essay on solar panel

Essay on Solar Panel

Students are often asked to write an essay on Solar Panel in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Solar Panel

What are solar panels.

Solar panels are devices that convert sunlight into electricity. They are made of small units called solar cells. These cells are made from materials that can absorb light.

How do Solar Panels Work?

When sunlight hits a solar cell, it causes the cell to produce an electric current. This current is used to power electrical devices and to charge batteries.

Benefits of Solar Panels

Solar panels are a renewable source of energy. They do not produce harmful emissions, which helps to protect the environment. They can also save money on electricity bills.

Also check:

250 Words Essay on Solar Panel

Introduction to solar panels.

Solar panels, also known as photovoltaic panels, are devices that convert sunlight into electricity. They are a cornerstone of sustainable energy solutions, offering a renewable and abundant source of power.

Working Mechanism

Solar panels work through the photovoltaic effect, where sunlight photons knock electrons free from atoms, generating a flow of electricity. The panels are made of many smaller units called photovoltaic cells, each made of semiconductor materials, typically silicon.

Types of Solar Panels

There are three primary types of solar panels: monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film. Monocrystalline panels are the most efficient, but also the most expensive. Polycrystalline panels offer a balance of cost and efficiency, while thin-film panels are the least expensive but also the least efficient.

Benefits and Challenges

Solar panels provide numerous benefits, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions and decreasing reliance on fossil fuels. They can also offer significant cost savings over time. However, they also present challenges such as initial installation costs, intermittent energy production, and the need for a suitable installation location.

Future of Solar Panels

The future of solar panels is promising, with advancements in technology continually increasing their efficiency and reducing their cost. Furthermore, the integration of solar panels with battery storage systems is expected to overcome the issue of intermittency, making solar power a more reliable energy source.

In conclusion, solar panels represent a significant step towards a sustainable future. Despite the challenges, their potential for clean, renewable energy generation is undeniable.

500 Words Essay on Solar Panel

Introduction.

Solar panels, also known as photovoltaic (PV) panels, are devices that convert sunlight into usable electricity. They have emerged as a vital solution to the energy crisis, offering an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels. This essay delves into the mechanism, benefits, and challenges of solar panels, offering a comprehensive understanding of this critical technology.

The Mechanism of Solar Panels

Solar panels operate based on the photovoltaic effect, a process that generates a flow of electricity when materials absorb photons. Each solar panel consists of a collection of solar cells made from semiconductors, typically silicon. When sunlight strikes these cells, it knocks electrons loose from their atoms. As these electrons flow through the cell, they generate electricity. This direct current (DC) is then converted into alternating current (AC) via an inverter for use in homes and businesses.

Solar energy is renewable, abundant, and available in most geographical locations, making it a sustainable solution for energy needs. Solar panels reduce greenhouse gas emissions by minimizing reliance on fossil fuels, thereby mitigating climate change. Economically, solar panels offer a cost-effective energy solution in the long run. They can significantly reduce or even eliminate electricity bills. Moreover, advancements in technology and economies of scale have led to a substantial decrease in the cost of solar panels, making them more accessible.

Challenges and Solutions

Despite their numerous benefits, solar panels also present challenges. Their efficiency can be affected by weather conditions, geographical location, and the angle of installation. However, technological advancements are helping to overcome these limitations. For instance, the advent of solar tracking systems maximizes solar energy capture by adjusting the panel’s angle based on the sun’s position. Additionally, energy storage systems, like advanced batteries, can store excess solar energy for use during cloudy days or at night.

Solar panels are a pivotal technology in the transition towards sustainable energy. They offer a viable solution to the global energy crisis and climate change, despite the challenges associated with their efficiency and initial costs. With continued advancements in technology and supportive policies, solar panels can play a significant role in shaping a sustainable and environmentally friendly future.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• About Project
• Testimonials

Business Management Ideas

Essay on Solar Energy

List of essays on solar energy in english, essay on solar energy – essay 1 (250 words), essay on solar energy – essay 2 (300 words), essay on solar energy – essay 3 (400 words), essay on solar energy – essay 4 (500 words), essay on solar energy – uses and methods – essay 5 (750 words), essay on solar energy – essay 6 (750 words), essay on solar energy – advantages and disadvantages – essay 7 (1000 words).

Solar energy is a form of renewable energy that is available without any limit and can be used for our need. Over decades and centuries, this type of energy is being used by living beings in one way or another to lead a smooth life.

Sun is the source of solar energy and this energy cannot be destroyed. This non-conventional form of energy does not pollute or affect any other things, which is also the reason to promote the use of solar energy in every field.

Uses of Solar Energy:

Solar energy is being used by the plants to make food through the process photosynthesis. This a natural process where plants along with carbon dioxide, water etc., prepare food using solar energy. This, in turn, will help us in getting healthier and tastier food for consumption. This is the natural way in which solar energy is utilized.

This growing world of technology and development has made the possibility of using this abundant form of energy in different technologically benefitting ways. Initially, the energy from the sun is trapped inside a cell called solar cell and is stored in them for using it as a replacement for electricity and other purposes.

This solar energy in the cell can be used to heat water, as a mode of energy to power up different equipment, etc., which are readily accessible in the market.

An advantage of this form of energy is that it is cost effective to use such products. Even though the initial installation costs are comparably higher, their maintenance and other expenses are very low.

Promoting the use of solar energy in replacement with many other technologies will help in the reduction of pollution as well as the destruction of many other non-renewable energies.

Solar energy is a renewable form of energy gotten from the sun that can be utilized for numerous purposes by humans. We can use solar energy in many different ways in our daily life, like for producing electricity, cooking food, as well as heating water.

Solar energy involves a very simple technique that reduces the expenses of energy consumption in comparison to the other sources of energy. It is available free of cost for all the people on earth.

Benefits of using Solar Energy:

The following are the benefits of using solar energy:

i. Solar energy is obtainable to use without any cost. Although you can buy devices and equipment for producing solar energy through sunrays, still its cost is quite less in comparison to our cost of energy requirements.

ii. Solar energy can be utilized in the remote and rural regions also where it is generally quite costly to set up an electric power grid.

iii. Solar energy might be widely utilized for charging equipment like solar cell batteries and calculators that need very less amount of energy.

iv. Solar energy does not create any type of pollution.

v. It is an unlimited renewable energy’s source that will never end.

Drawbacks of using Solar Energy

The following are the drawbacks of using solar energy:

i. You can use it during the daytime when there is abundant sunlight obtainable.

ii. The expenses of setting up panels and solar cells for producing solar energy are quite high.

iii. The quantity of energy produced in the solar power grid is quite less in comparison to the current power grids.

iv. You need big size land for setting the plants of solar energy for seizing the energy arriving through the sun.

The utilization of solar energy can become a boon to lots of people. However, the high cost of its equipment and devices stop people from using it. The government should take some steps to reduce the cost of solar energy’s equipment so that people can make the best use of it for their benefits.

The Sun is an almost endless source of energy that radiates over the Earth every day. This great heat lamp in the sky can help us gather the solar energy we need to further humanity towards their new goals. The frontier for our use of solar energy has opened up and every day brings a new idea or invention.

Being a student, I get my fair share of information from the faculty professors about the current state of our solar energy consumption and it brings me comfort to know that people have created several new inventions and concepts for the gathering of this endless source of heat and light. Since I am all for the “green revolution” in technology and architecture I will promote some of those concepts in this essay.

Photovoltaic Systems:

The photovoltaic systems for gathering solar energy uses several components in its arrangement. The most notable feature of this system is the solar panel. The panel collects the solar energy and turns it into DC current and then the solar energy converter transforms this into usable AC current. The system is practical and it has appeared on many households and businesses all over the world.

Concentrated Solar Power:

This system is for transforming solar energy into electricity utilizes the heath in sunlight. The system is based around the use of many reflective mirrors that concentrate the solar energy into one beam of light that is then used to power a classical power plant with turbines. This system is implemented in large-scale operations and it is effective in producing vast amounts of electricity like conventional power plants.

Solar Water Heating:

Solar water heating is one of those systems for solar energy collection that has been around for ages. Well, at least as long as we have been using different types of vessel, like black barrels, to heat up the water for every- day use. The new systems have gone through a technological remake and they are successfully utilized in many homes to heat all the water for the household. The solar energy is collected through solar heat transformers that then heat up water in the system.

Conclusion:

Solar energy is a blessing from the sky that can help us transform urban life and make more sustainable houses and families. The systems mentioned here are the main principles behind our use of solar energy and they are being worked on and transformed every day so we can use the power of the sun to its full potential.

The energy which we receive from the Sun in the form of heat and light is called solar energy. It is the driver of everything from the Earth’s climate to all forms of life on the Earth. Since the ancient times, we have been using solar energy for our own use. However, the researchers feel that we are yet to optimally use the solar energy.

Use of Solar Energy in Ancient Era:

The ancient people known to have executed the utilization of solar energy on a substantial scale were the Ancient Egyptians, who utilized it to warm their homes. They structured and assembled their homes with the goal that the structures hid away the sun’s warmth amid the day and afterwards discharged it around evening time. Their building procedures kept their homes hotter during the evening, as well as controlled a cooler temperature inside on hot days. Romans and Native Americans both utilized comparable innovations to warm their homes using solar energy, and additionally different sorts of structures like Roman bathhouses.

In the third century B.C., the Greeks left a mark on the world not for utilizing solar energy for local solace, but rather, supposedly, as a weapon of mass destruction. As per the researchers, a Roman maritime power was cruising to remove the Greek bastion of Syracuse. With the assistance of the Archimedes, the inventor, the Greeks are accounted for to have utilized exceptionally cleaned metal shields as mirrors to enhance and centre the beams of the sun and set fire to the propelling boats.

Advantages of Solar Energy:

The major advantage of solar energy is that it is a renewable source. It is available to us as long as the Sun is present which is expected to be for another 5 billion years. Hence it can be used abundantly for the benefit of everyone.

Secondly, the use of solar energy can also help us reduce our electricity bills. Moreover, the use of solar energy can help us reduce our dependency on non-renewable sources of energy such as coal and petroleum. Also, solar energy can be utilized for different purposes. You can produce electricity as well as heat. Solar energy can be utilized to create power in regions without the requirement of an electricity grid. Solar energy can likewise be coordinated into the materials utilized for structures.

Another advantage of solar energy is that it is a clean fuel. Use of solar energy does not cause any pollution and hence it is not harmful to the environment. Use of solar energy can help us reduce air pollution which for India, is a primary concern as on date. Also, India is a country having abundant sunlight all-round the year, hence, tapping of sunlight is not an issue. Of late, there has been an increase in the use of solar energy by the government as well as individuals. Efforts are on to reduce the setup costs of solar plants so as to help people move towards this clean and efficient fuel. Solar energy is the future of the country as it is the only energy which can help us overcome the environmental and energy-related issues our country has been facing since the last few years.

What is Solar Energy?

Solar energy is the energy contained in the sunlight in the form of photons. Life on earth is not possible without solar energy. All the microorganisms and single-celled organisms came into existence with the help of solar energy.

Plants have been using solar energy since the beginning. The leaves trap the solar energy and use it in the process of photosynthesis to prepare food. In this way, solar energy plays an essential role in the functioning of the food pyramid.

Solar energy is used by all the organisms, including both plants and animals. And human beings are no exceptions. First of all, the daylight brought in by the solar energy drives away the darkness and helps us finish all the chores easily.

Solar energy produces enough heat to dry out the washed clothes. It keeps us warm in the winters. Solar energy also plays an important role in diminishing the humidity and killing the harmful germs. Morning sunlight is known to strengthen our bones, improve our immunity, and help control many skin ailments.

On a larger level, solar energy has multiple other uses. For instance, concentrated solar power allows us to cook food. By converting the sunlight into accumulated solar energy, we can also produce electricity and charge our electrical devices.

Plus Points of Using Solar Energy:

But why prefer solar power when we have other sources of energy? The reasons are quite convincing actually. To begin with, the sun is a ball of fire. This fire is a result of the fusion reaction. That means, it is not going to burn out for millions of years to come.

Solar energy is a renewable form of energy which keeps getting replenished. So, it is safe to say that, depending on solar power would not deplete the earth of its natural resources. Moreover, using solar energy is an eco-friendly option for all of us, as it doesn’t cause any kind of pollution.

Solar energy offers as a great substitute to the other non-renewable resources, such as coal, wood, mineral oils, fossil fuels, etc. This puts a lesser load on the planet earth in various ways. Non-renewable sources are already getting exhausted at a rapid rate. They also cause pollution and hamper the life of all the living beings.

Most of all, meeting the needs with solar power also costs less. It is a cheaper and economical source of energy when compared to other conventional forms of energy. This is the reason why many developed countries are finally adopting a lifestyle based on solar power.

Methods to Use Solar Energy:

Solar energy can be trapped in several ways. One of the most effective technology is the use of solar power plants. These power plants are specifically designed for the purpose of electricity production on a larger level. Other appliances and technologies that work on solar energy are solar cookers, solar heaters, and solar cells. All these three types of solar appliances would be discussed one by one.

Starting with the solar cookers, these are the most revolutionary methods of cooking nowadays. Instead of using conventional fuels, such as gas, kerosene, or wood, solar cookers plainly work with the help of sunlight. These cookers have a glass lid which captures and concentrates all the sun rays to produce heat and cook food. Solar cookers are eco-friendly and economical means of cooking.

Solar heaters are the appliances that help in heating the water with solar energy. These devices work on the fluid-based technology. That means, either air or an anti-freezing fluid is put into the collector so that the water can be heated without any electricity.

The last and the third form is solar cells. These solar cells directly convert the solar light into electricity. Solar cells are especially popular in the areas where the supply from the power grid is less available. Many calculators, wrist watches, and similar systems work with this technology. Not only that, but the electricity produced by solar panels can also be stored in rechargeable solar batteries.

Solar energy is the future of the next generation. It is a safer, greener, and economical way of living life. It can be replenished and is a renewable source of energy which causes no pollution in the atmosphere. Solar energy also puts less burden on the other forms of non-renewable resources and protects the earth from various types of pollutions. As much as possible, we should all switch to using appliances based on solar power and save our planet earth.

Introduction:

Solar energy can simply be said to be the radiant heat and light that the sun produces and is harnessed through the use of a variety of technologies that are ever-evolving like photovoltaic, solar heating, solar architecture, thermal energy, artificial photosynthesis and power plants of molten salt. Solar energy is one very vital renewable energy source and the technologies of solar energy are widely categorized as either active solar or passive solar based on the manner of capture and distribution of the solar energy and how the solar energy is converted to solar power.

The techniques of active solar include using water heating that is solar, solar power that is concentrated and photovoltaic systems to harness solar energy. The techniques of passive solar include the design of space that will circulate air naturally, selection of materials that have light dispersing or thermal mass properties that are favourable and the orientation of a building towards the sun. Solar energy is a very appealing electricity source because solar energy is readily available in large magnitude. Research has shown that while the total consumption of energy all over the world annually is 559.8 EJ, the potential energy generation of solar energy is 1.575 EJ to 49,837 EJ which is a lot more than what is needed.

Potential of Solar Energy:

The potential of solar energy which can be used is quite different from the quantity of solar energy that is present close to the planet earth’s surface as a result of different factors like time variation, geography, available land and cloud cover, all limit the quantity of energy that can be acquired through solar sources.

The potential of solar energy is affected by geography because all the areas very close to equator get a greater quantity of radiation from the sun. The potential of solar energy can be greatly improved following the sun’s position through using photovoltaic in the areas that are not close to equator.

The potential of solar energy is affected by time variation because there is usually little or no solar radiation during the night on the earth’s surface that the solar panels can absorb. The potential of solar energy is also affected by cloud cover because incoming light can be blocked by clouds preventing it from reaching the earth’s surface from sun and this goes a long way in the reduction of the available light that solar cells can use.

The potential of solar energy is also affected by land availability because we can only set solar panels up for use on the land usually not in use and very suitable for the foxing of solar panels. It has been discovered that very suitable place to fix solar cells are roofs, since a lot of people have come to the realization that they also can directly collect energy from their houses through this means. We can also establish solar plants on areas of land which are not in use for business or other things.

Urban Planning and Architecture:

The design of buildings has been greatly influenced by sunlight ever since architectural history began. Methods of urban planning and solar architecture that is advanced were first used by the Chinese and Greeks; they made the orientation of the buildings they constructed to the south so that warmth and light can be provided.

Features of solar architecture like compact proportion ( ratio of surface area and volume), orientation, thermal mass and selective shading are all tailored to that particular environment and local climate so that spaces that are well can be produced and the building remains in a temperature range that is very comfortable. Ventilation systems, heating and solar lighting are all tied together in the solar design.

In the times of global warming and climate change as a result of the pollution of the atmosphere through the emission of smoke from the burning of fossil fuels, it is very important that alternative sources of energy that are renewable are gotten. Solar energy is one energy source that does not negatively affect the environment and cannot be exhausted.

When we develop solar energy and its technologies that are clean, inexhaustible and affordable, we are bound to enjoy benefits that are huge and long-term. Solar energy can go a very long way in increasing the energy security of a country as a result of reliance on inexhaustible, indigenous and largely non-import resource, reduce pollution, enhance sustainability, lower the prices of fossil fuels and lower the price and cost of curbing global warming. All of these advantages of solar energy are global.

Solar energy is basically energy from the sun and is received on earth and can be transformed into other forms of energy. Solar energy is usually used to generate electric or thermal energy. The sun provides energy that influences the climate on earth and enables the sustenance of all forms of life. It is a natural source of energy and is freely available. Research into solar energy has been done in attempts to discover methods of harvesting energy from the sun and utilizing it. Some forms of energy that are already in use are in existence due to the sun. An example is wind energy, which is derived from the wind yet in nature, wind develops due to the highs and lows in temperature. The sun plays a central role in terms of energy that is being used in the world.

Applications of Solar Energy:

In the modern world, there are important applications of solar energy that are being used. Applications of solar energy are both domestic and industrial. Domestic uses of solar energy do not require harvesting large amount of solar energy compared to the industrial uses. Domestic applications include solar cookers, solar hot water systems and air conditioners whereas industrial applications of solar energy include electricity production.

Solar cooking is one of the applications in which solar energy is harvested and redirected to produce heat energy for cooking purposes. Solar water heaters have become common application that is being used everywhere. Water heating systems have been designed such that they harvest heating energy from the sun. The same principles have been applied in air conditioning, space cooling and heating and in solar vehicles. There has been generation of electricity from solar energy that enables lighting and other functions.

With the constantly growing advancements in technology and industrialization, there will be increased discovery in the applications of solar energy. Solar energy can pretty much be important in everything it is just that we do not know how to apply it.

Solar energy has been used widely across the world and its importance has been realized. Solar energy is inexhaustible and renewable. Solar energy will never get depleted at any point in life and that is why it is an important source of energy in the world. The applications of solar energy continually use energy that is renewable without much struggle.

