Renewable Resource Paper

Submitted By mlade
Words: 796
Pages: 4
Open Document
Renewable Resource Paper
Megan Lade
University of Phoenix (Online Campus)
Dr. Lloyd Stebbins

Accounting for a mere twelve point nine percent of the US’s total energy usage, renewable energy is slowly starting to climb into the normal day to day routine of many US citizens. Solar power made its mark back in 2011 when its total energy contribution surpassed the of nuclear power contributions and it was estimated that in 2014 nearly one hundred and fifty thousand people were hired to work in the ‘solar’ business. “The largest photovoltaic power plant in the world is the Desert Sunlight Solar Farm, a 550 MW solar power plant under construction in Riverside County, California and the Topaz Solar Farm, a 550 MW photovoltaic power plant, being built in San Luis Obispo County, California” (DOE Closes on Four Major Solar Projects). California’s Solar Initiative was a program Governor Schwarzenegger spear headed which promises to create three thousand megawatts of new solar-produced energy by 2017. This program will offer cash incentives for those who elect to use solar PV systems – this is on top of the federal incentives already offered which may cover up to 50% of the total cost to install solar panels on one’s home.
Solar power is explained as the conversion of sunlight into electricity. The sun’s light is captured and stored as energy using either photovoltaics (PV) or concentrated solar power (CSP). PV systems convert light into electrical current directly, for immediate use while CSP systems use lenses or mirrors to focus sunlight in the form of a small beam. California was quick to jump on the solar bandwagon – seeing the need to renewable/alternative energy sources that gained large community support. California will utilize solar power, mostly, for the required 25% renewal recourse allotment set forth by the Renewable Portfolio Standard. By 2013 California had already produced 490 megawatts of CSP energy and over 5000 megawatts of PV energy. “The American Solar Energy Industries Association reports that a further 19,200 MW of utility-scale solar projects are under construction or development in the state as of August 2014” (Major Solar Projects List: Fact Sheet). California still holds the record for being the state with the most PV energy systems installed and continues to reach its supersede its goals to becoming completely reliant on solar power and other renewable energy sources.
One drawback to using solar power is that first the solar energy panels and systems need to be created in a factory which, in most cases, is not as energy efficient as their product! The biggest limitation associated with solar power is that energy cannot be produced at night, as this technology relies significantly on high levels on sunlight. Another limitation associated with the above mentioned issue is that solar power has low efficiency in the shade, so panels need to be installed where it can absorb most of the sunlight during a given day. Interestingly enough the solar systems are also affected by very high and very low temperatures – which affect the power cells ability to conduct or emit electrons after absorbing sunlight. The last issue, in my mind, would be that many complain that solar panels are an eye sore. I am sure we
Show More

Related Documents: Renewable Resource Paper

Essay On Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy What does renewable energy mean to me? Honestly, nothing, at least until now. Having to investigate this topic has introduced me to what renewable energy truly is and why it is important. Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources, which are constantly and naturally replenished and will never run out. Examples of renewable energy are sunlight, wind, water, etc. In the United States, we rely heavily on nonrenewable energy. Coal, oil and natural gas are…

Words 1131 - Pages 5

Religion: Hand Renewable Energy Essay

having a negative effect on the environment. Renewable resources are the future of energy. Solar, wind, and hydroelectric power are all possible ways we can save the environment we live in. They are all clean energy sources and have a lower chance of harming us and the world we live in. Unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy will not run out. This is a way to guarantee there will be energy for future generations. “Many independent analyses believe that renewables could make a significant contribution before…

Words 736 - Pages 3

Renewable Resource and Industrial Revolution Essay

Renewable Resources: A renewable resource is a natural resource, which can reproduce over time, either through biological reproduction or other naturally reoccurring processes. Non-Renewable Resources: A non-renewable resource is a resource that does not renew itself at a sufficient rate for sustainable economic use. How Do Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources Influence The Timber Industry: The resources used for energy during the Industrial Revolution made a huge impact historically…

Words 392 - Pages 2

Biomass Research Paper

contains stored energy from the sun. Biomass is a renewable resource because we can always grow more trees and crops and we will always have more garbage. Let me explain: Biomass energy can come from things such as waste, bad crops, wood, animals and plants. This paper will prevent evidence as to why biomass energy is a good resource of energy because it is not high in cost and could potentially save the economy a lot of money, it is a renewable resource, and it reduces a great amount of greenhouse…

Words 1578 - Pages 7

Natural Resources And Energy Research Paper

Natural Resources and Energy Paper An ecosystem is a connection among living resources, residents, and habitats of an area. It includes animals, plants, microorganisms, trees, water and people. Everything that lives in that specific ecosystem is reliant on the other elements of that ecological society. Oceans are considered ecosystems due to the plant life supporting the animal life and also the animal life supporting the plant life. The earth’s marine waters cover two- thirds of its surface…

Words 1218 - Pages 5

A survey of China s renewable energy economy 2010 Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews Essay

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 14 (2010) 438–445 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/rser A survey of China’s renewable energy economy Hengyun Ma a,b,*, Les Oxley b, John Gibson c, Wen Li d,1 a College of Economics and Management, Henan Agricultural University, 95 Wenhua Road, Zhengzhou 450002, China Department of Economics, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand…

Words 8638 - Pages 35

Wind Energy Essay

Jackson July 3, 2012 The world’s population is increasing exponentially while the supplies of resources are decreasing at a similar rate of acceleration. World leaders, such as the World Health Organization amongst others are searching frantically for an answer to more effectively manage the present resources without inadvertently causing more damage to an already growing devastation. One resource that reflects a great separation of our landscapes of power production from our landscapes of power…

Words 1240 - Pages 5

Green Technology Essay

Green Technology Final Paper Frances Lowry INF103 Prof. Jaclyn Minor 3/19/2012 Green Technology, sustainability for future energy. We live in a world that’s becoming more urbanized. There are more cars, factories, housing, etc. that requires energy. The current ways we generate…

Words 1016 - Pages 5

Essay on Solar Power

nonrenewable energy sources and they make up about 90% of the world’s electricity. But since they are not renewable, we run the risk of them running out and being consumed faster than their production. As early as the 1800’s people were aware of the possibility of depleting our nonrenewable sources, and yet still chose to use technological designs that ran on coal and other nonrenewable resources instead of the sun (Solar Home). Some other downsides besides the possibility of them running out is that…

Words 1222 - Pages 5

persuasssive paper

i benefits of renewable sources ii Acknowledgment: First of all, I would like to thank God for giving me the strength to complete this paper. I would like to express my special thanks to my professor Michael Sjoerdsma, who gave me the opportunity to do this paper, which also helped me in doing research and i came to know many new things. I would like to thank my parents for their love and support. I would also like to thank my group friends and my TA Soroosh Haeri for the proof reading…

Words 1938 - Pages 8