Category: Alternative Energy

Floating solar farms are large solar arrays that float on water bodies, usually man-made reservoirs or rivers. This technology is traditional solar photovoltaic panels on water bodies which are supported by buoyant structures. They are located in medium-sized water bodies, such as rivers and hydropower reservoirs because they cannot withstand the water pressures in oceans. They are an innovation that was introduced due to land scarcity for solar farms which limited energy production. Later in this report, the potential of this development is discussed which outlines how it could create much cleaner energy than current sources. Floating solar farms are already being utilized by some countries, such as China and Japan, due to their benefits. The technology requires very little land, it reduces water evaporation and it improves solar panel efficiency. These advantages can have major changes in energy production and environmental issues.

Why it was introduced

The original innovators developed floating solar farms due to the issues faced by traditional solar farms. Conventional solar farms were occupying large amounts of land which could have been used for some other purposes and people desired more energy output from solar power stations. Solar farms needed a lot of space to generate electricity which had an impact on the environment, agriculture, and animals. The solar farms were causing some land degradation due to the methods by which the technology was being installed. The solar facilities used the land which could’ve been used for farming that would’ve provided food security for people and a better standard of living. In some cases, they were also utilizing land which was animals’ habitats, and this forced them to move to other places which eventually led to a drop in some animal species. In addition, solar farms weren’t generating as much energy as people wanted because the panels were getting overheated and this decreased their efficiency. The first floating solar farm models were introduced in 2007 in Aichi, Japan, to test the technology and find out the difference they made to the environment. During the process of trialing different models, it was also discovered that the technology improved water quality. This is because floating solar farms significantly reduce algae growth in water which makes the water more useful for different activities. After promising results from several small-scale projects, the first commercial floating solar system was built in California to clear land which was required for agriculture processes. There were various reasons why floating solar farms were developed and the trials proved that they had the potential to make an impact.

The science behind floating solar farms/process of floating solar farms

Floating solar panels are structures that consist of a large number of solar panels fixed on pontoon-type floating structures that float on the surface of water bodies. The pontoon-type floating structures are combined with metal trusses which are specifically designed for the solar panels. This allows the solar panels to be fixed to them at a tilted angle and the metal trusses also provide buoyancy to the structure. The design of the floating platform makes sure that small tides in water bodies don’t have an impact on the facilities, but they cannot withstand the different conditions in oceans. There is also an anchoring and mooring system that holds the floating platform in place and prevents it from going to unwanted locations. The floating platforms are normally anchored at the bottom of the water bodies, but they can be anchored at other locations depending on some factors. The mooring lines are an important part of the system as they make sure that variations or wild water conditions don’t have an impact on the solar array. The solar panels convert the solar energy into direct current using the solar cells inside the panels and send it to the combiner box which stores all the direct current from the solar panels. The combiner box sends the direct current to the central inverter which converts the single current direction of direct current electricity to multiple directions of alternating current voltage. The electricity then flows through the transformer where it increases the voltage to reduce power loss when electricity is transmitted to far distances. From the transformer, the electricity flows to a transmission line tower where the electrical energy is transmitted to areas which require electricity. The water bodies also help the solar panels as they cool them and keep them free of dust which makes them more efficient.

Major benefits

Floating solar farms have had a major impact on society due to the advantages they have over land-based systems. They require very little land which produces land for agriculture, industry, or residency which are essential for growth in society. Agriculture provides food for the general public and employment for many people in rural areas. Developing countries require industrialization for economic growth which helps in employment opportunities and the progress of education and agriculture. Countries with high population density don’t have enough space for everyone’s residency, but floating solar farms will clear land which will provide housing land for the public. Floating solar arrays act as a barrier to reduce water evaporation as the solar panel shading covers the water and causes a drop in water temperature. With the water not being exposed to direct sunlight, the process of evaporation will slow down which means the water can be used for drinking or other practices. The solar panels also reflect some of the direct sunlight and some of the water vapour is trapped under the floating structure. Floating solar farms improve solar efficiency compared to land-based facilities, through cooling. The surrounding water cools the solar panels, and this keeps the solar panel temperature constant which is required for maximum energy production. The cooling process is a form of passive cooling where the solar panels are cooled through a combination of water evaporation and some amount of water absorbing the sun’s heat. From current projects, it has been found that floating solar panels increase solar efficiency by 10% and Figure 2 shows a graph from a project done in India which compared floating solar farms to conventional solar farms over a year.