Solar energy is free of expenses because it is naturally acquired. The only costs incurred are those related to the applications and structuring. However, the cost of these equipment is lower compared to the cost of using other sources of energy.

Solar energy does not cause any form of environmental pollution. The process of generating solar energy does not involve any chemicals or products that may cause the pollution of the environment. It is a clean form of energy and its use promotes environmental cleanliness.

Due to the ease of availability of solar energy, it can be used in both rural and urban areas. In rural areas, people are usually challenged because installation of electricity is a problem but with the use of solar energy, most people have an access to electricity and saves on the cost.

Disadvantages of Solar Energy:

In as much as solar energy is important and advantageous, there are some factors that render it disadvantageous. One of those factors is the limitation to daytime use. Solar energy can only be maximized during the day because the sun shines at daytime. Also, the equipment used to harvest solar energy are expensive and delicate. Thee equipment include panels, solar collectors and solar cells. All these equipment are very delicate and require much care to avoid damaging them because the replacement costs are high.

Solar energy require large spaces to collect enough energy for use in various solar applications. The collection of solar energy has to cover a large area through the use of large solar panels, solar collectors and cells so that more adequate energy can be collected.

Solar energy is dependent on the sun and cannot be deployed where there is minimal sunshine. This means that solar energy is limited to areas with ample amounts of sun energy. During seasons like winter, the use of solar energy is totally impossible and therefore other forms of energy have to be sought.

Solar energy can never be an independent source of energy in the world. It is basically an alternative source of energy upon convenience i.e., during summer, specifically during the day. In your summer house you can opt to use solar energy and then use electricity during the rest of the seasons. For those countries who do not experience seasonal changes in climate, it is very convenient and it can be an independent source of energy for them.

The use of solar energy is specific to devices that do not consume large amounts of current e.g., in calculators.

Solar energy is an important source of energy. Advancements in technology has led to innovations of applications of solar energy that are of great help to human beings. It has been a great era of modern society whereby solar energy has been appreciated through its applications. The uses of solar energy are similar to those of other sources of energy. Everything has its pros and cons and solar energy is no different. The pros of solar energy outweigh the cons and that is why its use has been maintained over the years. However, the limitations of solar energy should not be ignored. These limitations are somehow disrupting the expansion of solar energy use in the world. It is important that solar energy is used widely as a form of energy because of its environmental-friendly characteristic. Other forms of energy especially fuels highly pollute the environment. Not only does saving the environment a priority in using solar energy but also the fact that solar energy is free, renewable and inexhaustible. What a great deal?

Energy , Solar Energy

Get FREE Work-at-Home Job Leads Delivered Weekly!

Join more than 50,000 subscribers receiving regular updates! Plus, get a FREE copy of How to Make Money Blogging!

Message from Sophia!

Like this post? Don’t forget to share it!

Here are a few recommended articles for you to read next:

• Essay on Fuel
• Essay on Success
• Essay on My School
• Essay on Christmas

No comments yet.

Leave a reply click here to cancel reply..

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Billionaires

• Donald Trump
• Warren Buffett
• Email Address
• Free Stock Photos
• Keyword Research Tools
• URL Shortener Tools
• WordPress Theme

Book Summaries

• How To Win Friends
• Rich Dad Poor Dad
• The Code of the Extraordinary Mind
• The Luck Factor
• The Millionaire Fastlane
• The ONE Thing
• Think and Grow Rich
• 100 Million Dollar Business
• Business Ideas

Digital Marketing

• Mobile Addiction
• Social Media Addiction
• Computer Addiction
• Drug Addiction
• Internet Addiction
• TV Addiction
• Healthy Habits
• Morning Rituals
• Wake up Early
• Cholesterol
• Reducing Cholesterol
• Fat Loss Diet Plan
• Reducing Hair Fall
• Sleep Apnea
• Weight Loss

Internet Marketing

• Email Marketing

Law of Attraction

• Subconscious Mind
• Vision Board
• Visualization

Law of Vibration

• Professional Life

Motivational Speakers

• Bob Proctor
• Robert Kiyosaki
• Vivek Bindra
• Inner Peace

Productivity

• Not To-do List
• Project Management Software
• Negative Energies

Relationship

• Getting Back Your Ex

Self-help 21 and 14 Days Course

Self-improvement.

• Body Language
• Complainers
• Emotional Intelligence
• Personality

Social Media

• Project Management
• Anik Singal
• Baba Ramdev
• Dwayne Johnson
• Jackie Chan
• Leonardo DiCaprio
• Narendra Modi
• Nikola Tesla
• Sachin Tendulkar
• Sandeep Maheshwari
• Shaqir Hussyin

Website Development

Wisdom post, worlds most.

• Expensive Cars

Our Portals: Gulf Canada USA Italy Gulf UK

Privacy Overview

Essay on Solar Energy

Power of the Sun

Solar power is leading the global shift towards sustainable energy by harnessing the sun’s inexhaustible energy. Its significance lies in its renewable nature and its potential to revolutionize our energy landscape. From ancient civilizations utilizing sunlight for warmth to cutting-edge photovoltaic technologies, this essay delves into the evolution of solar energy. By exploring its historical roots, technological advancements, environmental benefits, and economic implications, we aim to elucidate solar energy’s critical role in shaping a sustainable future.

Evolution of solar energy

The evolution of solar energy spans millennia, from ancient civilizations exploiting the sun’s warmth to modern technological advancements harnessing its power for electricity generation.

Watch our Demo Courses and Videos

Valuation, Hadoop, Excel, Mobile Apps, Web Development & many more.

• Ancient Utilization:

The utilization of solar energy traces back to ancient civilizations. Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans designed their buildings to capture the sun’s warmth during winter, showcasing an early understanding of passive solar design. Similarly, ancient Chinese, Indian, and Persian societies used solar architecture to heat water.

• Discovery of Photovoltaic Effect:

The foundation for contemporary solar technology was laid in the 19th century with the discovery of the photovoltaic effect. French physicist Alexandre Edmond Becquerel noted the creation of an electric current when specific materials were exposed to light in 1839. This phenomenon, known as the photovoltaic effect, laid the groundwork for developing solar cells.

• Early Solar Cells and Applications:

The first practical application of the photovoltaic effect came in 1954 when Bell Laboratories introduced the first commercially viable solar cell. Developed by scientists Gerald Pearson, Calvin Fuller, and Daryl Chapin, this early solar cell achieved a 4% efficiency. While initially expensive, these cells found niche applications, such as powering satellites, signaling a new era in space exploration.

• Solar Energy in Space:

The space race of the mid-20th century accelerated solar technology. Satellites, including the Vanguard 1 (1958) and the Nimbus series, extensively used solar cells for power generation. This demonstrated the reliability of solar technology and contributed to ongoing research, pushing the efficiency and affordability of solar cells.

• Grid-Connected Solar Power:

The 1970s saw the emergence of grid-connected solar power systems on Earth. These systems allowed homes and businesses to generate electricity from sunlight and feed excess power into the grid. However, the high cost of solar panels limited widespread adoption.

• Advancements in Photovoltaic Technology:

Subsequent decades witnessed significant advancements in photovoltaic technology. Ongoing research and development improved solar cell efficiency, reduced manufacturing costs, and increased durability. Thin-film solar cells, multi-junction solar cells, and other innovations further expanded the applicability of solar energy.

• Growth of Solar Photovoltaics:

The 21st century marked a remarkable surge in solar photovoltaic installations. Advances in manufacturing processes, government incentives, and growing environmental consciousness contributed to the widespread adoption of solar panels in residential, commercial, and utility-scale settings.

• Concentrated Solar Power (CSP):

Concentrated solar power (CSP) technologies have developed together with the growth of photovoltaics. In CSP systems, sunlight is directed onto a tiny area by mirrors or lenses, creating heat that can be converted into electrical power. These systems work very well for producing enormous amounts of electricity.

• Smart Grid Integration and Energy Storage:

Recent developments involve integrating solar power into smart grids and incorporating energy storage solutions. Smart grids enable better management of fluctuating solar power production, while advancements in energy storage, such as lithium-ion batteries, address the intermittent nature of solar energy, allowing for a more reliable electricity supply.

How Solar Energy Works

Let’s break down how solar energy works into steps:

• Sunlight as a Source: Solar energy begins with the sun, emitting vast amounts of radiant energy in photons. These photons travel through space and reach the Earth.
• Photovoltaic Effect (PV): Solar panels, typically made of silicon-based photovoltaic cells, are the foundation of most solar energy systems. When sunlight strikes these cells, it stimulates the photovoltaic effect, causing the cells to release electrons.
• Generation of Electricity: An electric current flows through the solar cell as a result of these electrons moving. The connected cells in a panel generate direct current (DC) power.
• Inverter Conversion: The inverter processes the direct current (DC) electricity from the solar panels because the majority of household equipment and the grid run on alternating current (AC). The inverter transforms the DC electricity into usable AC electricity, which matches the common electrical current found in homes and businesses.
• Usage and Storage: The electricity generated can be used immediately to power devices or can be sent to the electrical grid. Batteries can be used to store extra electricity for use at a later time when demand is lower than solar production. This way, power is always available even when the sun isn’t shining.
• Net Metering and Grid Interaction: Systems that are connected to the grid can recycle excess energy produced by solar panels back into it. Users obtain credits or rewards for the extra energy they give through a procedure known as net metering.
• Concentrated Solar Power (CSP): In some systems, particularly large-scale ones, mirrors or lenses concentrate sunlight onto a small area. This concentrated light is used to heat a fluid (often molten salt) that generates steam to drive turbines, producing electricity in a manner similar to traditional power plants.

Solar energy systems are a reliable and sustainable source of electricity. They work continuously in sunlight. The efficiency of solar panels depends on panel quality, weather conditions, and the sun’s angle. Advancements in solar technology have improved efficiency, durability, and affordability, driving widespread adoption from households to large installations.

Types of Solar Energy

Solar energy comes in various forms, each with unique technologies and applications. The two primary types are Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Power and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP).

• Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Power: Photovoltaic technology uses semiconductor materials like silicon to turn sunlight into power directly.

How it Works: Photons in the sunshine break electrons loose from their atoms when they strike the solar cells, creating an electric current.

Applications:

• Residential Solar Panels: PV panels on rooftops generate electricity for household use.
• Commercial and Industrial Installations: Larger PV arrays power businesses and industries.
• Utility-Scale Solar Farms: Large-scale installations contribute to the grid’s electricity supply.

Advantages:

• Modular and scalable installations.
• Low maintenance requirements.
• Applicable in various settings.
• Concentrated Solar Power (CSP): Concentrated solar power systems generate heat that can be converted into electricity by focusing sunlight onto a tiny area using mirrors or lenses.

How it Works: CSP systems concentrate sunlight to create high temperatures, typically used to produce steam that drives turbines connected to generators.

• Solar Thermal Power Plants: Large-scale facilities generate electricity for the grid.
• Industrial Processes: CSP can provide heat for industrial applications like desalination or chemical production.
• Solar Cookers: Small-scale CSP systems for cooking in off-grid areas.
• Capable of providing both electricity and heat.
• Storage systems can store heat for continuous power generation.
• Suitable for large-scale power generation.
• Thin-Film Solar Cells: Thin-film To produce energy, solar cells employ thin layers of semiconductor materials.

How it Works: Thin layers of semiconductor materials, such as cadmium telluride or amorphous silicon, absorb sunlight to produce an electric current.

• Flexible and lightweight, enabling integration into various surfaces.
• Used in building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV).
• Suitable for portable solar applications.
• Lower manufacturing costs compared to traditional PV cells.
• Adaptability to different surfaces and environments.
• Organic Photovoltaics (OPV): Organic photovoltaics use organic materials, like polymers, to convert sunlight into electricity.

How it Works: Organic materials absorb sunlight and create electron-hole pairs, generating an electric current.

• Flexible and lightweight, suitable for flexible electronics.
• Integration into fabrics and consumer goods.
• Emerging technology with potential for widespread use.
• Potential for low-cost, large-scale production.
• Flexibility and versatility in design and application.
• Solar Thermal Systems: Utilizing the sun’s energy, solar thermal systems generate heat that can be utilized for a number of things, including the production of electricity.

How it Works: Mirrors or lenses focus sunlight to generate heat, which can be used for space heating, water heating, or power generation.

• Space heating in residential and commercial buildings.
• Solar water heaters for residential and industrial use.
• Hybrid systems for combined electricity and heat production.
• Efficient for applications requiring heat.
• Storage options for continuous heat supply.

Importance of Solar Energy

Solar energy holds significant importance across various domains due to its multifaceted advantages and potential contributions:

• Sustainability: One resource that can be used forever is solar energy. Unlike finite fossil resources, the energy from the sun is abundant and freely available. Its sustainability guarantees a consistent and reliable energy source well into the future.
• Environmental Benefits: While fossil fuels contribute to air pollution and climate change, solar energy is pure and produces no greenhouse emissions throughout the electricity generation process. Solar power’s lower carbon emissions lessen climate change and its related environmental effects.
• Energy Independence: Harnessing solar energy reduces dependence on imported fossil fuels, thereby enhancing energy independence for nations. This independence strengthens energy security and reduces geopolitical tensions related to energy resources.
• Economic Advantages: Jobs related to solar power could be generated in a number of industries, including production, installation, maintenance, and research. With the advancement of technology and scaling up production, the cost of solar energy is decreasing, making it more affordable and economically viable.
• Accessible and Scalable: Solar energy systems can be installed at various scales, from small residential setups to large utility-scale installations. This versatility makes solar power accessible to urban and rural areas, providing electricity in remote locations without access to traditional power grids.
• Reduced Strain on Resources: Solar power reduces the strain on finite resources such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Using sunlight lessens the demand for these resources, contributing to their conservation for future generations.
• Grid Stability and Peak Demand: Solar energy can contribute to grid stability by providing power during peak demand periods. Solar power can supply electricity even when sunlight is unavailable when integrated with energy storage systems, enhancing the grid’s reliability.
• Community and Resilience: Solar power fosters community resilience by decentralizing energy production. Solar installations, especially when paired with energy storage, can provide essential electricity independently of centralized grids in emergencies or natural disasters.

Technological Advancements

Solar energy has made significant technological advancements. These innovations have made it more reliable and affordable to meet the growing demand for cleaner energy alternatives.

• Innovations in Solar Panel Efficiency:
• Thin-Film Technology: Thin-film technologies, such as cadmium telluride (CdTe) or copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), have replaced traditional silicon-based solar panels due to their lightweight construction, flexibility, and lower manufacturing costs.
• Tandem Solar Cells: Tandem solar cells stack multiple layers of solar materials to capture a broader spectrum of sunlight. This allows for increased efficiency by maximizing the conversion of the sun into electricity.
• Perovskite Solar Cells: Perovskite-based solar cells have emerged as a promising alternative due to their low-cost production and high efficiency. Ongoing research aims to overcome stability challenges and commercialize this technology.
• Energy Storage Solutions:
• Advanced Battery Technologies: Energy storage is crucial to integrating solar power. By increasing storage capacity, shortening charging periods, and extending lifespans, battery technology advancements like lithium-ion batteries have addressed the sporadic nature of solar energy.
• Flow Batteries: Flow batteries, which store energy in liquid electrolytes, offer scalability and the ability to store large amounts of energy. When there is not as much sunlight, these batteries can supplement solar power by offering a reliable energy source.
• Smart Grid Integration and Smart Cities:
• Grid-Scale Solar Farms: Large solar farms connected to smart networks make effective solar energy distribution possible. Smart grids dynamically balance the supply and demand of electricity through the use of cutting-edge communication and control technology.
• Smart Inverters and Microgrids: Smart inverters help manage the flow of electricity, optimizing power quality and grid stability. Microgrids and decentralized energy systems empower communities to generate, store, and distribute solar energy locally, enhancing resilience and reliability.

Applications of Solar energy

• Residential Power Generation:

The use of solar energy in homes is among its most popular uses. Homeowners can mount solar panels on their rooftops to capture sunlight and produce electricity. As a result, there is less dependency on traditional power sources, and people may help create a more sustainable and clean energy infrastructure. Another residential use that uses solar thermal systems to heat water for domestic use is solar water heaters, which offer an energy-efficient substitute for conventional electric water heaters.

• Commercial and Industrial Use: Most commercial and industrial sectors use solar energy. Businesses can install solar panels to generate on-site power, reducing operational costs and environmental impact. Solar power is also harnessed for agricultural purposes, powering farm irrigation systems. This application enhances water efficiency and diminishes reliance on grid electricity, fostering sustainable agricultural practices.
• Solar Farms and Utility-Scale Power Plants: Large-scale electricity generation from solar farms and utility-scale installations contributes substantially to the power grid. These solar power plants serve to address the growing demand for electricity while lowering dependency on fossil fuels by supplying sustainable energy to businesses and communities. Additionally, solar power proves valuable in remote areas’ power supply, offering a sustainable solution for electrifying regions without access to traditional power infrastructure.
• Transportation:

Solar energy is increasingly integrated into various modes of transportation. Solar panels on electric vehicles and at charging stations extend the range of electric transportation and contribute to more sustainable mobility solutions. Solar-powered boats and aircraft also demonstrate the adaptability of solar energy in diverse transportation applications, showcasing its potential to reduce dependence on traditional fuel sources.

• Space Exploration:

Solar panels are a critical component of spacecraft and satellites, where the sun’s energy is harnessed in the vacuum of space. The reliability and efficiency of solar panels make them indispensable for powering instruments, communication devices, and other systems aboard spacecraft, enabling extended missions and exploration.

• Water Desalination:

Solar energy is utilized to power desalination plants in regions facing water scarcity. These plants convert seawater into freshwater, addressing water shortages and providing a sustainable solution to the growing demand for clean water in arid areas.

• Community and Rural Electrification:

Solar microgrids bring electricity to off-grid and rural areas, improving living standards and fostering economic development. This application of solar energy empowers communities with access to clean and reliable power, positively impacting education, healthcare, and overall quality of life.

• Smart Cities and Urban Planning:

Solar energy is integrated into smart cities and urban planning initiatives through applications like solar street lights and solar-powered infrastructure. Energy-efficient lighting powered by solar panels enhances safety and reduces energy consumption in urban areas, contributing to sustainable urban development and reducing the environmental footprint of cities.

Case Studies

Case study 1: the solarcity microgrid in ta’u, american samoa.

In 2016, Tesla (now part of Tesla, Inc.) collaborated with SolarCity to develop a solar microgrid on the remote island of Ta’u in American Samoa. The project aimed to reduce the island’s dependency on imported diesel fuel for electricity generation.

