms into traditional power grids. Shair et al. (2021) attest to that, pointing out that the reasons for integration issues lie at the core of the solar energy process – the plant does not produce continuous energy. These issues are, thus, yet to be resolved.
Land Versatility of Solar Energy Systems
The second advantage of utilizing solar energy is that it can use poor-quality land for its purposes. For example, deserts are potential sites for massive solar power plants, which could power entire countries. One such project is currently coming online in Egypt, with the potential of producing 1.8 GW worth of energy (Nordrum, 2019).
Critics of such projects, however, point out two major errors with such a strategy. Ray (2019) points out the increased costs associated with no infrastructure present in the deserts. Such would have to be built from the ground up in increasingly hostile conditions, making the installation of solar panels and their maintenance increasingly costly in short-to-middle terms, which is something most African countries cannot sustain (Ray, 2019).
Sahouane et al. (2023) also point out the effects of sand and dust on solar panels. These would have to be cleaned up with increasing frequency and would reduce the efficiency and longevity of solar panels by a significant margin. While other places around the world do not have the same issues, they are typically less sunny, meaning lesser yields from the panels.
Challenges in Conserving Solar Power Output
Finally, there is the issue of conserving the energy received from solar power panels. The advantage of coal and nuclear power plants is that they can operate 24/7 without being affected by the weather, so long as fuel is supplied (Sadekin et al., 2019). Solar energy cannot be supplied in the same manner, as darkness, clouds, and a general lack of Sun can prohibit it from functioning (Fang et al., 2020).
Thus, for communities to rely entirely on solar energy, new ways of conserving said energy must be developed (Khudhair & Farid, 2021). Lehtola and Zahedi (2019) suggest that the integration of solar systems into an existing grid is possible, but only partially, until efficient storage devices are developed. Overall, it appears that, while solar energy offers a good way to supply clean energy, these obstacles prevent it from becoming dominant in the energy sector, at this time.