Solar energy is a type of renewable energy that has been developed
in the bid to reduce reliance on conventional ways of producing energy, such as
from coal and natural gas. It is termed as clean energy as it does not pollute
the environment, whereas extraction and burning of coal and natural gas release
massive amounts of pollutants.
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| Solar panels on the roof of Choa Chu Kang Waterworks. (Taken from http://www. channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/choa-chu-kang-water-plant/2220520.html) |
Photovoltaic (PV) technology is a type of solar energy which
harnesses the light energy from the Sun. Since the development of the first PV
cell in 1883, with an efficiency lower than 1%, extensive research and
development has been done to improve the efficiency and to reduce the cost of
PV technology. However, the potential of PV technology has not been fully discovered,
and it still remains more expensive than conventional energy. Although PV
technology relies on the non-exhaustive solar energy, it is not totally reliable
as energy can only be produced in the day, and the amount of energy depends on the strength of the sunlight.
Despite its limitations, PV technology has been adopted in
many places across the world. Here in Singapore, we can observe PV cells on
some street lamps and also on rooftops of certain buildings. The International
Space Station primarily uses PV technology to power its systems. Even though PV
technology is not at its maximum potential, its implementation is a good
stepping stone towards a future of renewable energy. For one, usage of PV technology
will raise awareness for the need for renewable energy. In addition, should PV
technology improve in the future (which it probably will), further
implementation will be made easier due to its existing usage and support given to it.
References
Singh, G. K. (2013). Solar power generation by PV (photovoltaic) technology: a review. Energy, 53, 1-13. Doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2013.02.057
I like to compare solar cells to plants since they both use energy from the sun and marvel at how intrigue the plants are. If I am not wrong, the efficiency of common solar cells are only 20% now, but plants do it much better. Hopeful we'll be able to harvest energy from plants in a much more efficient way one day, besides eating and burning them, scientists just have to be more innovative :)
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