Implementation:

SolarCity installed a 1.4-megawatt solar array of 5,328 solar panels and 60 Tesla Powerpacks for energy storage. The microgrid was designed to meet nearly 100% of the island’s energy needs during daylight hours, with excess energy stored for nighttime use. The transition to solar energy significantly reduced the island’s reliance on diesel generators.

• The microgrid has successfully demonstrated the feasibility and reliability of solar energy in a remote location, reducing diesel consumption by about 109,500 gallons per year.
• Dependence on fossil fuels decreased, resulting in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy solution.
• The project is a model for other islands and remote communities seeking energy independence.

Case Study 2: The Noor Solar Complex in Ouarzazate, Morocco

The Noor Solar Complex near Ouarzazate in Morocco is one of the world’s largest concentrated solar power (CSP) projects. It aims to harness solar energy to meet the country’s growing energy demands.

This solar power complex has multiple phases, with the first completed in 2016. It covers thousands of acres, including parabolic troughs and a solar power tower. The parabolic troughs heat a transfer fluid, which produces steam to drive turbines. The power tower uses mirrors to focus sunlight onto a central receiver.

• The Noor Solar Complex contributes significantly to Morocco’s renewable energy goals, reducing the country’s reliance on fossil fuels.
• The project has a total capacity of over 500 megawatts, making it a substantial and reliable source of clean energy.
• Implementing CSP technology demonstrates the scalability and potential of concentrated solar power in large-scale electricity generation.

Case Study 3: Rooftop Solar in California, USA

California has been at the forefront of adopting rooftop solar installations, with numerous residential and commercial properties embracing solar panels to generate clean energy.

Through various incentive programs, net metering policies, and decreasing solar panel costs, many Californians have installed rooftop solar systems. The state encourages solar adoption, providing financial incentives and support to individuals and businesses investing in solar energy.

• California has emerged as a leader in the production of solar energy, generating a sizable amount of its electricity from solar sources.
• Both individual energy savings and the state’s total decrease in greenhouse gas emissions are facilitated by rooftop solar systems.
• The success of California’s rooftop solar initiatives is a model for other regions seeking to promote decentralized solar power generation.

Solar energy’s versatility spans residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, revolutionizing power generation and fostering sustainability. From rooftop panels to utility-scale plants, its role in reducing reliance on conventional sources and mitigating environmental impact is pivotal. Transportation, space exploration, and water desalination applications highlight its diverse capabilities. Integrating solar energy into smart cities and rural electrification underscores its potential for widespread positive impact. Continual technological advancements promise a brighter, cleaner future powered by the sun.

*Please provide your correct email id. Login details for this Free course will be emailed to you

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy .

Valuation, Hadoop, Excel, Web Development & many more.

Forgot Password?

This website or its third-party tools use cookies, which are necessary to its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in the cookie policy. By closing this banner, scrolling this page, clicking a link or continuing to browse otherwise, you agree to our Privacy Policy

Explore 1000+ varieties of Mock tests View more

Submit Next Question

🚀 Limited Time Offer! - 🎁 ENROLL NOW

Essay On Solar Energy

500 words essay on  solar energy.

Solar energy refers to the energy which the sunlight contains in the form of photons. It is not possible for life on earth to exist without solar energy .  All kinds of microorganisms and single-celled organisms came into existence with solar energy’s help. Plants have been using this energy ever since the beginning. Thus, through essay on solar energy, we will study about it in detail.

Methods of Using Solar Energy

We can trap solar energy in a lot of ways. One of the most efficient ways to do this is by using solar power plants. The design of these power plants is such that it helps to produce electricity on a larger level.

Other appliances which work on solar energy are solar cookers, solar heaters and solar cells. The solar cookers are said to be the most innovative methods of cooking nowadays. It is a great alternative to conventional fuels like gas, kerosene and wood .

These cookers are eco-friendly and also inexpensive means of cooking. Further, we have solar heaters which help to heat water using solar energy. Thus, it does not require electricity to heat water.

Finally, we have solar cells. They operate by directly converting solar light into electricity. In areas where supply from power grid is less available, solar cells are quite popular.

Similarly, a lot of calculators, wrist watch and other similar systems operate with this technology. The electricity which solar panels produce also stores in rechargeable solar batteries.

Advantages of Solar Energy

A major advantage of solar energy is that it is a renewable source. Thus, it will be available to use as long as the Sun is present. In other words, for another 5 billion years. As a result, everyone can use it abundantly.

Further, using solar energy can assist in reducing our electricity bills. When we use this energy, we will become less dependent on non-renewable sources of energy like petroleum and coal .

Moreover, we can utilize solar energy for a lot of purposes. One can produce electricity as well as heat. We use this energy in regions where we won’t require an electricity grid. Another advantage is that it is a clean fuel.

Using this energy will not result in pollution and thus, it won’t harm the environment. As a result, air pollution will significantly decrease. Both the government and individuals must try to promote and incorporate this energy in our daily lives.

This way, it can become the future of our world. It will make the world a greener and cleaner place as well. So, we must all try to switch to solar energy to make the world a better place.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Conclusion of Essay On Solar Energy

Solar energy is the future of our upcoming generation. It is safe and a greener and economical alternative. Moreover, it can be replenished so it serves as a renewable source of energy. As a result, it does not cause pollution . Thus, we must try to use solar energy more and more to save our planet earth.

FAQ on Essay On Solar Energy

Question 1: What is the importance of solar energy?

Answer 1: Solar energy is the power from the sun. It is a vast, inexhaustible, and clean resource. We can use this energy directly to heat and light homes and businesses. Similarly, we can also produce electricity, and heat water, solar cooling, and a variety of other commercial and industrial uses.

Question 2: Is solar energy renewable energy?

Answer 2: Yes, solar energy is a renewable energy. Thus, we can use it as much as we want and benefit from it in ways more than one.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

• Travelling Essay
• Picnic Essay
• Our Country Essay
• My Parents Essay
• Essay on Favourite Personality
• Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
• Essay on Knowledge is Power
• Essay on Gurpurab
• Essay on My Favourite Season
• Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

• Skip to main content
• Skip to secondary menu
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

A Plus Topper

Improve your Grades

Solar Energy Essay | Essay on Solar Energy for Students and Children in English

February 13, 2024 by Veerendra

Essay on Solar Energy: The energy we get from the sun is called solar energy. Solar energy is a renewable energy because it will never end as long as the sun remains. Solar energy is also pollution-free because there are no harmful gases, chemicals, and fly ash produced. Solar energy is the energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy with the help of photovoltaic cells. The production cost of solar energy is zero. A photovoltaic cell can produce electricity even in low sunlight so there is no cut in energy even on a rainy or cloudy day.

You can read more  Essay Writing  about articles, events, people, sports, technology many more.

Long and Short Essay on Solar Energy for Students and Kids in English

We have provided a few essays on the topic of Solar Energy. There is one long essay of 500 words; a short essay of 150 words; and ten lines on the topic of Solar Energy.

Long Essay on Solar Energy in English 500 words

Such long essays are usually helpful for students studying in classes 7, 8, 9, and 10. They may be asked to write these essays for assignments and exams.

Solar energy is a very popular form of energy nowadays. There are so many houses, shops, offices, schools, and colleges who use solar energy to fulfill their need for electricity. Solar energy is the energy which we get from the sun and converted into thermal or electrical energy with the help of photovoltaic cell. Solar energy is a renewable energy because it will never end as long as the sun remains. Solar energy also a pollution-free energy because there are no harmful gases, chemicals, fly ash produced during the production of solar energy.

When sunlight comes to earth and falls on a photovoltaic cell it generates electricity by an electronic process and the electric energy stores in the batteries in chemical process and can be used to supply power anything from a small electronic gadget such as calculators and road signs up to homes and large commercial businesses. As pollution is a very big problem in recent times so the Solar energy is producing a large number in many large countries to keep the environment clean and air pollution-free. Also, some countries announced that their citizens have to install the solar panels on the rooftop of their house or have to plant trees. Solar energy is not only pollution-free energy but also its maintenance cost is very low so to maintain a solar power plant less manpower is required than a thermal power plant. Also, one can set up solar panels on the rooftop of the house or office. To get rid of the pollution, which is a global problem in recent days and we need to shift from non-renewable energy to renewable energy like solar energy. If one sets up a solar panel in the rooftop of the house, office the annual charges of the electricity will reduce.

With all of these advantages, there are also some disadvantages when we use solar energy. The first disadvantage of using solar energy is that its initial setup cost is very high. To store the solar energy in a large number one needs a personal room for the batteries. If the solar panel damages one has to replace it with a new one if the warranty period of the panel expires, and the price of a new solar panel is high. When the batteries are damaged one has to replace the batteries and it will pollute the environment chemically because the batteries store the electrical energy in the chemical form. The changing cost of a battery is very high. If a person sets up solar panels in house or office, he must have to hire a solar panel specialist if there any problem occurs in the solar system. Even though there are some problems solar panels will save our money as well as the environment.

Short Essay on Solar Energy in English 150 words

Solar energy is the energy that we get from the sun and converted into thermal or electrical energy. Solar energy is a renewable energy because it will never end as long as the sun remains. Solar energy is also pollution-free because there will be no pollution occurring while producing solar energy. Solar energy is not only pollution-free energy but also its maintenance cost is very low so to maintain a solar power plant less manpower is required than others. Also, one can get a non-stop power supply even in the rainy season with the help of solar panels. There is also some disadvantage of using solar energy like the initial setup cost of panels and battery is very high. To store the solar energy in a large number one needs a personal room for the batteries. It pollutes the environment chemically.

10 Lines on Solar Energy Essay 150 words

• Solar energy is the energy that we get from the sun and converted into thermal or electrical energy.
• Solar energy is renewable and pollution-free energy.
• When sunlight falls on a photovoltaic cell it generates electricity by an electronic process and the electric energy stores in the batteries in the chemical process.
• The maintenance cost of a solar energy plant is very low.
• One can get a non-stop power supply even in the rainy season with the help of solar panels.
• some disadvantages of using solar energy like the initial setup cost of panels and battery is very high.
• If the solar panel damages one has to replace it.
• When the batteries are damaged one has to replace the batteries and it will pollute the environment chemically.
• Even though there are some problems solar panels will save our money as well as the environment.

Frequently Asked Questions Solar Energy Essay

Question 1. What is solar energy?

Answer: Solar energy is the energy that we get from the sun and converted into thermal or electrical energy.

Question 2. Is solar energy renewable energy?

Answer: Yes, solar energy is renewable energy.

Question 3. Does solar energy pollute nature?

Answer: No, solar energy does not pollute nature.

• Picture Dictionary
• English Speech
• English Slogans
• English Letter Writing
• English Essay Writing
• English Textbook Answers
• Types of Certificates
• ICSE Solutions
• Selina ICSE Solutions
• ML Aggarwal Solutions
• HSSLive Plus One
• HSSLive Plus Two
• Kerala SSLC
• Distance Education

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Argumentative Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Solar Photovoltaic (PV)

Introduction, overview of bangladesh community, impacts of solar photovoltaic (pv) on bangladesh society, issues surrounding solar photovoltaic (pv), alternative views.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) uses solar cells to capture energy from sunlight and converts it to electricity by photovoltaic effect through assembling solar cells. Transmitted through solar modules and solar panels, sunlight is easily converted to solar power that can be supplied to off-grid areas as alternative to power solutions in remote and dispersed communities.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) project is a predominant technology that consists of 10-100 Wp of solar PV panel that attracts solar radiations through daylight and stores the energy in the automobile battery, which is then transmitted through cabling and low-wattage Dc lamps (Energy and Mining Sector Board, 2007).

Practical application of photovoltaic cells producing electricity from sunlight is applied by connecting a series of modules, interconnected in parallels or series creating an array of an additive voltage.

Photons in sunlight hit solar panels and absorbed by silicon (semiconducting materials) (Shive, 1959). Electrons being charged are knocked loose from their atoms, allowing them to flow through the silicon in a single direction to produce electricity (silicon) (Lorenzo et al. , 1994, p.78; Smee, 1849).

Arrays of solar cells are convert the solar energy into usable amount of direct current (DC) electricity which could be applied to development activities such as water pumping, small cottage industry, poultry rearing, fish farming among others (Lorenzo et al , 1994, p.78; Anderson 2001).

Science and technology have defined desired service outcomes for end-users. Use of solar photovoltaic technology has amplified and transformed the rural poor population who can not afford electricity (Wolf, 1976). It requires active participation of community members, who are the end-users beneficiaries and the government, should actively participate to foresee the project completion.

This essay demonstrates how technology sector, for this instance, Solar photovoltaic (PV), a solar energy that is currently processed by World Bank in Bangladesh has incredibly transformed the living standards of the rural poor population.

Data obtained for this analysis is culmination research efforts gathered between World Bank projects and extensive assessment performed by a group of industry practitioners in Bangladesh in pursue of project management and Information technology programs.

Developing countries have over the years been striving to provide energy solutions to the poor marginalized areas. Despite many projects that have been implemented for years, more than 1.5 billion people in developing countries, mostly in the Sub- Saharan African region and South Asia remain without access to electricity services today.

In this regard, World Bank continues to implement projects to meet Bangladesh lightening and other basic energy needs since majority of the households in the rural areas depend on expensive fuel-based energy power such as kerosene, which are indeed inefficient and polluting.

World Bank’s project uses renewable energy-based technologies ranging from solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to micro hydropower to off-grid areas as alternative to power solutions in remote and dispersed communities (Lorenzo, 1994).

This projected has also been accelerated due to the recent increment of fuel prices. Among the financiers, World Bank is the leading sponsor of the off-grid electrification benefiting more than 1 million households, including both small and medium-size enterprises.

Solar Thermal Power Plant in Bangladesh enabled sustainment of community development activities such as water pumping, small cottage industry, poultry rearing, fish farming, among others.

The study starts by mentioning impacts of solar photovoltaic (PV) on Bangladesh society, problems inherent within the project application of solar photovoltaic (PV) in Bangladesh rural development, national subsidiaries and the government working to meet the basic energy needs. The analysis did, however, conclude that PV improved living standards and the livelihood of the rural poor population.

This, therefore, brings us to the conclusion that technology is indeed a practice that requires testing regimes to arrive at best practices. In this regard, understanding both internal and external processes rather than relying on the prescribed best practices within information technology industry is very important.

Many rural communities in Bangladesh require energy solutions to sustain their economic activities. Many of their projects are usually constrained by lack of modern supply of energy and jeopardized their ability to live above poverty levels. Economic activities related to water pumping, small cottage industry, poultry rearing, fish farming, among others are very important in sustaining community development.

Many of these projects require small amount of power as low as 100w to 3kW, which could be provided by PV. In this case, the government should initiate and enhance productive activities for long-term project sustainability.

This brought us to the conclusion that the major ingredients to providing off-grid require technical assistance and adequate financing from the government, private subsidiaries and international donors.

Therefore the costs of PV built to serve the off-grid community need to be justified in its productive loads especially in daytime when the sunshine is out enough to supply nighttime household loads, otherwise the wall project would not be cost effective (Cabraal et al. , 2008, p.15).

Bangladeshi government should ensure that regulatory requirements designed for off-grid markets are appropriate, devise reporting and service quality standards in rural areas and set lower costs that can be redistributed over an extended period (Reiche et al. , 2006).

For PV services, for instance, Reiche et al. (2006) argues that the only regulatory body that would foresee the completion of the project would be the government that provides subsidies for system purchase and installation.

Reiche and his colleagues (2006) add that regulatory actions involve accreditation of participating companies, settings and enforcing standards (preferably adopting internationally accepted standards), verification of installation, and random monitoring of system performance-actions that World Bank-supported projects usually require of counterpart government agencies (p.7).

Solar photovoltaic (PV) and SHS technical options enhance affordability and provide smaller, lower-power solar systems that offer lower quantity of service without compromising its quality (Cabraal et al., 1996). For example, Cabraal and his colleagues ( 1996) analysis demonstrate that a solar panel costing $ 50 to $75 would provide 3-4hours of lighting on a daily basis.

Also, the SHS costing $ 600 can operate up to 3-4 hours of lighting and radio daily. LED technology advances are also cost-efficient and can also be adopted into the most marginalized and retail infrastructure. Overall, adequate attention to SHS products and services are needed lead to reduced costs and replacements less expensive (Cabraal et al. , 2008, p.19).

World Bank investment projects have over the years made impressive gains in improving electricity access, specifically in developing countries. It’s estimated that majority of Bangladesh population both in rural and marginalized areas has no access to electricity. Poor households here are defined as people living in off-grid areas with low-income levels.

Government programs in Bangladesh should, in this case, prioritize allocation of scarce resources. This is because unprivileged populations are found to be concentrated in the rural communities. However, the costs required to electrify these places vary significantly.

Marginal areas have been without electricity for some time since private organizations are unwilling to connect customers because if the inherent high costs installation and with lower tariffs. In reality, private sectors prefer to concentrate on grid intensification due to lower cost per connection and easier to implement.

Government projects are rarely off-grid decisions and its time they supported energy initiatives that would stimulate the growth of micro-enterprises that would benefit the economy. For these reasons, some off-grid projects have been neglected hence the need for World Bank sponsorship. The spatial-analysis of power line being plotted in Bangladesh is one of such example (Cabraal et al. , 2008, p.4).

Rural renewable electrification programs such as solar photovoltaic (PV) are increasingly becoming popular in developing countries as a means of providing alternative energy sources to rural poor population. PV technology varies significantly in design and implementation, as well as its degree of success.

Lorenzo and his colleagues (1994) argue that sustainability of these programs are widely successful with collective participation from the local government, donor funding and the community. Solar photovoltaic tends to be a technical demonstration project and relies totally on funding from donor organizations and local governments.

In this regard, World Bank projects aimed at mainstreaming sustainable development principles into development aspects, is projected as a primary donor for community sustainment. It mobilizes efforts from community, the government and private-sectors to improve coordination among environmental institutions both internationally and locally.

World Bank projects have over the years been accredited with increasing the capacity of environmental issues and awareness of community on environmental issues by encouraging their active participation to monitor environmental quality.

According to Yongxoue et al. (2003), World Bank’s main objective is to “integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs and reverse the loss of environmental resources” (p.10).

It’s quite clear that access to energy solutions would incredibly improve Bangladesh’s welfare. According to Cabraal et al. (2008) research, there are about 260 million rural households without access to electricity.

It is evidenced that majority of these households reside in either dispersed or small villages far form the city centers. World Bank is, therefore, trying to bridge this gap by implementing projects that provide electricity to such neglected areas using technology options approaches such as solar photovoltaic that have attained commercial maturity over the past 15-20 years.

Based on practical knowledge gathered from various literature and international experience accumulated through the past and on going World Bank operations, World Bank’s unique projects offer basic design principles of project management and sound practices and prescribe solutions for success (Cabraal et al. , 2008).

