- Solar energy is a renewable energy source that won’t outrun supply with the only issue of capturing the energy and using it for the betterment of humankind.
- The sun is halfway through its lifetime, which means we still have 5 billion years left to make the optimum use of solar energy.
- A total of 11.4 GW of new solar PV capacity was connected to the Chinese grid in the first half of 2019, i.e., less than half of the power generation capacity added in 2018 (24 GW).
Solar energy as a renewable source is illuminating the houses of millions of people and providing them with electricity. Even after 88 years, it has proven to be an alternative against the uncontrolled use of finite non-renewable energy sources.
The scope of solar energy has expanded as humans have accelerated towards a low-carbon economy (green economy). They’ve also realized the importance of renewable energy and the grave consequences of the inevitable exhaustion of fossil fuels. This realization is becoming effective in containing the increasing carbon footprint in the future.
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Is Solar Energy Really Renewable?
Renewable energy is a form of energy that can be replenished by nature within a human’s lifetime. Non-renewable sources like coal, petroleum, and fossil fuels aren’t considered types of renewable energy because of their finite nature and formation rate- over a million years. It is harder for non-renewable resources to replenish, considering the rate of incautious human consumption.
Solar energy is a renewable energy source that won’t outrun supply. The only thing we need to be worried about is how to capture the energy and use it for the betterment of humankind.
Solar energy reaches the Earth’s surface via sun rays while the remains of carbon-emitting fossils stay on Earth. So as you can imagine, the energy from the sun is a far better option. Backing this point, NASA scientists state that the sun is halfway through its lifetime, which means we still have 5 billion years left to make the optimum use of solar energy.
Therefore the sun can be termed as a remarkably dependable source of energy that is always available for its perpetual use and constantly replenished (renewed). So in a word, yes- Solar energy is renewable!
Solar Energy as ‘Green Energy Source’
Solar energy is also typically termed the ‘green energy source’ as it accounts for minimal carbon emission and is less harmful to the environment. While non-renewable energy sources like fossil fuels can emit large amounts of GHGs (Greenhouse Gases), solar energy generated from solar panels is a zero-emission process. Solar energy can be captured whenever the sun shines.
Even though solar energy emits less GHGs and carbon, many are concerned about the manufacturing process of the panels and their impact on the environmental settings. Manufacturing solar modules consume resources and energy, meaning that solar energy generation is responsible for environmental impacts, even if it’s the least in quantity.
However, the good news is that the impact is minimal compared to the benefits that can be reaped from the zero-emission production of solar energy through solar panels. The impacts of production can be cancelled out after a few months- which means it is sustainable, renewable, and efficient.
Solar Energy’s Worth
Solar energy is undoubtedly the safest alternative for producing and distributing energy. But are we really using the sun to its true potential?
You’d be shocked knowing this fact: In a single hour, the amount of solar energy that strikes the Earth’s surface is more than what the entire world consumes in a year.
If we look at the numbers, 430 quintillion joules (430 with 18 zeros) of energy from the sun strikes the Earth’s surface each hour. Whereas the total amount of energy consumption annually is 410 quintillion joules. This stat means we are too far from harnessing the sun’s true potential.
So what happens to the remaining energy? We have a source of virtually unlimited (since the sun has a lifetime of around 5 billion years or so) green and clean energy as solar energy- we are just unable to capture it all.
Out of 1,368 W/m2 (watts per meter square) of solar energy that falls on Earth, 29% is reflected back to space, primarily by clouds and the atmosphere. About 23% of incoming energy is absorbed in the atmosphere by atmospheric dust, gases, and other particles. The Earth’s surface absorbs the remaining 48%. (NASA)
Impediments to Utilizing Solar Energy
The major problem in capturing solar energy is storing the energy, and it all comes down to batteries. We haven’t yet developed batteries that can efficiently store the produced solar energy. Essentially, we need quality batteries that can help store the enormous amount of energy generated from the sun constantly hitting the Earth’s surface. This storage can help use solar energy during emergencies or when it isn’t sunny for days.