Conclusion

Floating solar farms have the potential to change the energy industry and have a major impact on other industries in society. They were developed to solve issues which were surrounding solar farms and the initial models proved they were a solution for those issues. The solar array consists of solar panels fixed to floating platforms that lay on water bodies and the rest of the system is the same as a conventional solar farm. This technology also provides many advantages such as more land for other purposes and increased solar efficiency. The development of floating solar farms can create a cleaner source of energy. 

Due to the shrinking volume of available energy reservation and increasing energy expenses nowadays, people have been looking for alternative sources of efficient energy to use.

One of the considerable alternative sources is solar energy. Its limitless renewable power had been in use much earlier before human civilization began, from the 7th century BC to modern days. Before it was discovered that solar energy could be harnessed to produce electricity, we used it in many different ways.

For instance, setting fire with magnifying glasses by concentrating sunlight. Drying our clothes by sunray is not very rare till current days. Building ancient houses or infrastructures facing southward to allow the most energy efficiency of sun exposure. By doing so, it excluded the need to install supplementary heating or cooling for infrastructures. This method of constructed dwelling is remarkably famous today.

The use of solar power dramatically developed since the invention of solar cells, and it could be captured for the production of electricity. The invention of solar cells didn’t come to be in use just in one day. Hundreds of years of research, trying, failure, and moderation made today’s outstandingly advanced solar energy harnessing system, and even now it has the full potential for growth in the future.

The history of solar energy in use is briefly discussed below.

Solar Energy in Architecture

In prehistoric times, Greek, Roman, and Egyptian civilizations used solar power in passive ways so that buildings were capable of refining solar energy to keep the temperature warm or cold inside. Building houses facing southward to acquire the most sunlight or heat. Greeks and Romans used a series of thick and spaced pillars known as porticos, in their architecture, that let the sun’s rays filter through to receive the right amount of light and heat. In Egypt, black tile-lined pools of water were built to collect solar power all over the day and used to warm the places through heated pipes during the night.

700 BC Making Fire

The earliest use of solar energy was found as far back in written history as the 7th Century BC. During this stage, humankind had been utilizing concentrated solar power to make fire with magnifying glasses.

213-212 BC Heat Ray

It has been recorded that during the ‘Siege of Syracuse (213-212 BC)’, the great scholar Archimedes, burned down the opponent’s wooden ships with sunlight. A collection of mirrors concentrated sunlight onto the ships making fire, and causing severe damage. This was known as ‘Archimedes Heat Ray or Death Ray’. Historians proclaimed that copper or bronze shields were used as mirrors to reflect the sunlight onto the boats. So far it showed that solar power could be an amazing weapon in the war to take advantage of.

1767 Solar oven

A Swiss physicist, Horace de Saussure invented the way of using sunlight to heat or prepare meals in 1767, which we could call a solar oven. It was the very first time, solar power was deliberately used for a particular purpose, and considerably that laid the foundation for solar ovens.

1839 Solar PV Effect

Alexandre Edmond Becquerel, a French physicist discovered the ‘Photovoltaic Effect’ while examining the electrolytic cells in 1839, at the age of 19. PV effect is the formation of electronic charge when substances such as selenium or platinum are exposed to sunlight. During his experimentation, he observed that the cells produced more electricity while exposed to sunlight. This innovation established the basis for producing electricity from solar energy.

1883 First Solar Photovoltaic cells

American scientist Charles Fritts in 1883, installed a solar panel on the roof of New York City with the efficiency of energy conversion between 1 and 2%. This was the first time that he came up with a design to assemble and install all those devices. In this design of his work, the selenium cells were coated with an extremely thin layer of gold, making it noticeably expensive.

1905 Einstein and the Photoelectric Effect

Albert Einstein, a prominent German scientist published a paper in 1905 on the photoelectric effect that had drawn the world’s attention to solar energy and enhanced its potentiality for further research.