Solar photovoltaic projects aimed at improving lives and livelihood opportunities have helped those who can not afford personal house connections. From the perspective of data gathered from various literature, such technological applications increase the economic attractiveness of the community.

It’s evidenced that a station with 2kw capacity charged battery can serve up to 50 households. The only disadvantage is that the solar-powered batteries can only serve people living near the station since the battery must be transported to and from the charging station once a week.

On the other hand, however, Barkat (2003) argues that “in some projects, quality systems were installed without providing for longer-term maintenance, which harmed the reputation of the project and technology” (p.6). Also, lack of donor funding and the inability to reach the off-grid areas due to poor infrastructure has always been a major obstacle in realizing rural solar electrification objectives.

Bangladesh management team, on the other hand, lacked awareness in decision-making level. The country had not prioritized solar development plan and poor coordination among line agencies at local levels to foresee the project completion were evident.

There were so many undergoing projects, but locals lacked understanding of the project activities and how it would benefit them. Locals assumed that the project only targeted long term impacts, which made them less motivated and more concerned about short term direct impacts.

This brought us to the conclusion that complex issues in developing countries require more practical solutions to solve the problem in the community in a short-term basis.

Even though, solar energy projects have been stated as one of the Bangladesh’s national development plan priority, in fact, it’s shocking to realize that the country has given the project less priority since its implementation (Yongxoue et al. , 2003, p.3). Sibanda and Mahbub (2003) states that.

World Bank acted as an administrator for the Global Partnership on Output-Based Aid (GPOBA) with grants of a total of $8.3 million to sponsor part of the costs for installation of Solar Home Systems (PV) and renewable energy mini-grids for poor households located in Bangladesh rural areas (p.2).

The projects benefited more than 14,000 households and over 5000 small to medium enterprises. Some of the projects included irrigation pumps, poultry farms and as well as timber mills in the rural areas.

The ongoing project is expected to enable majority of poor rural population and dispersed areas have access to affordable energy through the PV and mini-grid projects. Zafrul Islam as quoted in Sibanda and Mahbub (2003) states that the GPOBA projects will support the Government of Bangladesh’s goal to ensure that the entire country has access to electricity by 2021. 80% of Bangladesh’s population live in rural areas and are also the group most affected by a lack of sufficient electricity generation. These projects will help 140,000 more households gain access to affordable electricity (p.1).

Sibanda and Mahbub (2003) continue that the proposed PV project will reduce PV installation costs benefiting off-grid areas. Mr. Islam Sharrif as quoted in Sibanda and Mahbub (2003) adds that our mission at IDCOL is to encourage private sector investment in energy and infrastructure projects,” said Mr. Islam Sharif, CEO of IDCOL. The output-based aid approach has an impressive track record to date because it helps low-income households gain access to electricity and makes it attractive for the private sector to offer services to the poor (p.2).

In his statement Mr. Islam Sharrif concluded that the amount paid by GPOBA was seen as an incentive for business in the country to offer services to the poor people and the World Bank out-put based approach will ensure that payments made go directly to the qualifying household access to PV installation (Sibanda and Mahbub, 2003, p.2).

Since its establishment in 2003, GPOBA has sponsored various projects, including education, infrastructure and health designed to create incentives for efficiency and long-term development projects.

Bangladeshi government should play an active role by funding and inviting proposals from private sectors, rural energy fund and support such investments on qualifying bidders. In either case, the governments sound practice to subsidize a portion of the capital costs while the community and private sectors balances the investment costs and full cost of the operation and maintenance.

The third approach calls for active participation of government-contracted projects or public utilities operating in marginalized areas. Here, the government takes full charge by regulating tariffs, which is an equivalent to the lifeline tariff of rural grid customers. In other words, utility operator is provided a subsidy from a public source as part of capital operations and maintenance costs.

This model is also evident in the Philippines where the government funds its micro-operation projects. For Bangladesh case, World Bank project centered on off-grid SHS has enabled rural electrification. With regard to World Bank projects, the dealer aspect often incorporates micro-finance assistance, which deals with the initial high upfront costs (Cabraal et al. , 2008, p.20).

In this case, mobilization of both government and sponsoring agencies is required since off-grid electrification is difficult to implement. Persistence and efforts from the government in support of World Bank projects are very important in ensuring completion of the projects. Government commitment to revive subsidiary slack when external financing ends to ensure the completion of the project is also required.

After extensive research, I realized that long-term sustainability of the project will depend on many factors either than just technology. First of all, Cabraal and his colleagues ( 2008) argue that Bangladesh will require effective prioritization and adequate planning to ensure implementation of technological solutions, infrastructure and financial are provided for long-term purposes.

Drawing on World Bank’s experience in design and implementing off-grid electrification projects, rural electrification solar projects guidance and insights into fundamental design principles for sustainability and sound practices for effective decision-making in Bangladesh will an effective solution (Cabraal et al. , 2008).

Secondly, active participation of government-contracted projects or public utilities operating in marginalized areas. World Bank projects should incorporate micro-finance assistance to deal with the initial high upfront costs.

It has often been argued that reduced capital costs subsequently improve affordability of capital-intensive off-grid technologies. Some countries oppose the off-grid technologies, encouraging further consumption of high fuel.

The implementation of solar PV have simplified energy solutions and enabled Bangladesh to build long-term relationship with its donors and subsidiaries hence reducing the share of costs attributed to management and overhead costs (Cabraal et al. , 2008, p.20).

To ensure the likelihood of sustainability of the projects, Cabraal and his colleagues (2008) argue that Bangladesh government should play a role of off-grid options by simplifying regulations, appointing competent and dedicated project management staff to foresee the completion of the project.

Since the project is technology-driven, the project should include cost-effective analysis to determine the least-cost solutions and our technology choice will be based practical considerations. Deliverance mechanisms and consumer service for off-grid projects specifically rely on private sector participation in line with local realities, which enable access to quality and affordable products and services in the long-term.

In order to increase affordability, Sibanda and Mahbub (2003) argue that off-grid electrification project in the rural Bangladesh must include subsidiaries, low-cost energy options like PV for this instance, consumer financing and finally polices and business practice. Role of subsidiaries, in this case, would be to foresee the completion of grid-based rural electrification to off-grid areas that have poor and dispersed population.

It has also been argued that technologies for decentralized service have the ability to configure individual units that have higher investment costs to low fuel and operating costs compared to fuel-based supply systems.

In some cases, the resulting energy costs may be higher that what a potential customer is willing to pay and subsidiaries in this case help off-grid consumers afford the upfront costs of access (Sibanda and Mahbub, 2003, p.17).

Subsidiaries provided by PV in World Bank projects in Bangladesh reflects wide variations of systems costs, government attitudes towards subsidiary support and willingness to pay levels. For example, the PV subsidiary projects known as the RERED include PV system size of 20-70 WP with approximately 12 % cost in subsidiary range. Subsidiary financing can be gained from micro-financial institutions, banks and leasing companies.

Such arrangements can increase affordability by spreading first costs over several years. Therefore strong partnership between microfinance institutions and energy companies would facilitate fast off-grid lending programs (Cabraal et al. , 2008, p.19).

Essay on Solar Energy Examples and Samples

• Essay on Personal Narrative Examples and Samples
• Essay on Hamlet Examples and Samples
• Essay on Civil Rights Examples and Samples
• Essay on Rhetoric Examples and Samples
• Essay on Martin Luther King Examples and Samples

Recent Articles

May 11 2023

Environmental impact on Manufacturing Industries Essay Sample, Example

Nov 04 2018

Global Warming: Why Does It Happen and What Can We Do to Reverse It? Essay Sample, Example

Jul 26 2016

Why Electric Cars are the Future Essay Sample, Example

Mar 15 2013

Sun: The Earth’s Most Vital Source of Alternative Energy Essay Sample, Example

Remember Me

What is your profession ? Student Teacher Writer Other

Forgotten Password?

Username or Email

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• Published: 02 November 2015

Impact of solar panels on global climate

• Aixue Hu   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-1337-287X 1 ,
• Samuel Levis 1   nAff4 ,
• Gerald A. Meehl 1 ,
• Weiqing Han 2 ,
• Warren M. Washington 1 ,
• Keith W. Oleson 1 ,
• Bas J. van Ruijven 1 ,
• Mingqiong He 3 &
• Warren G. Strand 1  

Nature Climate Change volume  6 ,  pages 290–294 ( 2016 ) Cite this article

15k Accesses

93 Citations

118 Altmetric

Metrics details

• Climate and Earth system modelling
• Environmental sciences

Regardless of the harmful effects of burning fossil fuels on global climate 1 , 2 , other energy sources will become more important in the future because fossil fuels could run out by the early twenty-second century 3 given the present rate of consumption 4 . This implies that sooner or later humanity will rely heavily on renewable energy sources. Here we model the effects of an idealized large-scale application of renewable energy on global and regional climate relative to a background climate of the representative concentration pathway 2.6 scenario (RCP2.6; ref.  5 ). We find that solar panels alone induce regional cooling by converting incoming solar energy to electricity in comparison to the climate without solar panels. The conversion of this electricity to heat, primarily in urban areas, increases regional and global temperatures which compensate the cooling effect. However, there are consequences involved with these processes that modulate the global atmospheric circulation, resulting in changes in regional precipitation.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 12 print issues and online access

195,33 € per year

only 16,28 € per issue

Buy this article

• Purchase on Springer Link
• Instant access to full article PDF

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

Climate change extremes and photovoltaic power output

Co-benefits of carbon neutrality in enhancing and stabilizing solar and wind energy

Impacts of climate change on energy systems in global and regional scenarios

IPCC in Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability (eds Field, C. B. et al.) (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2014).

Google Scholar  

IPCC in Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis (eds Stocker, T. F. et al.) (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2013).

Shafiee, S. & Topal, E. When will fossil fuel reserves be diminished? Energy Policy 37 , 181–189 (2009).

Article   Google Scholar  

Key World Energy Statistics (International Energy Agency, 2013).

Van Vuuren, D. P. et al. RCP2.6: Exploring the possibility to keep global mean temperature increase below 2 °C. Clim. Dynam. 109 , 95–116 (2011).

International Energy Outlook 2013 DOE/EIA-0484 (US Energy Information Administration, US Department of Energy, 2013).

Rogner, H.-H. et al. Global Energy Assessment-Toward a Sustainable Future Ch. 7, 423–512 (Cambridge Univ. Press and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, 2012).

Kamat, P. V. Meeting the clean energy demand: Nanostructure architectures for solar energy conversion. J. Phys. Chem. 111 , 2834–2860 (2007).

CAS   Google Scholar  

Gent, P. R. et al. The Community Climate System Model version 4. J. Clim. 24 , 4973–4991 (2011).

Oleson, K. W., Bonan, G. B., Feddema, J. & Jackson, T. An examination of urban heat island characteristics in a global climate model. Int. J. Clim. 31 , 1848–1865 (2010).

Clarke, L. et al. in Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change (eds Edenhofer, O. et al.) 413–510 (IPCC, Cambridge Univ. Press, 2014).

Rephaeli, E. & Fan, S. Absorber and emitter for solar thermo-phtovoltaic systems to achieve efficiency exceeding the Shockley–Queisser limit. Opt. Express 17 , 15145–15159 (2009).

Article   CAS   Google Scholar  

Bermel, P. et al. Design and global optimization of high-efficiency thermophotovoltaic systems. Opt. Express 18 , A314–A334 (2010).

Chukwula, C. & Folly, K. A. Overview of concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) cells. J. Power Energy Eng. 2 , 1–8 (2014).

Lenert, A. et al. A nanophotonic solar thermophotovoltaic device. Nature Nanotech. 9 , 126–130 (2014).

Kurokawa, K. et al. (eds) Energy from the Desert: Very Large Scale Photovoltaic System (Earthscan, 2007).

Meehl et al. in Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis (eds Solomon, S. et al.) 747–845 (IPCC, Cambridge Univ. Press, 2007).

Millstein, D. & Menon, S. Regional climate consequences of large scale cool roof and photovoltaic array deployment. Environ. Res. Lett. 6 , 034001 (2011).

Taha, H. The potential for air-temperature impact from large scale deployment of solar photovoltaic arrays in urban areas. Sol. Energy 91 , 358–367 (2013).

Masson, V. et al. Solar panels reduce both global warming and urban heat island. Front. Environ. Sci. 2 , 14 (2014).

Collins, M. et al. in Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis (eds Stocker, T. F. et al.) 1029–1136 (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2013).

Zhang, G. J., Cai, M. & Hu, A. Energy consumption and the unexplained winter warming over northern Asia and North America. Nature Clim. Change 3 , 466–470 (2013).

Download references

Acknowledgements

A portion of this study was supported by the Regional and Global Climate Modelling Program (RGCM) of the US Department of Energy’s Office of Science (BER), Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC02-97ER62402. This research used computing resources of the Climate Simulation Laboratory at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), which is sponsored by the National Science Foundation; the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, which is supported by the Office of Science of the US Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC05-00OR22725. The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Author information

Samuel Levis

Present address: Present address: The Climate Corporation, San Francisco, California 94103, USA.,

Authors and Affiliations

Climate and Global Dynamics Division, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado 80305, USA

Aixue Hu, Samuel Levis, Gerald A. Meehl, Warren M. Washington, Keith W. Oleson, Bas J. van Ruijven & Warren G. Strand

Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80301, USA

Weiqing Han

Meteorological Bureau of Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei Province 430074, China

Mingqiong He

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

A.H. designed and led the study. A.H., S.L., G.A.M., W.H., W.M.W., K.W.O., B.J.v.R., M.H. and W.G.S. contributed to the model simulations, data analysis, and all authors actively contributed towards writing the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aixue Hu .

Ethics declarations

Competing interests.

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

Supplementary information (pdf 6521 kb), rights and permissions.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Hu, A., Levis, S., Meehl, G. et al. Impact of solar panels on global climate. Nature Clim Change 6 , 290–294 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2843

Download citation

Received : 05 May 2015

Accepted : 27 September 2015

Published : 02 November 2015

Issue Date : March 2016

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2843

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

This article is cited by

Recycling of silicon solar panels through a salt-etching approach.

• Shuaibo Gao

Nature Sustainability (2024)

Large-scale photovoltaic solar farms in the Sahara affect solar power generation potential globally

• Jingchao Long
• Zhengyao Lu
• Qiong Zhang

Communications Earth & Environment (2024)

A Tutorial Review of the Solar Power Curve: Regressions, Model Chains, and Their Hybridization and Probabilistic Extensions

• Xiang’ao Xia
• Martin János Mayer

Advances in Atmospheric Sciences (2024)

Comprehensive guidance for optimizing the colloidal quantum dot (CQD) Perovskite solar cells: experiment and simulation

• Mohammad Javadian Sarraf
• Leili Motevalizadeh

Scientific Reports (2023)

The characteristics and parameterizations of the surface albedo of a utility-scale photovoltaic plant in the Gobi Desert

• Zhenchao Li
• Xiaoqing Gao

Theoretical and Applied Climatology (2023)

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

• Future Energy Systems Center
• Studies and reports
• Funding opportunities
• Carbon Management
• Electric Power
• Energy storage
• Low-carbon Fuels
• Transportation
• Undergraduate education
• Graduate & postdoctoral
• Online education
• Education research
• Current members
• Energy Futures
• In the media
• Affiliations

The Future of Solar Energy

Read the report.

Executive summary (PDF) Full report (PDF)

The Future of Solar Energy considers only the two widely recognized classes of technologies for converting solar energy into electricity — photovoltaics (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP), sometimes called solar thermal) — in their current and plausible future forms. Because energy supply facilities typically last several decades, technologies in these classes will dominate solar-powered generation between now and 2050, and we do not attempt to look beyond that date. In contrast to some earlier Future of studies, we also present no forecasts — for two reasons. First, expanding the solar industry dramatically from its relatively tiny current scale may produce changes we do not pretend to be able to foresee today. Second, we recognize that future solar deployment will depend heavily on uncertain future market conditions and public policies — including but not limited to policies aimed at mitigating global climate change.

As in other studies in this series, our primary aim is to inform decision-makers in the developed world, particularly the United States. We concentrate on the use of grid-connected solar-powered generators to replace conventional sources of electricity. For the more than one billion people in the developing world who lack access to a reliable electric grid, the cost of small-scale PV generation is often outweighed by the very high value of access to electricity for lighting and charging mobile telephone and radio batteries. In addition, in some developing nations it may be economic to use solar generation to reduce reliance on imported oil, particularly if that oil must be moved by truck to remote generator sites. A companion working paper discusses both these valuable roles for solar energy in the developing world.

Related publications

Shaping photovoltaic array output to align with changing wholesale electricity price profiles

December 2019

Spatial and temporal variation in the value of solar power across United States electricity markets

Solar heating for residential and industrial processes

Related news

MIT Energy Initiative Director Robert Armstrong shares perspectives on past successes and ongoing and future energy projects at the Institute.

Knowledge Base

How to write a research paper on solar energy: a graduate-level guide  0.

How many types of paper do you think a college student should know? Apart from writing essays, discussion posts, and replies, a person pursuing an undergraduate and graduate degree should be conversant with a format or outline of scientific papers, research proposals, and dissertations. This know-how assists a student in coherently organizing and structuring his or her ideas.

As such, this article aims to offer insightful tips on how to make a research paper on solar energy meet proficient or distinguished criteria on the rubric. In other words, this graduate-level guide provides a clear distinction between this type of writing and a general essay. 

Solar Energy Research Paper: A Recommended Structure 

When you review several research papers on solar energy, you’ll notice that an abstract appears before other sections. However, it’s important to note that a student should write it after completing the paper. Why should you adhere to this rule? Very simple, it’s because an abstract summarizes the key arguments of a research paper. This section, according to Naval Postgraduate School , differs from an executive summary in terms of length and information included. In particular, an abstract ranges from 100 to 200 words, while an executive summary might be 2 to 5 pages. What does this mean? A student might include citations in an executive summary. 

So, when writing a research paper on solar energy, you should ensure that its abstract contains concise statements about the following:

• The significance of the research 
• The research question
• The scientific method used to answer the research question
• The findings

Introduction

If you pride yourself on the knowledge of how to write a perfect essay, this section shouldn’t be a problem for you. When writing a solar energy research paper, you should present comprehensive theories underlying the problem. Take a close look at this paragraph.

Even though the discovery of fossil fuel to substitute wood charcoal promoted industrialization and economic development, it has presented multiple challenges to the environment and human health. According to Zoghi et al. (2017), as cited by Choifin et al.’s (2021) article, “most of the energy sources that are currently relied on are limited and will run out due to increasing demand” (p. 1). Due to the supply deficit of fossil fuel, many countries opt to purchase cheap fossil fuels. However, such petroleum contains high octane that reduces the lifespan of vehicle engines. As a consequence, nations end up with piles of scrap and heavy metals that pollute the environment. The country can remedy this problem if it implements renewable energy sources such as solar, hydropower, and wind power, among many other options. According to Biçen, Szczutkowski, and Vardar (2018), “solar energy, which is an almost infinite energy source that does not have a negative effect on the environment, is utilized in two ways as “Thermal Systems” and “Electrical Systems”.”

