Solar Power: The Future of Energy!
Solar power: Energy for all
The Sun is seemingly the eternal source of energy. Solar energy in the
form of light and heat is being harnessed ever since life evolved on
planet earth. Nature's biggest factory, the plant kingdom, uses solar
energy along with other ingredients to produce food for sustaining most
life forms. The ever increasing energy demand of the human civilization
and the ill-effects of the use of current sources of energy (mostly
fossil fuel) have forced the scientists and technologists to look
towards the Sun as the most potent renewable energy source. There are
many advantages with solar power. Solar power is the only source of
energy which is distributed more or less uniformly on the Earth surface
in contrast to fossil fuels, wind and tidal energy sources that can be
harnessed only in certain parts of the earth. However, those countries
nearer to the equator can have an edge over others in terms of abundance
of sunlight.
Why solar power?
With the population of the world growing past seven billion, the
current energy demands are the highest ever in the human history. The
world currently depends mostly on non-renewable energy sources such as
coal, petroleum and natural gas. Consumption of fossil fuels has had
its own fallouts on the environment and economy of many nations of the
world. This has forced many countries to look seriously consider
alternative sources of energy and solar energy seems to be the only
option for now, though other sources like wind energy and tidal energy
are the others considered in certain areas. The fact is, the energy
emitted by the Sun is so abundant that if we captured all of it for just
one hour, it would be enough to meet the energy demand of the entire
earth for one year (estimated as per world energy consumption level in
the year 2002)! If it is approximated in quantity, the total solar
energy absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere, oceans and land masses is
approximately 3,850,000 exajoules (EJ) per year. The only and the
biggest limitation to harness the Sun is economic feasibility of solar
technologies. Currently, methods - such as solar heating, solar
photovoltaics, solar thermal electricity and solar architecture -
employed to harness solar power are far inefficient compared to the
potential of solar power. Still a significant amount of refinement is
required in solar technologies, besides offering cost effective
solutions. For most countries, solar technologies are still highly
unaffordable. The International Energy Agency, strongly advocates
investment in the development of affordable, inexhaustible and clean
solar energy technologies that will have huge longer-term benefits. It
will increase countries’ energy security through reliance on an
indigenous, inexhaustible and mostly import-independent resource,
enhance sustainability, reduce pollution, lower the costs of mitigating
climate change, and keep fossil fuel prices lower than otherwise. These
advantages are global. Hence IEA believes that the additional costs of
the incentives for early deployment should be considered learning
investments; they must be wisely spent and need to be widely shared.
Solar power to power the world
Though initial development of solar power technologies was recorded as
early as 1860s, the increasing availability, economy and utility of coal
and petroleum led to stagnation of solar power technology development
during later times. But the results of indiscriminate and extensive use
fossil fuels have been disastrous. The latest of all threats is that of
climate change. Energy production and utilization is the main source of
greenhouse gases emissions and global warming. The solution lies in
adopting clean, sustainable alternate energy systems like solar power.
This calls for change in policy environment world over that will
encourage investment in solar power sector to make it more affordable.
There may be many hindrances as of now for solar power to become the
prime energy source. But it is not going to be far and long before solar
power becomes the most affordable and clean source of energy for all,
provided the global community decides to work towards it.