1954 Birth of Photovoltaic or Solar cells

Throughout the 1900s scientists from all over the world kept on researching and upgrading solar power conversion methods. The discovery of solar cells in Bell Labs, in 1954 was the biggest step towards the solar energy harnessing process that we use in modern days. Three scientists David Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson worked hard in the creation of a more practical solar cell applying silicon that led to the efficiency of electricity conversion from 4% to 11%.

1955 Solar cells Sold commercially

This was the beginning of marketing solar panels commercially. A company known as Hoffman Electric manufactured solar cells and commercialized them for $25 per solar cell with an efficiency of 10%.

Solar Powered Satellite

Though the development of solar panels as a business was quite doomed because of the high cost, the notable application of solar power developed in space crafts. Space crafts had the necessity for sustainable energy sources. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, many satellite was powered by solar panels named Vanguard 1, Vanguard 2, Explorer 3, and Sputnik 3. With the growing efficiency and technology, NASA launched the Nimbus Satellite in 1964 which was entirely powered by solar panels.

Moderation and Lower price

At the time when the solar cell was first introduced and applied for electricity generation, the cost was a mere $300 per watt with an efficiency of 4%. The discovery of solar cells in 1954 with 11% efficiency, significantly enabled any electric device to power up with solar panels. With time, Hoffman Electronics commercialized solar panels, it gradually improved efficiency from 10 to 14% which led to the expenses down to $20 per watt.

Due to the degeneration of available energy in the world, countries like Germany, the USA, Canada, Australia, China, the UK, etc. took a step forward in using natural resources for energy. This was the time when sustainable solar electricity production and installation expanded dramatically which led the cost to be reduced at $0.50 per watt.

Uses in today

With the moderation and increased efficiency, solar power electricity use practically expanded all over the world. Subsidies from governments in developed to underdeveloped countries for the installation of solar panels, remarkably boosted its business. In addition to its sustainable, environment-friendly, and low-pollutant nature, the uses of solar energy are widening at a fascinating speed. At some level, it has been considered as an alternative energy source instead of fossil fuels. Officially German Govt. aims to make its total energy consumption from 80% of renewable sources by 2050. Today, solar energy is used in several ways, such as heating, lighting, cooking, transportation with solar-powered installed systems, and most particularly solar electricity generation etc. Germany, China, the USA, and Australia almost went for their maximum electricity production from solar energy. Here are a few details of these countries’ solar electric power uses.

Germany

Germany has been the key feature in installing solar energy to generate electricity from solar in the interest of manufacturing almost 80% of energy from renewable sources by 2050. Despite the fact of being a sun-drenched country, Germany has a 43GW cumulative installed solar capacity to produce power, where it produced 40TWh in 2017.

China

With the highest 174GB solar energy capacity and the largest manufactured solar panels, china produces the maximum 118.2TWh electricity from solar energy in the world. It has the largest market for both solar photovoltaic and solar thermal energy. In addition, China intends to build up the first solar power station in space, according to Science and Technology Daily, the official newspaper of China’s Ministry of Science and Technology.

United States

The USA is one the top countries to produce and use solar power in the world. It ranked second based on largest solar power installed capacity of 51GW in 2017. By the end of 2018, the USA produced 66.6TWh of electricity, contributing 39% of its total energy consumption.

Besides of its use for electricity generation, solar energy is diversely applicable in our daily lives, solar cooking devices to light the streets, nowadays it is very common to see devices with solar-powered technology in application. Here is a table of a few solar-powered products.

• Solar charger Solar Lamp Solar refrigerator Solar Tent Solar Computer
• Solar Calculator Solar street light Solar Radio Solar Backpack Solar Keyboard
• Solar cooker Solar traffic light Solar Pump Solar Balloon Solar Lantern
• Solar Grill Solar Fan Solar Inverter Solar Vehicle Solar Generator

 

Solar Powered Gadgets

Instead of installing solar panels in your home, innovations in the area of solar technology made it much easier to use solar-powered gadgets. While even cycling, backpacking, or camping, there are solar-powered products that are specially featured for individual and particular use.