After reading this introduction, you’ll notice that the presented theoretical background of the problem contains scholarly pieces of evidence. Afterwards, it offers the significance of the research by highlighting why countries should adopt renewable sources of energy such as solar. 

Literature review

When writing a solar energy research paper, you should consider reviewing studies on the same subject. In this case, you can explore topics on the latest trends and the future. Take a look at the below literature review.

The expansion of solar energy solutions worldwide is attributable to its high demand. According to Solar Energy Industries Association [SEIA] (n.d.), this sector has experienced approximately 24% yearly growth over the past ten years. About 26 million houses benefit from over 149 gigawatts (GW) because of the federal financial support through the solar Investment Tax credit. Another reason for the expansion of this sector, according to Choifin et al. (2021), a suitable solution for the supply deficit of electricity is renewable energy sources (RE).

Ideally, your literature review should present arguments on different topics. Each paragraph should have at least two citations with ideas that build on a central theme. Depending on the length of your research paper, a literature review should contain several paragraphs. 

Methodology

Unlike a dissertation that a student has several weeks or months to complete, your professor might want you to complete a research paper on solar energy within days. As such, the recommended design would be a systematic review. In this case, you need to select a few journals on the topic of interest. How can you do this? Considering that you require access to articles with the latest information on solar energy, you can consider contacting professional services like CustomWritings to get your write my research paper request processed by expert writers. The reason for opting for a research paper writer on this website to assist you in systematic review concerns their experience of using online databases.  

While most systematic reviews on solar technology tend to be qualitative, you can opt to utilize mixed design. In this case, you can get some figures from the articles and conduct an extensive analysis to reveal some trends or patterns. At this point, you can consider including tables or graphs on the usage of renewable sources over the years.  

Discussions

After presenting the results, you need to support the trends and patterns with scholarly sources. You can find relevant articles by searching solar energy research paper topics on the web. The length of the discussion depends on your knowledge of interpreting results and summarizing evidence-based findings. 

While writing this section, you should ensure that it doesn’t look or structured similar to the abstract. As such, a student should summarize the main points of the study and the research implications. In some papers, you can combine discussion and conclusion. You can add recommendations in this section. 

References 

Regardless of your format, you should place all the materials cited in the paper in this section. 

Write a Research Paper on Solar Energy: Dos and Don’ts

• Use headings and subheadings . Unlike most essays, your research paper should have clear sections. This strategy facilitates the organization of ideas. 
• Define terms. Considering that you are most likely to apply technical writing in research papers, you should consider providing definitions of the vocabulary and figures used. This strategy is important when it comes to the result section.
• Cite all borrowed ideas . The rationale for citing and referencing concerns eliminating intentional plagiarism. 
• Let the research question guide the writing process . This strategy ensures that you stay on the topic.
• Fabricate the results. Since most research papers on solar energy tend to utilize secondary data, some students might provide fake data. 
• Overuse ‘I”. Although personal opinions are necessary when writing a research paper, you should devise a way of presenting them. 
• Introducing new results. When writing a discussion of a research paper, you should stick to your result. In other words, you should not get a source with similar information and just paraphrase. Make sure the information you are looking for either supports or challenges your results. 

Even though this article offers a standard structure for writing a research paper on solar energy, students should understand that any deviation in instruction is unacceptable. What does this mean? Some professors might require students to only look at the impact and consequences of solar energy. Such a research paper might have only two headings. It’s because of this reason you should always consult a research paper service if anything is unclear! 

Seeking wholesale solar materials?

Don’t run around requesting for quotes. Let quotes come to you!

SolarFeeds Marketplace – Copyright © 2022

• [email protected]

Essay Service Examples Environment Solar Energy

How Does Solar Energy Work? Essay

• Proper editing and formatting
• Free revision, title page, and bibliography
• Flexible prices and money-back guarantee

How solar panels work?

Investors convert solar panel energy into usable electricity, different solar panel technologies, cadmium telluride solar panels (cdte), copper and indium diselenide solar panels (cigs), organic photovoltaic cells (opv), how is solar energy stored, what is an electric battery, a solar system interconnected to the network has several advantages:, secure supply, net measurement, how do solar panels work at night, net measurement keeps you connected, solar battery storage offers energy freedom, network measurement and battery storage working in tandem, how does solar energy affect the environment, the environmental impact is:, solar energy benefits.

Our writers will provide you with an essay sample written from scratch: any topic, any deadline, any instructions.

Cite this paper

Related essay topics.

Get your paper done in as fast as 3 hours, 24/7.

Related articles

Most popular essays

• Alternative Energy
• Environmental Issues
• Solar Energy

Floating solar farms are large solar arrays that float on water bodies, usually man-made...

• World History

Due to the shrinking volume of available energy reservation and increasing energy expenses...

• Global Warming

Now in a lot of cities or countries, we often see solar panels on top of a building or a field....

• Renewable Energy

With the increasing concern about climate change and the impact human actions have on Earth, the...

India's abundant solar energy potential provides a clean and sustainable energy that can replace...

• Cost Accounting
• Critical Thinking

The current year 2019, could be considered a breakthrough year in the field of renewable energies....

Global warming has become a serious problem recently because the temperature of the world...

First of all, let’s start with some information about the sun: the sun is the closest star to...

Now in this modern era, everyone knows about the importance of solar power for better and pure...

Join our 150k of happy users

• Get original paper written according to your instructions
• Save time for what matters most

Fair Use Policy

EduBirdie considers academic integrity to be the essential part of the learning process and does not support any violation of the academic standards. Should you have any questions regarding our Fair Use Policy or become aware of any violations, please do not hesitate to contact us via [email protected].

We are here 24/7 to write your paper in as fast as 3 hours.

Provide your email, and we'll send you this sample!

By providing your email, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy .

Say goodbye to copy-pasting!

Get custom-crafted papers for you.

Enter your email, and we'll promptly send you the full essay. No need to copy piece by piece. It's in your inbox!

Solar Energy

Though costly to implement, solar energy offers a clean, renewable source of power.

Solar energy is the technology used to harness the sun's energy and make it useable. As of 2011 , the technology produced less than one tenth of one percent of global energy demand.

Many are familiar with so-called photovoltaic cells, or solar panels, found on things like spacecraft, rooftops, and handheld calculators. The cells are made of semiconductor materials like those found in computer chips. When sunlight hits the cells, it knocks electrons loose from their atoms. As the electrons flow through the cell, they generate electricity.

On a much larger scale, solar-thermal power plants employ various techniques to concentrate the sun's energy as a heat source. The heat is then used to boil water to drive a steam turbine that generates electricity in much the same fashion as coal and nuclear power plants, supplying electricity for thousands of people.

The sun has produced energy for billions of years. Every hour the sun beams more energy onto Earth than it needs to satisfy global energy needs for an entire year.

How to Harness Solar Power

In one technique, long troughs of U-shaped mirrors focus sunlight on a pipe of oil that runs through the middle. The hot oil then boils water for electricity generation. Another technique uses moveable mirrors to focus the sun's rays on a collector tower, where a receiver sits. Molten salt flowing through the receiver is heated to run a generator.

Other solar technologies are passive. For example, big windows placed on the sunny side of a building allow sunlight to heat-absorbent materials on the floor and walls. These surfaces then release the heat at night to keep the building warm. Similarly, absorbent plates on a roof can heat liquid in tubes that supply a house with hot water.

Solar energy is lauded as an inexhaustible fuel source that is pollution- and often noise-free. The technology is also versatile. For example, solar cells generate energy for far-out places like satellites in Earth orbit and cabins deep in the Rocky Mountains as easily as they can power downtown buildings and futuristic cars.

Solar energy doesn't work at night without a storage device such as a battery, and cloudy weather can make the technology unreliable during the day. Solar technologies are also very expensive and require a lot of land area to collect the sun's energy at rates useful to lots of people.

Despite the drawbacks, solar energy use has surged at about 20 percent a year over the past 15 years, thanks to rapidly falling prices and gains in efficiency. Japan, Germany, and the United States are major markets for solar cells. With tax incentives, and efficient coordination with energy companies , solar electricity can often pay for itself in five to ten years.

Related Topics

• SOLAR POWER
• ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION

You May Also Like

What fuel made from the sun could do for the planet

Can energy harnessed from Earth’s interior help power the world?

How the historic climate bill will dramatically reduce U.S. emissions

India bets its energy future on solar—in ways both small and big

How solar lanterns are giving power to the people

• Perpetual Planet
• Environment

History & Culture

• History Magazine
• History & Culture
• Race in America
• Mind, Body, Wonder
• Paid Content
• Adventures Everywhere
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Your US State Privacy Rights
• Children's Online Privacy Policy
• Interest-Based Ads
• About Nielsen Measurement
• Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
• Nat Geo Home
• Attend a Live Event
• Book a Trip
• Inspire Your Kids
• Shop Nat Geo
• Visit the D.C. Museum
• Learn About Our Impact
• Support Our Mission
• Advertise With Us
• Customer Service
• Renew Subscription
• Manage Your Subscription
• Work at Nat Geo
• Sign Up for Our Newsletters
• Contribute to Protect the Planet

Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society Copyright © 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved

• Search Menu
• Sign in through your institution
• Advanced Articles
• Editor's Choice
• Author Guidelines
• Publish with us
• Submission Site
• Open Access
• Self-Archiving Policy
• About Clean Energy
• About the National Institute of Clean and Low-Carbon Energy
• Editorial Board
• Instructions for Reviewers
• Advertising & Corporate Services
• Journals Career Network
• Journals on Oxford Academic
• Books on Oxford Academic

Article Contents

Introduction, 1 installed capacity and application of solar energy worldwide, 2 the role of solar energy in sustainable development, 3 the perspective of solar energy, 4 conclusions, conflict of interest statement.

• < Previous

Solar energy technology and its roles in sustainable development

• Article contents
• Figures & tables
• Supplementary Data

Ali O M Maka, Jamal M Alabid, Solar energy technology and its roles in sustainable development, Clean Energy , Volume 6, Issue 3, June 2022, Pages 476–483, https://doi.org/10.1093/ce/zkac023

• Permissions Icon Permissions

Solar energy is environmentally friendly technology, a great energy supply and one of the most significant renewable and green energy sources. It plays a substantial role in achieving sustainable development energy solutions. Therefore, the massive amount of solar energy attainable daily makes it a very attractive resource for generating electricity. Both technologies, applications of concentrated solar power or solar photovoltaics, are always under continuous development to fulfil our energy needs. Hence, a large installed capacity of solar energy applications worldwide, in the same context, supports the energy sector and meets the employment market to gain sufficient development. This paper highlights solar energy applications and their role in sustainable development and considers renewable energy’s overall employment potential. Thus, it provides insights and analysis on solar energy sustainability, including environmental and economic development. Furthermore, it has identified the contributions of solar energy applications in sustainable development by providing energy needs, creating jobs opportunities and enhancing environmental protection. Finally, the perspective of solar energy technology is drawn up in the application of the energy sector and affords a vision of future development in this domain.

With reference to the recommendations of the UN, the Climate Change Conference, COP26, was held in Glasgow , UK, in 2021. They reached an agreement through the representatives of the 197 countries, where they concurred to move towards reducing dependency on coal and fossil-fuel sources. Furthermore, the conference stated ‘the various opportunities for governments to prioritize health and equity in the international climate movement and sustainable development agenda’. Also, one of the testaments is the necessity to ‘create energy systems that protect and improve climate and health’ [ 1 , 2 ].

The Paris Climate Accords is a worldwide agreement on climate change signed in 2015, which addressed the mitigation of climate change, adaptation and finance. Consequently, the representatives of 196 countries concurred to decrease their greenhouse gas emissions [ 3 ]. The Paris Agreement is essential for present and future generations to attain a more secure and stable environment. In essence, the Paris Agreement has been about safeguarding people from such an uncertain and progressively dangerous environment and ensuring everyone can have the right to live in a healthy, pollutant-free environment without the negative impacts of climate change [ 3 , 4 ].

In recent decades, there has been an increase in demand for cleaner energy resources. Based on that, decision-makers of all countries have drawn up plans that depend on renewable sources through a long-term strategy. Thus, such plans reduce the reliance of dependence on traditional energy sources and substitute traditional energy sources with alternative energy technology. As a result, the global community is starting to shift towards utilizing sustainable energy sources and reducing dependence on traditional fossil fuels as a source of energy [ 5 , 6 ].

In 2015, the UN adopted the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and recognized them as international legislation, which demands a global effort to end poverty, safeguard the environment and guarantee that by 2030, humanity lives in prosperity and peace. Consequently, progress needs to be balanced among economic, social and environmental sustainability models [ 7 ].

Many national and international regulations have been established to control the gas emissions and pollutants that impact the environment [ 8 ]. However, the negative effects of increased carbon in the atmosphere have grown in the last 10 years. Production and use of fossil fuels emit methane (CH 4 ), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO), which are the most significant contributors to environmental emissions on our planet. Additionally, coal and oil, including gasoline, coal, oil and methane, are commonly used in energy for transport or for generating electricity. Therefore, burning these fossil fuel s is deemed the largest emitter when used for electricity generation, transport, etc. However, these energy resources are considered depleted energy sources being consumed to an unsustainable degree [ 9–11 ].

Energy is an essential need for the existence and growth of human communities. Consequently, the need for energy has increased gradually as human civilization has progressed. Additionally, in the past few decades, the rapid rise of the world’s population and its reliance on technological developments have increased energy demands. Furthermore, green technology sources play an important role in sustainably providing energy supplies, especially in mitigating climate change [ 5 , 6 , 8 ].

Currently, fossil fuels remain dominant and will continue to be the primary source of large-scale energy for the foreseeable future; however, renewable energy should play a vital role in the future of global energy. The global energy system is undergoing a movement towards more sustainable sources of energy [ 12 , 13 ].

Power generation by fossil-fuel resources has peaked, whilst solar energy is predicted to be at the vanguard of energy generation in the near future. Moreover, it is predicted that by 2050, the generation of solar energy will have increased to 48% due to economic and industrial growth [ 13 , 14 ].

In recent years, it has become increasingly obvious that the globe must decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, ideally towards net zero, if we are to fulfil the Paris Agreement’s goal to reduce global temperature increases [ 3 , 4 ]. The net-zero emissions complement the scenario of sustainable development assessment by 2050. According to the agreed scenario of sustainable development, many industrialized economies must achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. However, the net-zero emissions 2050 brought the first detailed International Energy Agency (IEA) modelling of what strategy will be required over the next 10 years to achieve net-zero carbon emissions worldwide by 2050 [ 15–17 ].

The global statistics of greenhouse gas emissions have been identified; in 2019, there was a 1% decrease in CO 2 emissions from the power industry; that figure dropped by 7% in 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis, thus indicating a drop in coal-fired energy generation that is being squeezed by decreasing energy needs, growth of renewables and the shift away from fossil fuels. As a result, in 2020, the energy industry was expected to generate ~13 Gt CO 2 , representing ~40% of total world energy sector emissions related to CO 2 . The annual electricity generation stepped back to pre-crisis levels by 2021, although due to a changing ‘fuel mix’, the CO 2 emissions in the power sector will grow just a little before remaining roughly steady until 2030 [ 15 ].

Therefore, based on the information mentioned above, the advantages of solar energy technology are a renewable and clean energy source that is plentiful, cheaper costs, less maintenance and environmentally friendly, to name but a few. The significance of this paper is to highlight solar energy applications to ensure sustainable development; thus, it is vital to researchers, engineers and customers alike. The article’s primary aim is to raise public awareness and disseminate the culture of solar energy usage in daily life, since moving forward, it is the best. The scope of this paper is as follows. Section 1 represents a summary of the introduction. Section 2 represents a summary of installed capacity and the application of solar energy worldwide. Section 3 presents the role of solar energy in the sustainable development and employment of renewable energy. Section 4 represents the perspective of solar energy. Finally, Section 5 outlines the conclusions and recommendations for future work.

1.1 Installed capacity of solar energy

The history of solar energy can be traced back to the seventh century when mirrors with solar power were used. In 1893, the photovoltaic (PV) effect was discovered; after many decades, scientists developed this technology for electricity generation [ 18 ]. Based on that, after many years of research and development from scientists worldwide, solar energy technology is classified into two key applications: solar thermal and solar PV.

PV systems convert the Sun’s energy into electricity by utilizing solar panels. These PV devices have quickly become the cheapest option for new electricity generation in numerous world locations due to their ubiquitous deployment. For example, during the period from 2010 to 2018, the cost of generating electricity by solar PV plants decreased by 77%. However, solar PV installed capacity progress expanded 100-fold between 2005 and 2018. Consequently, solar PV has emerged as a key component in the low-carbon sustainable energy system required to provide access to affordable and dependable electricity, assisting in fulfilling the Paris climate agreement and in achieving the 2030 SDG targets [ 19 ].

The installed capacity of solar energy worldwide has been rapidly increased to meet energy demands. The installed capacity of PV technology from 2010 to 2020 increased from 40 334 to 709 674 MW, whereas the installed capacity of concentrated solar power (CSP) applications, which was 1266 MW in 2010, after 10 years had increased to 6479 MW. Therefore, solar PV technology has more deployed installations than CSP applications. So, the stand-alone solar PV and large-scale grid-connected PV plants are widely used worldwide and used in space applications. Fig. 1 represents the installation of solar energy worldwide.

Installation capacity of solar energy worldwide [ 20 ].

1.2 Application of solar energy

Energy can be obtained directly from the Sun—so-called solar energy. Globally, there has been growth in solar energy applications, as it can be used to generate electricity, desalinate water and generate heat, etc. The taxonomy of applications of solar energy is as follows: (i) PVs and (ii) CSP. Fig. 2 details the taxonomy of solar energy applications.

The taxonomy of solar energy applications.

Solar cells are devices that convert sunlight directly into electricity; typical semiconductor materials are utilized to form a PV solar cell device. These materials’ characteristics are based on atoms with four electrons in their outer orbit or shell. Semiconductor materials are from the periodic table’s group ‘IV’ or a mixture of groups ‘IV’ and ‘II’, the latter known as ‘II–VI’ semiconductors [ 21 ]. Additionally, a periodic table mixture of elements from groups ‘III’ and ‘V’ can create ‘III–V’ materials [ 22 ].

PV devices, sometimes called solar cells, are electronic devices that convert sunlight into electrical power. PVs are also one of the rapidly growing renewable-energy technologies of today. It is therefore anticipated to play a significant role in the long-term world electricity-generating mixture moving forward.