Another problem lies in capturing all solar energy radiating from the sun. Researchers worldwide and energy-based companies are developing better solar panels every year. However, these panels installed at the top of people’s houses haven’t yielded more than 14% of solar energy. All solar energy and the panels can only convert 14% into electrical energy.
Manufacturing high-capacity panels will likely take years and the cost of solar power gadgets are expensive, even more, to turn into commercial use. Hopefully, we’ll soon be able to utilize the sun to its full potential, and it just requires a lot of time, investment, and technological innovations in the solar energy industry.
Benefits of Solar energy
With the rapidly growing population and building of infrastructures at the cost of resource exploitation, there is a big push on renewable sources to meet the needs of global consumers.
We can’t, shouldn’t, and won’t be able to use coal, oil, petroleum, and fossil fuels for longer- it increases our carbon footprint on the environment and aggravate (make worse) the impact of global warming.
Elon Musk once said that using coal and oil is the dumbest experiment in history because we’re simply provoking nature, changing its atmosphere without paying heed to the possible consequences.
Since solar energy is renewable and sustainable on a long-term basis, we can expect far more concerning its benefits, which are listed as follows:
- It contributes to outspread sustainable development and creates job opportunities where it is installed.
- Solar panels are becoming much more efficient at converting sunlight into emission-free energy, and the relative cost of producing clean energy is less than manufacturing solar panels.
- It is an environmentally sound medium of generating electricity and makes financial sense (worth the investment).
- The simplicity of this technology makes it easier to install in rural, geologically deprived areas, even though they are isolated from the centralized network.
- Solar capture modules are relatively easier to maintain, and photovoltaic cells are also cost-efficient.
- It doesn’t produce or emit adverse gases in the environment. It is, therefore, eco-friendly.
- Solar energy can be produced locally and helps lessen the burden of importing solar energy from abroad.
- The system can be handled as a concentrated solar power source (energy concentrated in one place) and also be a passive solar design without any electrical or mechanical support for functioning. This feature makes solar energy a flexible energy source.
Leading Country on Solar PV Capacity
According to the Chinese National Energy Administration (NEA), a total of 11.4 GW of new solar PV capacity was connected to the Chinese grid in the first half of 2019, i.e., less than half of the capacity added in the same period in 2018 (24 GW).
The new capacity raised the country’s total solar PV capacity to 186 GW (a +20% increase compared to the first half of 2018). Centralized PV power plants’ capacity rose by 6.8 GW (+16%) to 130 GW, while distributed capacity surged by nearly 4.6 GW (+31%) to 55 GW.
Qinghai province installed 1.3 GW of new solar capacity, raising its total PV capacity to 10.8 GW, while 1.1 GW were installed in Shanxi (up to 9.8 GW). In the first half of 2019, solar power plants generated nearly 197 TWh, a 30% increase over the same period of 2018, and 2.6 TWh of solar generation were abandoned, mainly in Tibet, Xinjiang, Gansu, and Qinghai. (Link as an anchor while editing)
Too much data involved, right? But what you can gather as a gist is that China was a significant contributor to installing Photovoltaic Cells to generate solar energy on a large scale. This action establishes China as a country setting its foot toward a clean future. It is a massive initiative on a global level.
The United Kingdom is also not far behind in installing solar PVs. The country raised an astounding 8000 MW of energy from solar between 2014-2019. The BBC solar news confirmed that the biggest solar plant in the UK is provided with a green signal that can provide energy plans to 14000 homes.
Therefore, the renewable nature of solar energy has helped set a positive outlook for clean energy and eco-centric development. However, one thing to remember- just because solar energy is renewable doesn’t mean our actions are! If we constantly deplete the environment, thinking that we have a safe side alternative for the future, there’s no saying where this foolishness will take us.