Project Sunroof

Project Sunroof is associated with individual homeowners’ rooftops’ potentiality to harness solar power in the conversion of solar electricity. This project is directed by the search engine ‘Google’, started by its engineer Carl Elkin. It uses the data from Google Maps to analyze rooftop shapes, shadows, local temperature patterns, and possible tools to consider installing solar panels on rooftops. It also calculates an individual’s yearly savings by installation of solar panels.

The continual research, innovation, and moderation by the scientists and engineers over the years made today’s excellent diverse application of solar energy to our lives. From setting fire to creating electricity, the history of solar energy walked through many ups and downs. The landmark was discovering solar cells, which made a leading source of clean and renewable energy in our modern lives. It didn’t just shape our lives easier, it created a field of job opportunities too. So this could be the appropriate time to make the most use of solar energy in response to save our world from more pollution. 

Introduction

The usage of non-renewable energy has affected the world greatly over the past 20 years and the prospect of solar energy has risen to great heights hence the question of ‘Can it replace non-renewable energy sources’ is posed. ‘Global temperature has risen six-tenths of a degree in those 20 years. Population has increased by 1.7 billion people. Sea levels have risen 3 inches and extreme weather in the U.S. has increased by 30 percent. In Greenland and Antarctica, ice sheets have lost 4.9 trillion tons of ice.’ (Associated Press, 2014). This proves how the human population needs to find a new source of clean energy before it’s too late and the extreme weather (due to global warming) makes the Earth’s conditions too extreme for the human population to live. The U.N. agrees with this point in their 17 sustainable development goals with Goal No.7 being ‘Affordable and Clean Energy’.

The solar panel and its usage in China:

A solar panel is a device that absorbs the sun’s rays and converts them into energy. It can be described as an array of photovoltaic cells which absorb sunlight. I have found that solar energy is most widely used in China and ‘Researchers from Harvard, Tsinghua University in Beijing, Nankai University in Tianjin, and Renmin University of China in Beijing have found that solar energy could provide 43.2% of China’s electricity demands in 2060 at less than two-and-a-half U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour.’ (Burrows, 2021)

However the question of ‘what does this mean for the current situation?’ is posed. In my opinion, this potential for solar energy could result in the elimination of non-renewable energy sources- as China is one of the world’s largest users of non-renewable energy users (particularly using fossil fuels) and ‘according to the energy company BP, in 2018 China accounted for 24% of global energy consumption’ and ‘by 2040, China will still be at the top of the list, and will account for 22% of global consumption.’ Furthermore, if China will account for a large part of the world’s energy consumption (as their main source of income is from the industrial sector), it needs to be from renewable energy because otherwise the world will still be emitting a large amount of greenhouse gases and global warming will still occur.

Solar Energy in Buildings:

Buildings are a large source of emissions at the moment and generate nearly 40% of annual global CO2 emissions [and] of these total emissions, building operations are responsible for 28%’. It is clear that we (the human population) need to make buildings greener and the only way to do this is by introducing renewable energy sources to supply building operations (lights, heating, etc.). In many countries, solar energy is a viable option as it allows for energy to be produced with 0% carbon emissions and therefore if we do this on a large scale it would bring down our carbon footprint on a massive scale. However, there are limitations to solar energy which would make solar panels in buildings redundant.

Solar Energy Limitations

Available Sunlight- When you think of solar energy there is one thing that comes to mind – sun. Because photovoltaic cells absorb sunlight, solar energy is only efficient in sunny countries and in countries without sun, it will not generate enough energy. However, many other renewable energy sources would suit these countries e.g. wind energy, tidal energy, or even Hydro-Electric Power(HEP).

Cost- In addition, there is a reasonably high cost of nearly £4800 per 4kW system. This means that not everybody will be able to afford solar energy.