Solar PV systems can be incorporated to supply electricity on a commercial level or installed in smaller clusters for mini-grids or individual usage. Utilizing PV modules to power mini-grids is a great way to offer electricity to those who do not live close to power-transmission lines, especially in developing countries with abundant solar energy resources. In the most recent decade, the cost of producing PV modules has dropped drastically, giving them not only accessibility but sometimes making them the least expensive energy form. PV arrays have a 30-year lifetime and come in various shades based on the type of material utilized in their production.

The most typical method for solar PV desalination technology that is used for desalinating sea or salty water is electrodialysis (ED). Therefore, solar PV modules are directly connected to the desalination process. This technique employs the direct-current electricity to remove salt from the sea or salty water.

The technology of PV–thermal (PV–T) comprises conventional solar PV modules coupled with a thermal collector mounted on the rear side of the PV module to pre-heat domestic hot water. Accordingly, this enables a larger portion of the incident solar energy on the collector to be converted into beneficial electrical and thermal energy.

A zero-energy building is a building that is designed for zero net energy emissions and emits no carbon dioxide. Building-integrated PV (BIPV) technology is coupled with solar energy sources and devices in buildings that are utilized to supply energy needs. Thus, building-integrated PVs utilizing thermal energy (BIPV/T) incorporate creative technologies such as solar cooling [ 23 ].

A PV water-pumping system is typically used to pump water in rural, isolated and desert areas. The system consists of PV modules to power a water pump to the location of water need. The water-pumping rate depends on many factors such as pumping head, solar intensity, etc.

A PV-powered cathodic protection (CP) system is designed to supply a CP system to control the corrosion of a metal surface. This technique is based on the impressive current acquired from PV solar energy systems and is utilized for burying pipelines, tanks, concrete structures, etc.

Concentrated PV (CPV) technology uses either the refractive or the reflective concentrators to increase sunlight to PV cells [ 24 , 25 ]. High-efficiency solar cells are usually used, consisting of many layers of semiconductor materials that stack on top of each other. This technology has an efficiency of >47%. In addition, the devices produce electricity and the heat can be used for other purposes [ 26 , 27 ].

For CSP systems, the solar rays are concentrated using mirrors in this application. These rays will heat a fluid, resulting in steam used to power a turbine and generate electricity. Large-scale power stations employ CSP to generate electricity. A field of mirrors typically redirect rays to a tall thin tower in a CSP power station. Thus, numerous large flat heliostats (mirrors) are used to track the Sun and concentrate its light onto a receiver in power tower systems, sometimes known as central receivers. The hot fluid could be utilized right away to produce steam or stored for later usage. Another of the great benefits of a CSP power station is that it may be built with molten salts to store heat and generate electricity outside of daylight hours.

Mirrored dishes are used in dish engine systems to focus and concentrate sunlight onto a receiver. The dish assembly tracks the Sun’s movement to capture as much solar energy as possible. The engine includes thin tubes that work outside the four-piston cylinders and it opens into the cylinders containing hydrogen or helium gas. The pistons are driven by the expanding gas. Finally, the pistons drive an electric generator by turning a crankshaft.

A further water-treatment technique, using reverse osmosis, depends on the solar-thermal and using solar concentrated power through the parabolic trough technique. The desalination employs CSP technology that utilizes hybrid integration and thermal storage allows continuous operation and is a cost-effective solution. Solar thermal can be used for domestic purposes such as a dryer. In some countries or societies, the so-called food dehydration is traditionally used to preserve some food materials such as meats, fruits and vegetables.

Sustainable energy development is defined as the development of the energy sector in terms of energy generating, distributing and utilizing that are based on sustainability rules [ 28 ]. Energy systems will significantly impact the environment in both developed and developing countries. Consequently, the global sustainable energy system must optimize efficiency and reduce emissions [ 29 ].

The sustainable development scenario is built based on the economic perspective. It also examines what activities will be required to meet shared long-term climate benefits, clean air and energy access targets. The short-term details are based on the IEA’s sustainable recovery strategy, which aims to promote economies and employment through developing a cleaner and more reliable energy infrastructure [ 15 ]. In addition, sustainable development includes utilizing renewable-energy applications, smart-grid technologies, energy security, and energy pricing, and having a sound energy policy [ 29 ].

The demand-side response can help meet the flexibility requirements in electricity systems by moving demand over time. As a result, the integration of renewable technologies for helping facilitate the peak demand is reduced, system stability is maintained, and total costs and CO 2 emissions are reduced. The demand-side response is currently used mostly in Europe and North America, where it is primarily aimed at huge commercial and industrial electricity customers [ 15 ].

International standards are an essential component of high-quality infrastructure. Establishing legislative convergence, increasing competition and supporting innovation will allow participants to take part in a global world PV market [ 30 ]. Numerous additional countries might benefit from more actively engaging in developing global solar PV standards. The leading countries in solar PV manufacturing and deployment have embraced global standards for PV systems and highly contributed to clean-energy development. Additional assistance and capacity-building to enhance quality infrastructure in developing economies might also help support wider implementation and compliance with international solar PV standards. Thus, support can bring legal requirements and frameworks into consistency and give additional impetus for the trade of secure and high-quality solar PV products [ 19 ].

Continuous trade-led dissemination of solar PV and other renewable technologies will strengthen the national infrastructure. For instance, off-grid solar energy alternatives, such as stand-alone systems and mini-grids, could be easily deployed to assist healthcare facilities in improving their degree of services and powering portable testing sites and vaccination coolers. In addition to helping in the immediate medical crisis, trade-led solar PV adoption could aid in the improving economy from the COVID-19 outbreak, not least by providing jobs in the renewable-energy sector, which are estimated to reach >40 million by 2050 [ 19 ].

The framework for energy sustainability development, by the application of solar energy, is one way to achieve that goal. With the large availability of solar energy resources for PV and CSP energy applications, we can move towards energy sustainability. Fig. 3 illustrates plans for solar energy sustainability.

Framework for solar energy applications in energy sustainability.

The environmental consideration of such applications, including an aspect of the environmental conditions, operating conditions, etc., have been assessed. It is clean, friendly to the environment and also energy-saving. Moreover, this technology has no removable parts, low maintenance procedures and longevity.

Economic and social development are considered by offering job opportunities to the community and providing cheaper energy options. It can also improve people’s income; in turn, living standards will be enhanced. Therefore, energy is paramount, considered to be the most vital element of human life, society’s progress and economic development.

As efforts are made to increase the energy transition towards sustainable energy systems, it is anticipated that the next decade will see a continued booming of solar energy and all clean-energy technology. Scholars worldwide consider research and innovation to be substantial drivers to enhance the potency of such solar application technology.

2.1 Employment from renewable energy

The employment market has also boomed with the deployment of renewable-energy technology. Renewable-energy technology applications have created >12 million jobs worldwide. The solar PV application came as the pioneer, which created >3 million jobs. At the same time, while the solar thermal applications (solar heating and cooling) created >819 000 jobs, the CSP attained >31 000 jobs [ 20 ].

According to the reports, although top markets such as the USA, the EU and China had the highest investment in renewables jobs, other Asian countries have emerged as players in the solar PV panel manufacturers’ industry [ 31 ].

Solar energy employment has offered more employment than other renewable sources. For example, in the developing countries, there was a growth in employment chances in solar applications that powered ‘micro-enterprises’. Hence, it has been significant in eliminating poverty, which is considered the key goal of sustainable energy development. Therefore, solar energy plays a critical part in fulfilling the sustainability targets for a better plant and environment [ 31 , 32 ]. Fig. 4 illustrates distributions of world renewable-energy employment.

World renewable-energy employment [ 20 ].

The world distribution of PV jobs is disseminated across the continents as follows. There was 70% employment in PV applications available in Asia, while 10% is available in North America, 10% available in South America and 10% availability in Europe. Table 1 details the top 10 countries that have relevant jobs in Asia, North America, South America and Europe.

List of the top 10 countries that created jobs in solar PV applications [ 19 , 33 ]

Solar energy investments can meet energy targets and environmental protection by reducing carbon emissions while having no detrimental influence on the country’s development [ 32 , 34 ]. In countries located in the ‘Sunbelt’, there is huge potential for solar energy, where there is a year-round abundance of solar global horizontal irradiation. Consequently, these countries, including the Middle East, Australia, North Africa, China, the USA and Southern Africa, to name a few, have a lot of potential for solar energy technology. The average yearly solar intensity is >2800 kWh/m 2 and the average daily solar intensity is >7.5 kWh/m 2 . Fig. 5 illustrates the optimum areas for global solar irradiation.

World global solar irradiation map [ 35 ].

The distribution of solar radiation and its intensity are two important factors that influence the efficiency of solar PV technology and these two parameters vary among different countries. Therefore, it is essential to realize that some solar energy is wasted since it is not utilized. On the other hand, solar radiation is abundant in several countries, especially in developing ones, which makes it invaluable [ 36 , 37 ].

Worldwide, the PV industry has benefited recently from globalization, which has allowed huge improvements in economies of scale, while vertical integration has created strong value chains: as manufacturers source materials from an increasing number of suppliers, prices have dropped while quality has been maintained. Furthermore, the worldwide incorporated PV solar device market is growing fast, creating opportunities enabling solar energy firms to benefit from significant government help with underwriting, subsides, beneficial trading licences and training of a competent workforce, while the increased rivalry has reinforced the motivation to continue investing in research and development, both public and private [ 19 , 33 ].

The global outbreak of COVID-19 has impacted ‘cross-border supply chains’ and those investors working in the renewable-energy sector. As a result, more diversity of solar PV supply-chain processes may be required in the future to enhance long-term flexibility versus exogenous shocks [ 19 , 33 ].

It is vital to establish a well-functioning quality infrastructure to expand the distribution of solar PV technologies beyond borders and make it easier for new enterprises to enter solar PV value chains. In addition, a strong quality infrastructure system is a significant instrument for assisting local firms in meeting the demands of trade markets. Furthermore, high-quality infrastructure can help reduce associated risks with the worldwide PV project value chain, such as underperforming, inefficient and failing goods, limiting the development, improvement and export of these technologies. Governments worldwide are, at various levels, creating quality infrastructure, including the usage of metrology i.e. the science of measurement and its application, regulations, testing procedures, accreditation, certification and market monitoring [ 33 , 38 ].

The perspective is based on a continuous process of technological advancement and learning. Its speed is determined by its deployment, which varies depending on the scenario [ 39 , 40 ]. The expense trends support policy preferences for low-carbon energy sources, particularly in increased energy-alteration scenarios. Emerging technologies are introduced and implemented as quickly as they ever have been before in energy history [ 15 , 33 ].

The CSP stations have been in use since the early 1980s and are currently found all over the world. The CSP power stations in the USA currently produce >800 MW of electricity yearly, which is sufficient to power ~500 000 houses. New CSP heat-transfer fluids being developed can function at ~1288 o C, which is greater than existing fluids, to improve the efficiency of CSP systems and, as a result, to lower the cost of energy generated using this technology. Thus, as a result, CSP is considered to have a bright future, with the ability to offer large-scale renewable energy that can supplement and soon replace traditional electricity-production technologies [ 41 ]. The DESERTEC project has drawn out the possibility of CSP in the Sahara Desert regions. When completed, this investment project will have the world’s biggest energy-generation capacity through the CSP plant, which aims to transport energy from North Africa to Europe [ 42 , 43 ].

The costs of manufacturing materials for PV devices have recently decreased, which is predicted to compensate for the requirements and increase the globe’s electricity demand [ 44 ]. Solar energy is a renewable, clean and environmentally friendly source of energy. Therefore, solar PV application techniques should be widely utilized. Although PV technology has always been under development for a variety of purposes, the fact that PV solar cells convert the radiant energy from the Sun directly into electrical power means it can be applied in space and in terrestrial applications [ 38 , 45 ].

In one way or another, the whole renewable-energy sector has a benefit over other energy industries. A long-term energy development plan needs an energy source that is inexhaustible, virtually accessible and simple to gather. The Sun rises over the horizon every day around the globe and leaves behind ~108–1018 kWh of energy; consequently, it is more than humanity will ever require to fulfil its desire for electricity [ 46 ].

The technology that converts solar radiation into electricity is well known and utilizes PV cells, which are already in use worldwide. In addition, various solar PV technologies are available today, including hybrid solar cells, inorganic solar cells and organic solar cells. So far, solar PV devices made from silicon have led the solar market; however, these PVs have certain drawbacks, such as expenditure of material, time-consuming production, etc. It is important to mention here the operational challenges of solar energy in that it does not work at night, has less output in cloudy weather and does not work in sandstorm conditions. PV battery storage is widely used to reduce the challenges to gain high reliability. Therefore, attempts have been made to find alternative materials to address these constraints. Currently, this domination is challenged by the evolution of the emerging generation of solar PV devices based on perovskite, organic and organic/inorganic hybrid materials.

This paper highlights the significance of sustainable energy development. Solar energy would help steady energy prices and give numerous social, environmental and economic benefits. This has been indicated by solar energy’s contribution to achieving sustainable development through meeting energy demands, creating jobs and protecting the environment. Hence, a paramount critical component of long-term sustainability should be investigated. Based on the current condition of fossil-fuel resources, which are deemed to be depleting energy sources, finding an innovative technique to deploy clean-energy technology is both essential and expected. Notwithstanding, solar energy has yet to reach maturity in development, especially CSP technology. Also, with growing developments in PV systems, there has been a huge rise in demand for PV technology applications all over the globe. Further work needs to be undertaken to develop energy sustainably and consider other clean energy resources. Moreover, a comprehensive experimental and validation process for such applications is required to develop cleaner energy sources to decarbonize our planet.

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

World Health Organization . COP26 Special Report on Climate Change and Health: The Health Argument for Climate Action. Geneva : World Health Organization , 2021 .

Google Scholar

Google Preview

Hunter DB , Salzman JE , Zaelke D . Glasgow Climate Summit: COP26. UCLA School of Law, Public Law Research Paper No. 22-02. 2021 . doi: org/10.2139/ssrn.4005648 30 March 2022 , date last accessed).

UNFCCC . Paris Agreement-Status of Ratification, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate , 2016 . https://unfccc.int/process/the-paris-agreement/status-of-ratification ( 25 January 2022 , date last accessed).

UNFCCC . The Paris Agreement. Archived from the original on 19 March 2021 . Retrieved 18 September 2021 . https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement ( 2 February 2022 , date last accessed).

Watts RG. Engineering Response to Climate Change. 2nd edn. Boca Raton, FL : CRC Press , 2013 .

Sorensen B. Renewable Energy: Physics, Engineering, Environmental Impacts, Economics and Planning . 4th edn. London : Academic Press , 2010 .

IEA, IRENA, WMO, WBG, WHO . Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report 2021. Washington, DC : The World Bank , 2021 .

Edenhofer O , Pichs-Madruga R , Sokona Y , et al.  Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation: Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press , 2011 .

Roaf S , Roaf S , Crichton D , et al.  Adapting buildings and Cities for Climate Change: A 21st Century Survival Guide . 2nd edn. Oxford : Architectural Press , 2009 .

Sims RE . Renewable energy: a response to climate change . Solar Energy , 2004 , 76 : 9 – 17 .

Muneer T. Solar Radiation and Daylight Models. 2nd edn, London : Routledge , 2004 .

Martin J . ‘Green growth’: from a growing eco-industry to economic sustainability . Energy Policy , 2012 , 48 : 13 – 21 .

IRENA. A Roadmap to 2050: International Renewable Energy Agency: Global energy Transformation. Abu Dhabi : IRENA , 2018 .

Kost C , Mayer JN , Thomsen J , et al.  Levelized Cost of Electricity Renewable Energy Technologies. Freiburg : Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), 2013 , 144 .

Cozzi L , Gould T , Bouckart S , et al.  World Energy Outlook 2020. Paris : International Energy Agency , 2020 .

Ku AY , de Souza A , McRobie J , et al.  Zero-emission public transit could be a catalyst for decarbonization of the transportation and power sectors . Clean Energy , 2021 , 5 : 492 – 504 .

Bouckaert S , Pales AF , McGlade C , et al.  Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector. Paris : International Energy Agency , 2021 .

Fraas LM . History of solar cell development . Low-cost Solar Electric Power. 2014 : 1 – 12 . doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-07530-31 .

Gahrens S , Alessandra S , Steinfatt K. Trading Into a Bright Energy Future. The Case for Open, High-Quality Solar Photovoltaic Markets . Abu Dhabi : IRENA , 2021 , 1 – 44 . https://irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2021/Jul/IRENA_WTO_Trading_Energy_Future_2021.pdf ( 21 April 2022 , date last accessed).

IRENA . Solar Energy—International Renewable Energy Agency . 2021 . www.irena.org/solar ( 2 February 2022 , date last accessed).

Honsberg C , Bowden S . Sun Position Calculator . 2014 . http://pveducation org/pvcdrom/properties-of-sunlight/sun-position-calculator ( 25 January 2022 , date last accessed).

Green MA , Hishikawa Y , Dunlop ED , et al.  Solar cell efficiency tables (version 52) . Progress in Photovoltaics , 2018 , 26 : 427 – 436 .

Kylili A , Fokaides PA . Investigation of building integrated photovoltaics potential in achieving the zero energy building target . Indoor Built Environment , 2014 , 23 : 92 – 106 .

Maka AO , O’Donovan TS . A review of thermal load and performance characterisation of a high concentrating photovoltaic (HCPV) solar receiver assembly . Solar Energy , 2020 , 206 : 35 – 51 .

Mohamed ET , Maka AO , Mehmood M , et al.  Performance simulation of single and dual-junction GaInP/GaAs tandem solar cells using AMPS-1D . Sustainable Energy Technologies Assessments , 2021 , 44 : 101067 .

Maka AO , O’Donovan TS . Dynamic performance analysis of solar concentrating photovoltaic receiver by coupling of weather data with the thermal-electrical model . Thermal Science Engineering Progress , 2021 , 24 : 100923 .

Maka AO , O’Donovan TS . Transient thermal-electrical performance modelling of solar concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) receiver . Solar Energy , 2020 , 211 : 897 – 907 .

Radovanovic M , Popov S , Dodic S. Sustainable Energy Management. Cambridge, MA : Academic Press , 2012 .

Salvarli MS , Salvarli H . For sustainable development: future trends in renewable energy and enabling technologies . In: Al Al Qubeissi M, El-kharouf A, Soyhan HS (eds). Qubeissi M , El-kharouf A , Soyhan HS (eds). Renewable Energy-Resources, Challenges and Applications . London : IntechOpen , 2020 .

Maka AO , Salem S , Mehmood M . Solar photovoltaic (PV) applications in Libya: challenges, potential, opportunities and future perspectives . Cleaner Engineering Technology , 2021 , 51 : 100267 .

