Alternate Energy Sources: Is Solar Power Renewable?
People often wonder what alternative forms of energy can be used to reduce their
carbon dioxide footprint on the earth. When asked,
“Is solar power renewable”,
the answer isn't as straight forward as you may think.
Renewable power is any form of energy that is not depleted when used or harnessed
for our needs. The sun is the source of all renewable energy including:
- Solar power, which uses semiconductor materials to produce DC electricity directly from sunlight;
- Solar heat, which uses passive solar collectors to heat air or water for use indoors. Industrial
solar collectors can create steam to turn a turbine;
- Wind energy to turn a turbine, since air currents are created by uneven solar heating of the
earth's surface.
- Tidal power - the gravitational pull of the sun, moon and earth causes the predictable fluctuation
of the ocean level;
- Hydro power - the sun evaporates water which then condenses and stored behind a dam.
Is solar power renewable? With today's technology and manufacturing techniques, the only method
that is economically viable to capture the sun's energy is hydro power. The other methods
do not yet produce enough power for the cost of the equipment.
Without affordable heat and electricity, our modern societies will be cast back into the 1800's
when wood, coal and whale-oil were used to provide for our basic needs. To make solar power more
prominent, the following considerations need to be addressed:
- Location. Solar power is not available in every location and expensive transmissions
lines are required to move the energy to population centers. Solar farms have been built in desert
regions but in northern areas or rainy locations, the equipment would remain underutilized for
most of day or even entire portions of the year when sunlight is limited.
- Size. Large tracts of lands are needed to build a solar installation that is large
enough to produce cheap energy. Land is inexpensive in sparsely-populated areas like deserts,
but expensive around urban and suburban areas. Installing solar collectors on city buildings
and homes would only be an option if the efficiency of solar panels were to increase. Otherwise
the panels would not produce enough energy at a reasonable price.
- Reliability. Our society demands energy that is immediately available throughout the day.
However, solar power is only as reliable as far as the climate will allow. When a cloud goes over
head, photovoltaic cells stop producing energy. People need readily available power at all hours
of the day (i.e. when you are about to cook a meal or descending in an elevator).
Batteries can be used to store excess energy when the solar panels aren't operating, but they
are expensive, have limited life-spans and have extreme environmental concerns of their own.
- Aesthetics. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and since most power plants are
located outside of cities, today's society has voted against having these ugly industrial
complexes in their back yard.
Solar roof tiles (panels) are an option, but to
produce enough useful power, it would require the entire roof to be covered with
solar panels to provide a household
with enough energy. Neighbors may not be amenable to a shiny, metallic-looking roof in
urban and suburban communities.
So to answer the question, “Is solar power renewable”, the answer is yes - but the
technology has not caught up with our current demands and lifestyle. Decades of research, trials and a new
way of thinking will help solar power to become more popular and affordable for residential home use.