African Solar Farms:

Africa is a continent with long daylight hours and therefore it is an ideal place to put Solar Panels. ‘South Africa is already one of the world’s top 10 producers of solar power and Rwanda is home to East Africa’s first solar plant, which opened in 2014. Large plants are being planned for Ghana and Uganda.’ (Ceurstemont, 2016). Therefore, with a large abundance of solar plants in this continent we can expect this to be able to power a large part of the world as Africa only accounts for 3.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions in contrast to 23% in China [and] 19% in the US. (Czechowski, 2020). This shows that Africa may be able to generate more renewable energy than they emit giving them a negative carbon footprint. This could also mean that they could account for part of China’s energy consumption giving them less renewable energy to produce.

Solar Panels in cars:

Cars produce many air pollutants e.g. carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide when petrol and diesel are burnt however there is one main fossil fuel produced which is the waste product of CO2. The USA is the second largest emissions producer worldwide and ‘about 26% of total U.S. energy consumption in 2020 was for transporting people and goods from one place to another.’ (EIA, 2021). Therefore, to reduce our carbon footprint we need to find a way of reducing transport emissions. Cars are used by a large part of the population and if we make cars green I believe that our carbon footprint will reduce greatly. A popular idea is electric cars which need to be charged. But what if cars could charge themselves? Sonomotor’s recent development ‘Sion’ does this through the use of solar power. It (nanomotors, n.d.) ‘248 solar cells seamlessly integrated into the body of the car can add 112 km, on average (up to 245 km) per week, of driving range to the car’s battery, through the power of the sun. This creates full self-sufficiency on short distances.’ By integrating solar energy with electric cars we can create a 0% emissions car which would allow for the human population to drive without worry of causing global warming. In addition, you could just leave your car in the sun for some time if no charging ports are available. However, this is not fully efficient at this time and they don’t generate enough electricity for a car to function solely of solar energy. However, Audi has announced that they are looking into integrating solar panels into their cars so that they efficiently generate electricity.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, I think that we can replace all non-renewable energy sources with solar power but not on its own. Solar power can be used in many different ways to generate electricity for example, in cars and buildings. However, it is not as developed as other renewable energy sources, and therefore for it to be an efficient energy source better technology needs to be developed. Furthermore, solar energy has one large limitation which is the fact that it needs abundant sunlight to produce a decent amount of energy and this is only available in some countries. Finally, I believe that in the next 20 years, solar energy will become efficient enough to be able to generate a significant amount of energy to power multiple countries. By installing solar farms in sunlight-rich areas e.g. Antarctica and South Africa we will have generated enough energy to power countries like China and the US which are leading emission producers. In addition, the introduction of solar energy is not as disruptive as other renewable energy sources e.g. wind energy which requires turbines, and HEP which requires dams, and therefore it will be easier to integrate into our daily lives.

Introduction

The usage of non-renewable energy has affected the world greatly over the past 20 years and the prospect of solar energy has risen to great heights hence the question of ‘Can it replace non-renewable energy sources’ is posed. ‘Global temperature has risen six-tenths of a degree in those 20 years. Population has increased by 1.7 billion people. Sea levels have risen 3 inches and extreme weather in the U.S. has increased by 30 percent. In Greenland and Antarctica, ice sheets have lost 4.9 trillion tons of ice.’ (Associated Press, 2014). This proves how the human population needs to find a new source of clean energy before it’s too late and the extreme weather (due to global warming) makes the Earth’s conditions too extreme for the human population to live. The U.N. agrees with this point in their 17 sustainable development goals with Goal No.7 being ‘Affordable and Clean Energy’.

The solar panel and its usage in China:

A solar panel is a device that absorbs the sun’s rays and converts them into energy. It can be described as an array of photovoltaic cells which absorb sunlight. I have found that solar energy is most widely used in China and ‘Researchers from Harvard, Tsinghua University in Beijing, Nankai University in Tianjin, and Renmin University of China in Beijing have found that solar energy could provide 43.2% of China’s electricity demands in 2060 at less than two-and-a-half U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour.’ (Burrows, 2021)

However the question of ‘what does this mean for the current situation?’ is posed. In my opinion, this potential for solar energy could result in the elimination of non-renewable energy sources- as China is one of the world’s largest users of non-renewable energy users (particularly using fossil fuels) and ‘according to the energy company BP, in 2018 China accounted for 24% of global energy consumption’ and ‘by 2040, China will still be at the top of the list, and will account for 22% of global consumption.’ Furthermore, if China will account for a large part of the world’s energy consumption (as their main source of income is from the industrial sector), it needs to be from renewable energy because otherwise the world will still be emitting a large amount of greenhouse gases and global warming will still occur.