IRENA . Renewable Energy and Jobs—Annual Review 2021, (REJ) . 2021 . https://www.irena.org/publications/2021/Oct/Renewable-Energy-and-Jobs-Annual-Review-2021 ( 2 January 2022 , date last accessed).

Obaideen K , AlMallahi MN , Alami AH , et al.  On the contribution of solar energy to sustainable developments goals: case study on Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park . International Journal of Thermofluids , 2021 , 12 : 100123 .

IRENA . International Renewable Energy Agency, Renewable Energy and Jobs—Annual Review 2020. Abu Dhabi : IRENA , 2020 .

Strielkowski W , Civín L , Tarkhanova E , et al.  Renewable energy in the sustainable development of electrical power sector: a review . Energies , 2021 , 14 : 8240 .

Grid-Arendal . Natural Resources—Solar Power (Potential) . 2008 . https://www.grida.no/resources/7308 ( 9 February 2022 , date last accessed).

Kannan N , Vakeesan D . Solar energy for future world: a review . Renewable Sustainable Energy Reviews , 2016 , 62 : 1092 – 1105 .

Löf GO , Duffie JA , Smith CO . World distribution of solar radiation . Solar Energy , 1966 , 10 : 27 – 37 .

Kabir E , Kumar P , Kumar S , et al.  Solar energy: potential and future prospects . Renewable Sustainable Energy Reviews , 2018 , 82 : 894 – 900 .

Johansson TB , Goldemberg J. Energy for Sustainable Development: A Policy Agenda. New York : United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) , 2002 .

Lowe R , Drummond P . Solar, wind and logistic substitution in global energy supply to 2050—barriers and implications . Renewable Sustainable Energy Reviews , 2022 , 153 : 111720 .

Asmelash E , Prakash G. Future of Solar Photovoltaic: Deployment, Investment, Technology, Grid Integration and Socio-economic Aspects . Abu Dhabi : IRENA , 2019 .

Griffiths S . Strategic considerations for deployment of solar photovoltaics in the Middle East and North Africa . Energy Strategy Reviews , 2013 , 2 : 125 – 131 .

Hafner M , Tagliapietra S , El Andaloussi EH . Outlook for Electricity and Renewable Energy in Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Countries. WP4b, Energy and Climate Change Mitigations, MEDPROTechnical Report No. 16/October 2012 . www.medpro-foresight.eu ( 25 January 2022 , date last accessed).

Martí A , Luque A. Next Generation Photovoltaics: High Efficiency Through Full Spectrum Utilization . 1st edn. Boca Raton, FL : CRC Press , 2003 .

Dimroth F , Kurtz S . High-efficiency multijunction solar cells . MRS Bulletin , 2007 , 32 : 230 – 235 .

Kashmir J . Solar Energy for Sustainable Development . 2018 . https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/solar-energy-sustainable-development/ ( 15 January 2022 , date last accessed).

Email alerts

Citing articles via.

• Advertising and Corporate Services

Affiliations

• Online ISSN 2515-396X
• Print ISSN 2515-4230
• Copyright © 2024 National Institute of Clean-and-Low-Carbon Energy
• About Oxford Academic
• Publish journals with us
• University press partners
• What we publish
• New features  
• Open access
• Institutional account management
• Rights and permissions
• Get help with access
• Accessibility
• Advertising
• Media enquiries
• Oxford University Press
• Oxford Languages
• University of Oxford

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide

• Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
• Cookie settings
• Cookie policy
• Privacy policy
• Legal notice

This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

• Growth & Development
• Play & Activities
• Life Skills
• Play & Learning
• Learning & Education
• Rhymes & Songs
• Preschool Locator

Essay On Solar Energy – 10 Lines, Short and Long Essay For Kids

Key Points To Remember When Writing An Essay On Solar Energy For Lower Primary Classes

10 lines on solar energy in english for kids, paragraph on solar energy for children, short essay on solar energy in 150 words for kids, long essay on solar energy for children, what will your child learn from the essay on solar energy.

With the increasing global warming and pollution throughout the planet, it’s the right time to introduce your kids to the solar energy concept through a simple solar energy essay in English. Through essay writing, your kid will not only realise the importance of solar energy during the current climate crisis but also enhance their critical thinking and vocabulary skills. This essay writing session also helps your children ace their tests, assignments, exams, etc. Read the entire article to learn how to write an essay on solar energy for students of classes 1, 2 and 3.

Students can refer to these important points while writing an essay on solar energy. Lower primary kids can understand how to write an essay about solar energy by exploring these valuable tips.

• Mention what solar energy is and how it works
• Elucidate how solar energy decreases the pollution and climate crisis
• Mention if there are any disadvantages to using solar energy
• Also, write how vital solar power is to future generations for a better life
• Talk about how solar energy can shape our future planet earth
• Write examples of how you use solar energy in your daily life or how you are planning to use it in the future.

These few lines on solar energy, when included in your kid’s essay, can make their essay stand out among other essays. These important lines on solar energy can be used to explain solar energy in brief and can also be included in an essay for classes 1 and 2 students.

• Solar energy is the power that comes from the sun, which gets converted into thermal or electrical energy for daily use at larger capacities by various people.
• Solar energy does not emit any gases or chemicals in the air.
• Solar energy is eco-friendly and helps decrease global warming and ozone holes.
• It is a renewable energy source, unlike petroleum and coal.
• If solar energy is used worldwide by a larger percentage of the population, the earth will recover from pollution and damage.
• It helps fight the climate crisis and gives future generations a better way of living.
• The initial cost of installing and repairing solar panels can be very high.
• This gets balanced because the maintenance cost of solar energy plants is low.
• Scientists are working on inventing solar panels that can charge even at night to produce electricity.
• A natural resource like solar energy is the answer to sustainable practices and conservation of our planet Earth.

If your exams or creative assignments involve writing a small paragraph on solar energy, then refer to this sample that helps you quickly and creatively answer in the exam.

Solar energy is renewable energy that can be produced by the sun. When the sunlight reflects on the photovoltaic cell, it generates electricity through electric and chemical processes, storing the generated electricity in the batteries for further usage. Solar energy and other renewable resources like nuclear energy can fulfil the world’s electricity requirement. These renewable energy sources are sound alternatives to pollution causing finite natural resources like petrol, gas, wood, etc. Since the world’s electricity needs are increasing to triple with the increased population, solar energy is the best alternative and sustainable option for a better tomorrow.

Check out this short essay on solar energy for classes 1, 2 and 3. This short paragraph summarises the topic with all the crucial points.

Until the sun exists, solar energy is infinite and is available in abundant quantities to mankind to satisfy all global energy needs. Today with the increasing speed of improvements in technology and innovations, the climate crisis can be solved with renewable sources like solar, nuclear, wind, biomass, etc. These eco-friendly and sustainable sources can replace decreasing fossil fuels like wood, petrol, crude oil, diesel, coal, etc. These renewable sources can power the whole planet, and underdeveloped countries can access electricity and heat at much lower costs. There are many devices and gadgets powered by solar energy like solar heaters, solar cookers, solar cells, solar batteries, solar calculators, solar watches, solar pumps for agricultural purposes, and many more. Even though currently, solar energy is used by a relatively small percentage of the population, it will become the primary source in the future that can be looked upon by coming generations.

For in-depth knowledge and highlighting detailed points relating to solar energy, the students can write long essays to express their thoughts and understanding regarding the whole topic. This long essay with relevant headings helps your child write an essay for class 3 students.

What Is Solar Energy?

Solar energy is created by the sun’s reflection on the solar panels that produce power and heat, which millions of households and commercial companies require. It is the best and most sustainable replacement for depleting natural resources like crude oil, coal, wood, etc. Since there are global warming quotes everywhere like ‘earth is on fire and ‘planet is burning’, etc., we the people should understand and realise that earth is the only home we have and we should save it. This can be done using solar energy and other renewable sources like nuclear energy.

Uses of Solar Energy

• Supply solar power to factories –  From fulfilling the electric needs of a small household to powering the largest factories, solar energy has various applications
• Solar energy for household chores –  In residential apartments and individual houses, solar panels can be placed on the rooftop and are used for electrical purposes alongside solar cookers and solar heaters
• Commercially viable – Since the commercial manufacturing factories and units need huge electricity, the solar power plant can be installed in a large open area without worrying about the monthly expenses
• Solar gadgets – There are also solar energy applications in solar cells, watches, calculators, etc.

Benefits Of Using Solar Energy

• Low maintenance cost and less pollution
• Best replacement for electric power grids in rural and underprivileged areas
• An infinite amount of sustainable energy
• Sound and sustainable renewable energy resource for a pure and green planet. To combat issues like rising sea levels, melting arctic, burning forests, acid rains, dying coral reefs, air pollution, and alarming levels of ozone depletion and disappearing natural resources, solar energy, and other renewable energy sources are the best solutions.

Drawbacks Of Using Solar Energy

• It can only be changed during the daytime. Although there are solar panels that can charge during nighttime, it may take some time for them to be in use among the masses
• High installation cost
• Requires larger area for solar power plant installation
• Huge repair costs and requirements for solar panel specialists
• Less generation of electricity in the solar power grid compared to electric power grids.

With the trending and burning topic of solar energy and renewable resources for a brighter future, your kid will understand and process the current climate crisis through a simple essay. With this essay writing assignment, your kid will become more responsible in using solar-powered devices and get increased exposure to topics related to solar energy.

With this essay on solar energy, your lower primary kid will get an idea about the ongoing climate issues. They will make an effort to make the earth a better place by gaining knowledge about critical issues like climate crisis and global warming.

Essay On Importance of Water for Kids How to Write an Essay On Sun for Children Essay on Save The Environment for Class 1, 2 & 3 Kids

• Essays for Class 1
• Essays for Class 2
• Essays for Class 3

Why Playing Alone Is Recommend For Kids

9 books that celebrate super dads, 9 things kids say that are code for “i’m anxious”, leave a reply cancel reply.

Log in to leave a comment

Most Popular

Body positive affirmations for kids through books, shows, and movies, recent comments.

FirstCry Intelli Education is an Early Learning brand, with products and services designed by educators with decades of experience, to equip children with skills that will help them succeed in the world of tomorrow.

The FirstCry Intellikit `Learn With Stories` kits for ages 2-6 brings home classic children`s stories, as well as fun activities, specially created by our Early Learning Educators.

For children 6 years and up, explore a world of STEAM learning, while engaging in project-based play to keep growing minds busy!

Build a love for reading through engaging book sets and get the latest in brain-boosting toys, recommended by the educators at FirstCry Intellitots.

Our Comprehensive 2-year Baby Brain Development Program brings to you doctor-approved toys for your baby`s developing brain.

Our Preschool Chain offers the best in education across India, for children ages 2 and up.

©2024 All rights reserved

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use

Welcome to the world of Intelli!

We have some FREE Activity E-books waiting for you. Fill in your details below so we can send you tailor- made activities for you and your little one.

Parent/Guardian's Name

Child's DOB

What would you like to receive other than your Free E-book? I would like information, discounts and offers on toys, books and products I want to find a FirstCry Intellitots Preschool near me I want access to resources for my child's development and/or education

Welcome to the world of intelli!

FREE guides and worksheets coming your way on whatsapp. Subscribe Below !!

THANK YOU!!!

Here are your free guides and worksheets.

• The exponential growth of solar power will change the world

An energy-rich future is within reach

Your browser does not support the <audio> element.

I t is 70 years since AT&T ’s Bell Labs unveiled a new technology for turning sunlight into power. The phone company hoped it could replace the batteries that run equipment in out-of-the-way places. It also realised that powering devices with light alone showed how science could make the future seem wonderful; hence a press event at which sunshine kept a toy Ferris wheel spinning round and round.

Today solar power is long past the toy phase. Panels now occupy an area around half that of Wales, and this year they will provide the world with about 6% of its electricity—which is almost three times as much electrical energy as America consumed back in 1954. Yet this historic growth is only the second-most-remarkable thing about the rise of solar power. The most remarkable is that it is nowhere near over.

To call solar power’s rise exponential is not hyperbole, but a statement of fact. Installed solar capacity doubles roughly every three years, and so grows ten-fold each decade. Such sustained growth is seldom seen in anything that matters. That makes it hard for people to get their heads round what is going on. When it was a tenth of its current size ten years ago, solar power was still seen as marginal even by experts who knew how fast it had grown. The next ten-fold increase will be equivalent to multiplying the world’s entire fleet of nuclear reactors by eight in less than the time it typically takes to build just a single one of them.

Solar cells will in all likelihood be the single biggest source of electrical power on the planet by the mid 2030s. By the 2040s they may be the largest source not just of electricity but of all energy. On current trends, the all-in cost of the electricity they produce promises to be less than half as expensive as the cheapest available today. This will not stop climate change, but could slow it a lot faster. Much of the world—including Africa , where 600m people still cannot light their homes—will begin to feel energy-rich. That feeling will be a new and transformational one for humankind.

To grasp that this is not some environmentalist fever dream, consider solar economics. As the cumulative production of a manufactured good increases, costs go down. As costs go down, demand goes up. As demand goes up, production increases—and costs go down further. This cannot go on for ever; production, demand or both always become constrained. In earlier energy transitions—from wood to coal, coal to oil or oil to gas—the efficiency of extraction grew, but it was eventually offset by the cost of finding ever more fuel.

As our essay this week explains, solar power faces no such constraint. The resources needed to produce solar cells and plant them on solar farms are silicon-rich sand, sunny places and human ingenuity, all three of which are abundant. Making cells also takes energy, but solar power is fast making that abundant, too. As for demand, it is both huge and elastic—if you make electricity cheaper, people will find uses for it. The result is that, in contrast to earlier energy sources, solar power has routinely become cheaper and will continue to do so.

Other constraints do exist. Given people’s proclivity for living outside daylight hours, solar power needs to be complemented with storage and supplemented by other technologies. Heavy industry and aviation and freight have been hard to electrify. Fortunately, these problems may be solved as batteries and fuels created by electrolysis gradually become cheaper.

Another worry is that the vast majority of the world’s solar panels, and almost all the purified silicon from which they are made, come from China. Its solar industry is highly competitive, heavily subsidised and is outstripping current demand—quite an achievement given all the solar capacity China is installing within its own borders. This means that Chinese capacity is big enough to keep the expansion going for years to come, even if some of the companies involved go to the wall and some investment dries up.

In the long run, a world in which more energy is generated without the oil and gas that come from unstable or unfriendly parts of the world will be more dependable. Still, although the Chinese Communist Party cannot rig the price of sunlight as OPEC tries to rig that of oil, the fact that a vital industry resides in a single hostile country is worrying.

It is a concern that America feels keenly, which is why it has put tariffs on Chinese solar equipment. However, because almost all the demand for solar panels still lies in the future, the rest of the world will have plenty of scope to get into the market. America’s adoption of solar energy could be frustrated by a pro-fossil-fuel Trump presidency, but only temporarily and painfully. It could equally be enhanced if America released pent up demand, by making it easier to install panels on homes and to join the grid—the country has a terawatt of new solar capacity waiting to be connected. Carbon prices would help, just as they did in the switch from coal to gas in the European Union.

The aim should be for the virtuous circle of solar-power production to turn as fast as possible. That is because it offers the prize of cheaper energy. The benefits start with a boost to productivity. Anything that people use energy for today will cost less—and that includes pretty much everything. Then come the things cheap energy will make possible. People who could never afford to will start lighting their houses or driving a car. Cheap energy can purify water, and even desalinate it. It can drive the hungry machinery of artificial intelligence. It can make billions of homes and offices more bearable in summers that will, for decades to come, be getting hotter.

But it is the things that nobody has yet thought of that will be most consequential. In its radical abundance, cheaper energy will free the imagination, setting tiny Ferris wheels of the mind spinning with excitement and new possibilities.

This week marks the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. The Sun rising to its highest point in the sky will in decades to come shine down on a world where nobody need go without the blessings of electricity and where the access to energy invigorates all those it touches. ■

For subscribers only: to see how we design each week’s cover, sign up to our weekly  Cover Story newsletter .

This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “The solar age”

Leaders June 22nd 2024

Ai will transform the character of warfare, emmanuel macron’s project of reform is at risk, how to tax billionaires—and how not to, javier milei’s next move could make his presidency—or break it, india should liberate its cities and create more states.

From the June 22nd 2024 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

More from Leaders

Technology will make war faster and more opaque. It could also prove destabilising

A snap election in France reveals the flimsiness of his legacy

It doesn’t need more government. It needs more governments

Radical experiments with the currency could spell disaster

Closing loopholes would be a better bet than a levy on unrealised capital gains

A second Trump term: from unthinkable to probable

Introducing our 2024 American election forecast model

Great, you have saved this article to you My Learn Profile page.

Clicking a link will open a new window.

4 things you may not know about 529 plans

Important legal information about the email you will be sending. By using this service, you agree to input your real email address and only send it to people you know. It is a violation of law in some juristictions to falsely identify yourself in an email. All information you provide will be used solely for the purpose of sending the email on your behalf. The subject line of the email you send will be “Fidelity.com”.

Thanks for you sent email.

Are solar panels worth it?

Key takeaways

• Investing in solar panels often can be worth the cost, especially if you’re planning for the long term.
• It depends on how much energy you use and how much sun you get.
• We’ll show you how an average energy user in the US would fare, and how to do the math for your own situation.

More homeowners are harnessing the sun to power their homes, and new government subsidies are making the idea of solar panels more attractive. But can adding solar panels really save you money? The answer is often yes, especially over the long term.

We can help you figure out how long it may take you to recoup the cost of adding solar panels to your home, and if you’ll think getting solar panels will be worth it to you.

Sign up for Fidelity Viewpoints weekly email for our latest insights.

First, gather the information you need

Whether solar will be worth it for you depends first on how much the system will cost. Here’s what you need to know to get a rough estimate of how many panels you may need and how much it might cost.

How much energy you use: You’ll find your monthly usage on your electric bill, but you need to do a little work to figure out your average daily usage. You can either average your actual monthly bills or add up your usage to get an annual number, and then convert to average daily usage.

The average US household uses about 889 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), but this varies widely by state. In 2022, EIA data showed Louisiana had the highest annual usage, at about 1,230 kWh per month, while Hawaii had the lowest, about 515 kWh per month. You’ll need to convert this into average daily usage by dividing the number by the average number of days per month, which works out to 30.42 days. For the average household, that works out to just under 30 kWh per day.

How much sun do you get? Of course, solar panels can’t produce power without sunlight, so the amount of “peak sun” your home gets is important to the calculation. The number of hours of peak sun ranges from less than 4 hours a day in the northwest to more than 7 hours in the desert southwest.

The average nationwide is about 4 hours, which is generally considered the minimum you need to make solar panels worthwhile. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has a helpful map of peak sun hours .

If you live in a sunnier climate, you might need a smaller system, but lots of other things come into play, including the position and angle of your roof.

Now you can take the amount of energy you want to produce and figure how many panels you might need.