Solar Energy in Buildings:

Buildings are a large source of emissions at the moment and generate nearly 40% of annual global CO2 emissions [and] of these total emissions, building operations are responsible for 28%’. It is clear that we (the human population) need to make buildings greener and the only way to do this is by introducing renewable energy sources to supply building operations (lights, heating, etc.). In many countries, solar energy is a viable option as it allows for energy to be produced with 0% carbon emissions and therefore if we do this on a large scale it would bring down our carbon footprint on a massive scale. However, there are limitations to solar energy which would make solar panels in buildings redundant.

Solar Energy Limitations

Available Sunlight- When you think of solar energy there is one thing that comes to mind – sun. Because photovoltaic cells absorb sunlight, solar energy is only efficient in sunny countries and in countries without sun, it will not generate enough energy. However, many other renewable energy sources would suit these countries e.g. wind energy, tidal energy, or even Hydro-Electric Power(HEP).

Cost- In addition, there is a reasonably high cost of nearly £4800 per 4kW system. This means that not everybody will be able to afford solar energy.

African Solar Farms:

Africa is a continent with long daylight hours and therefore it is an ideal place to put Solar Panels. ‘South Africa is already one of the world’s top 10 producers of solar power and Rwanda is home to East Africa’s first solar plant, which opened in 2014. Large plants are being planned for Ghana and Uganda.’ (Ceurstemont, 2016). Therefore, with a large abundance of solar plants in this continent we can expect this to be able to power a large part of the world as Africa only accounts for 3.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions in contrast to 23% in China [and] 19% in the US. (Czechowski, 2020). This shows that Africa may be able to generate more renewable energy than they emit giving them a negative carbon footprint. This could also mean that they could account for part of China’s energy consumption giving them less renewable energy to produce.

Solar Panels in cars:

Cars produce many air pollutants e.g. carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide when petrol and diesel are burnt however there is one main fossil fuel produced which is the waste product of CO2. The USA is the second largest emissions producer worldwide and ‘about 26% of total U.S. energy consumption in 2020 was for transporting people and goods from one place to another.’ (EIA, 2021). Therefore, to reduce our carbon footprint we need to find a way of reducing transport emissions. Cars are used by a large part of the population and if we make cars green I believe that our carbon footprint will reduce greatly. A popular idea is electric cars which need to be charged. But what if cars could charge themselves? Sonomotor’s recent development ‘Sion’ does this through the use of solar power. It (nanomotors, n.d.) ‘248 solar cells seamlessly integrated into the body of the car can add 112 km, on average (up to 245 km) per week, of driving range to the car’s battery, through the power of the sun. This creates full self-sufficiency on short distances.’ By integrating solar energy with electric cars we can create a 0% emissions car which would allow for the human population to drive without worry of causing global warming. In addition, you could just leave your car in the sun for some time if no charging ports are available. However, this is not fully efficient at this time and they don’t generate enough electricity for a car to function solely of solar energy. However, Audi has announced that they are looking into integrating solar panels into their cars so that they efficiently generate electricity.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, I think that we can replace all non-renewable energy sources with solar power but not on its own. Solar power can be used in many different ways to generate electricity for example, in cars and buildings. However, it is not as developed as other renewable energy sources, and therefore for it to be an efficient energy source better technology needs to be developed. Furthermore, solar energy has one large limitation which is the fact that it needs abundant sunlight to produce a decent amount of energy and this is only available in some countries. Finally, I believe that in the next 20 years, solar energy will become efficient enough to be able to generate a significant amount of energy to power multiple countries. By installing solar farms in sunlight-rich areas e.g. Antarctica and South Africa we will have generated enough energy to power countries like China and the US which are leading emission producers. In addition, the introduction of solar energy is not as disruptive as other renewable energy sources e.g. wind energy which requires turbines, and HEP which requires dams, and therefore it will be easier to integrate into our daily lives.