You can also use your generation goal to get a very rough estimate of cost. Solar costs are often estimated to fall between $3.20 and $5.20 per watt generated, according to research from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a Department of Energy Office of Science laboratory. For a 7,500-watt system, the total estimated cost would range from $24,000 to $39,000, before the federal solar tax credit. The range is due to the type of panels as well as where you live and other factors.

A solar energy professional can help you figure all of this out, but if you want to do some research before you engage a contractor, this is a good start.

Will it be worth it? First, you have to figure out how you’re going to pay for the system.

How to pay for solar panels

There are 3 basic ways to put solar panels on your home:

Buy the panels outright: Choose a solar company to install panels on your home’s roof. This is the most effective way of going solar, but it also has the highest upfront cost. You can pay the upfront cost in cash or using financing.

Solar lease: You enter a financial arrangement with a company that installs a solar panel system on your home but retains ownership of the system. You pay a fixed monthly amount to use the system and receive any electricity it produces.

Enter a Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA): A developer company arranges for the design, permitting, financing, and installation of a solar energy system on your property at little to no cost to you. The company will bill you for the electricity the panels generate, based on measured metering. Your monthly cost is generally lower than what’s charged by a utility company.

Overall, purchasing a system provides the greatest savings and flexibility, especially when it comes to selling your home, but it requires higher upfront investment.

There are pros and cons to each option:

Getting help to pay for solar

Adding solar panels to your home is a big investment, but there are incentives available to help if you want to purchase panels.

Federal tax breaks. The most valuable incentive available now is the federal Residential Clean Energy Credit. It is commonly known as the "solar tax credit." The credit equals 30% of the costs of new, qualified clean energy property for your home installed anytime from 2022 through 2032. For more details on this valuable tax credit, check out our complete guide to the solar tax credit .

For the hypothetical scenario above, the federal tax credit alone would bring the initial purchase price to $16,800–$25,900, down from $24,000–$39,000.

State and local incentives: Some states offer income tax credits, sales tax exemptions, and other incentives that can help offset the initial investment in solar panels. Check DSIRE, the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency maintained by North Carolina State University, for incentives available in your state . You can also talk to your tax professional for information.

Net metering credits: Consumers who produce more energy with their solar panels than they use can typically transfer excess power to their electric company in exchange for a credit. This allows you to build a smaller system to cover your average energy use, not your highest use. Rules vary by electric company, though, and you may not be able to roll over those credits from year to year. In those cases, the electric company may pay you for any credits you haven’t used, but it will likely be a fraction of the retail price.

The bottom line: Is going solar worth it?

Now that you know how much solar panels may cost and ways to pay for them, that leads us to the big question: Is the investment worth it? The answer is often yes, especially if you are looking at solar panels as a long-term investment.

Start with your energy bill: The cost for the average energy user across the US ranges from a low of about 9 cents per kilowatt-hour (in Nebraska and North Dakota) to a high of 44 cents (Hawaii, a real outlier), according to the EIA. For an average household, that means a one-month electric bill ranging from $81 to $396. Clearly, Hawaii residents will recoup their investment a lot quicker than Nebraskans.

Let’s return to our hypothetical average household. They decided to purchase their panels at a cost of $30,000, or $21,000 after the solar tax credit. They finance $21,000 through a home equity loan at 9% interest.

After 10 years, this homeowner’s solar panels would be paid off, and they would no longer have a monthly payment or an electric bill. The industry standard lifespan for solar panels is 25–30 years. That’s at least 15 years without an electric bill.

Consider what our hypothetical average household would pay for electricity over that span, and how it compares to the cost of panels:

Bottom line: Our hypothetical homeowner is saving more than $57,000 over the course of 25 years. Worth it? For them, absolutely.

Going solar is a big decision. If you’re interested in solar and think the investment might be worth it for you, find a solar installer you can trust—preferably more than one—so you can explore further.

Work with us 1-on-1

See how an advisor can help you grow and protect your wealth.

More to explore

Tips on taxes, read more viewpoints, subscribe to fidelity viewpoints ®, looking for more ideas and insights, thanks for subscribing.

• Tell us the topics you want to learn more about
• View content you've saved for later
• Subscribe to our newsletters

We're on our way, but not quite there yet

Oh, hello again, thanks for subscribing to looking for more ideas and insights you might like these too:, looking for more ideas and insights you might like these too:, fidelity viewpoints ® timely news and insights from our pros on markets, investing, and personal finance. (debug tcm:2 ... decode crypto clarity on crypto every month. build your knowledge with education for all levels. fidelity smart money ℠ what the news means for your money, plus tips to help you spend, save, and invest. active investor our most advanced investment insights, strategies, and tools. insights from fidelity wealth management ℠ timely news, events, and wealth strategies from top fidelity thought leaders. women talk money real talk and helpful tips about money, investing, and careers. educational webinars and events free financial education from fidelity and other leading industry professionals. fidelity viewpoints ® timely news and insights from our pros on markets, investing, and personal finance. (debug tcm:2 ... decode crypto clarity on crypto every month. build your knowledge with education for all levels. fidelity smart money ℠ what the news means for your money, plus tips to help you spend, save, and invest. active investor our most advanced investment insights, strategies, and tools. insights from fidelity wealth management ℠ timely news, events, and wealth strategies from top fidelity thought leaders. women talk money real talk and helpful tips about money, investing, and careers. educational webinars and events free financial education from fidelity and other leading industry professionals. done add subscriptions no, thanks. saving and budgeting managing taxes this information is intended to be educational and is not tailored to the investment needs of any specific investor. fidelity does not provide legal or tax advice. the information herein is general and educational in nature and should not be considered legal or tax advice. tax laws and regulations are complex and subject to change, which can materially impact investment results. fidelity cannot guarantee that the information herein is accurate, complete, or timely. fidelity makes no warranties with regard to such information or results obtained by its use, and disclaims any liability arising out of your use of, or any tax position taken in reliance on, such information. consult an attorney or tax professional regarding your specific situation. fidelity brokerage services llc, member nyse, sipc , 900 salem street, smithfield, ri 02917 1148907.1.1 mutual funds etfs fixed income bonds cds options active trader pro investor centers stocks online trading annuities life insurance & long term care small business retirement plans 529 plans iras retirement products retirement planning charitable giving fidsafe , (opens in a new window) finra's brokercheck , (opens in a new window) health savings account stay connected.

• News Releases
• About Fidelity
• International
• Terms of Use
• Accessibility
• Contact Us , (Opens in a new window)
• Disclosures , (Opens in a new window)

Home — Essay Samples — Environment — Solar Energy — An Overview Of Solar Pv Panels As A ‘clean Source’ Of Energy

An Overview of Solar Pv Panels as a ‘clean Source’ of Energy

• Categories: Alternative Energy Solar Energy

About this sample

Words: 1280 |

Published: Dec 16, 2021

Words: 1280 | Pages: 3 | 7 min read

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

• Expert in: Environment

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

6 pages / 2640 words

1 pages / 411 words

1 pages / 676 words

2 pages / 833 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Solar Energy

The private sector has played a crucial role in advancing the adoption and implementation of solar energy technologies. By leveraging their expertise, resources, and influence, private companies have been able to drive [...]

Solar energy is a renewable and sustainable energy source that has gained significant attention in recent years due to its potential to address environmental concerns and provide economic benefits. This essay will explore the [...]

The Solar System has long fascinated humanity, serving as the cradle of our existence and a frontier for exploration and discovery. Comprising the Sun, eight major planets, their moons, and a plethora of smaller celestial [...]

In a world facing unprecedented environmental challenges, the search for sustainable energy sources has become more urgent than ever before. One promising solution that has gained significant attention in recent years is solar [...]

What is PV solar power? You have heard the term, but you are unsure as to its meaning. You are vaguely aware that solar power has something to do with making energy from sunlight. But what is PV solar power? Is it different from [...]

The adaptability to accommodate adeptness while not damaging the atmosphere may be a affiliated challenge. Fossils fuels like petrol and coal, all appear aback from Non-renewable sources and already burned, access the [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

US solar installations hit quarterly record, making up 75% of new power added, report says

• Medium Text

Sign up here.

Reporting by Laila Kearney; Editing by Aurora Ellis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

Business Chevron

EU tariffs on China not a 'punishment', says German economy minister

Robert Habeck's visit to China is the first by a senior European official since Brussels proposed hefty duties on imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles to combat what the EU considers excessive subsidies.

Create an account

Create a free IEA account to download our reports or subcribe to a paid service.

Overview and key findings

Tracking cop28 progress.

• United States
• Latin America and the Caribbean
• European Union
• Middle East
• Japan and Korea
• Southeast Asia

Cite report

IEA (2024), World Energy Investment 2024 , IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-investment-2024, Licence: CC BY 4.0

Share this report

• Share on Twitter Twitter
• Share on Facebook Facebook
• Share on LinkedIn LinkedIn
• Share on Email Email
• Share on Print Print

Report options

The world now invests almost twice as much in clean energy as it does in fossil fuels…, global investment in clean energy and fossil fuels, 2015-2024, …but there are major imbalances in investment, and emerging market and developing economies (emde) outside china account for only around 15% of global clean energy spending, annual investment in clean energy by selected country and region, 2019 and 2024, investment in solar pv now surpasses all other generation technologies combined, global annual investment in solar pv and other generation technologies, 2021-2024, the integration of renewables and upgrades to existing infrastructure have sparked a recovery in spending on grids and storage, investment in power grids and storage by region 2017-2024, rising investments in clean energy push overall energy investment above usd 3 trillion for the first time.

Global energy investment is set to exceed USD 3 trillion for the first time in 2024, with USD 2 trillion going to clean energy technologies and infrastructure. Investment in clean energy has accelerated since 2020, and spending on renewable power, grids and storage is now higher than total spending on oil, gas, and coal.

As the era of cheap borrowing comes to an end, certain kinds of investment are being held back by higher financing costs. However, the impact on project economics has been partially offset by easing supply chain pressures and falling prices. Solar panel costs have decreased by 30% over the last two years, and prices for minerals and metals crucial for energy transitions have also sharply dropped, especially the metals required for batteries.

The annual World Energy Investment report has consistently warned of energy investment flow imbalances, particularly insufficient clean energy investments in EMDE outside China. There are tentative signs of a pick-up in these investments: in our assessment, clean energy investments are set to approach USD 320 billion in 2024, up by more 50% since 2020. This is similar to the growth seen in advanced economies (+50%), although trailing China (+75%). The gains primarily come from higher investments in renewable power, now representing half of all power sector investments in these economies. Progress in India, Brazil, parts of Southeast Asia and Africa reflects new policy initiatives, well-managed public tenders, and improved grid infrastructure. Africa’s clean energy investments in 2024, at over USD 40 billion, are nearly double those in 2020.

Yet much more needs to be done. In most cases, this growth comes from a very low base and many of the least-developed economies are being left behind (several face acute problems servicing high levels of debt). In 2024, the share of global clean energy investment in EMDE outside China is expected to remain around 15% of the total. Both in terms of volume and share, this is far below the amounts that are required to ensure full access to modern energy and to meet rising energy demand in a sustainable way.

Power sector investment in solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is projected to exceed USD 500 billion in 2024, surpassing all other generation sources combined. Though growth may moderate slightly in 2024 due to falling PV module prices, solar remains central to the power sector’s transformation. In 2023, each dollar invested in wind and solar PV yielded 2.5 times more energy output than a dollar spent on the same technologies a decade prior.

In 2015, the ratio of clean power to unabated fossil fuel power investments was roughly 2:1. In 2024, this ratio is set to reach 10:1. The rise in solar and wind deployment has driven wholesale prices down in some countries, occasionally below zero, particularly during peak periods of wind and solar generation. This lowers the potential for spot market earnings for producers and highlights the need for complementary investments in flexibility and storage capacity.

Investments in nuclear power are expected to pick up in 2024, with its share (9%) in clean power investments rising after two consecutive years of decline. Total investment in nuclear is projected to reach USD 80 billion in 2024, nearly double the 2018 level, which was the lowest point in a decade.

Grids have become a bottleneck for energy transitions, but investment is rising. After stagnating around USD 300 billion per year since 2015, spending is expected to hit USD 400 billion in 2024, driven by new policies and funding in Europe, the United States, China, and parts of Latin America. Advanced economies and China account for 80% of global grid spending. Investment in Latin America has almost doubled since 2021, notably in Colombia, Chile, and Brazil, where spending doubled in 2023 alone. However, investment remains worryingly low elsewhere.

Investments in battery storage are ramping up and are set to exceed USD 50 billion in 2024. But spending is highly concentrated. In 2023, for every dollar invested in battery storage in advanced economies and China, only one cent was invested in other EMDE.

Investment in energy efficiency and electrification in buildings and industry has been quite resilient, despite the economic headwinds. But most of the dynamism in the end-use sectors is coming from transport, where investment is set to reach new highs in 2024 (+8% compared to 2023), driven by strong electric vehicle (EV) sales.

The rise in clean energy spending is underpinned by emissions reduction goals, technological gains, energy security imperatives (particularly in the European Union), and an additional strategic element: major economies are deploying new industrial strategies to spur clean energy manufacturing and establish stronger market positions. Such policies can bring local benefits, although gaining a cost-competitive foothold in sectors with ample global capacity like solar PV can be challenging. Policy makers need to balance the costs and benefits of these programmes so that they increase the resilience of clean energy supply chains while maintaining gains from trade.

In the United States, investment in clean energy increases to an estimated more than USD 300 billion in 2024, 1.6 times the 2020 level and well ahead of the amount invested in fossil fuels. The European Union spends USD 370 billion on clean energy today, while China is set to spend almost USD 680 billion in 2024, supported by its large domestic market and rapid growth in the so-called “new three” industries: solar cells, lithium battery production and EV manufacturing.

Overall upstream oil and gas investment in 2024 is set to return to 2017 levels, but companies in the Middle East and Asia now account for a much larger share of the total

Change in upstream oil and gas investment by company type, 2017-2024, newly approved lng projects, led by the united states and qatar, bring a new wave of investment that could boost global lng export capacity by 50%, investment and cumulative capacity in lng liquefaction, 2015-2028, investment in fuel supply remains largely dominated by fossil fuels, although interest in low-emissions fuels is growing fast from a low base.

Upstream oil and gas investment is expected to increase by 7% in 2024 to reach USD 570 billion, following a 9% rise in 2023. This is being led by Middle East and Asian NOCs, which have increased their investments in oil and gas by over 50% since 2017, and which account for almost the entire rise in spending for 2023-2024.

Lower cost inflation means that the headline rise in spending results in an even larger rise in activity, by approximately 25% compared with 2022. Existing fields account for around 40% total oil and gas upstream investment, while another 33% goes to new fields and exploration. The remainder goes to tight oil and shale gas.

Most of the huge influx of cashflows to the oil and gas industry in 2022-2023 was either returned to shareholders, used to buy back shares or to pay down debt; these uses exceeded capital expenditure again in 2023. A surge in profits has also spurred a wave of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), especially among US shale companies, which represented 75% of M&A activity in 2023. Clean energy spending by oil and gas companies grew to around USD 30 billion in 2023 (of which just USD 1.5 billion was by NOCs), but this represents less than 4% of global capital investment on clean energy.

A significant wave of new investment is expected in LNG in the coming years as new liquefaction plants are built, primarily in the United States and Qatar. The concentration of projects looking to start operation in the second half of this decade could increase competition and raise costs for the limited number of specialised contractors in this area. For the moment, the prospect of ample gas supplies has not triggered a major reaction further down the value chain. The amount of new gas-fired power capacity being approved and coming online remains stable at around 50-60 GW per year.

Investment in coal has been rising steadily in recent years, and more than 50 GW of unabated coal-fired power generation was approved in 2023, the most since 2015, and almost all of this was in China.

Investment in low-emissions fuels is only 1.4% of the amount spent on fossil fuels (compared to about 0.5% a decade ago). There are some fast-growing areas. Investments in hydrogen electrolysers have risen to around USD 3 billion per year, although they remain constrained by uncertainty about demand and a lack of reliable offtakers. Investments in sustainable aviation fuels have reached USD 1 billion, while USD 800 million is going to direct air capture projects (a 140% increase from 2023). Some 20 commercial-scale carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) projects in seven countries reached final investment decision (FID) in 2023; according to company announcements, another 110 capture facilities, transport and storage projects could do the same in 2024.

Energy investment decisions are primarily driven and financed by the private sector, but governments have essential direct and indirect roles in shaping capital flows

Sources of investment in the energy sector, average 2018-2023, sources of finance in the energy sector, average 2018-2023, households are emerging as important actors for consumer-facing clean energy investments, highlighting the importance of affordability and access to capital, change in energy investment volume by region and fuel category, 2016 versus 2023, market sentiment around sustainable finance is down from the high point in 2021, with lower levels of sustainable debt issuances and inflows into sustainable funds, sustainable debt issuances, 2020-2023, sustainable fund launches, 2020-2023, energy transitions are reshaping how energy investment decisions are made, and by whom.

This year’s World Energy Investment report contains new analysis on sources of investments and sources of finance, making a clear distinction between those making investment decisions (governments, often via state-owned enterprises (SOEs), private firms and households) and the institutions providing the capital (the public sector, commercial lenders, and development finance institutions) to finance these investments.

Overall, most investments in the energy sector are made by corporates, with firms accounting for the largest share of investments in both the fossil fuel and clean energy sectors. However, there are significant country-by-country variations: half of all energy investments in EMDE are made by governments or SOEs, compared with just 15% in advanced economies. Investments by state-owned enterprises come mainly from national oil companies, notably in the Middle East and Asia where they have risen substantially in recent years, and among some state-owned utilities. The financial sustainability, investment strategies and the ability for SOEs to attract private capital therefore become a central issue for secure and affordable transitions.

The share of total energy investments made or decided by private households (if not necessarily financed by them directly) has doubled from 9% in 2015 to 18% today, thanks to the combined growth in rooftop solar installations, investments in buildings efficiency and electric vehicle purchases. For the moment, these investments are mainly made by wealthier households – and well-designed policies are essential to making clean energy technologies more accessible to all . A comparison shows that households have contributed to more than 40% of the increase in investment in clean energy spending since 2016 – by far the largest share. It was particularly pronounced in advanced economies, where, because of strong policy support, households accounted for nearly 60% of the growth in energy investments.

Three quarters of global energy investments today are funded from private and commercial sources, and around 25% from public finance, and just 1% from national and international development finance institutions (DFIs).

Other financing options for energy transition have faced challenges and are focused on advanced economies. In 2023, sustainable debt issuances exceeded USD 1 trillion for the third consecutive year, but were still 25% below their 2021 peak, as rising coupon rates dampened issuers’ borrowing appetite. Market sentiment for sustainable finance is wavering, with flows to ESG funds decreasing in 2023, due to potential higher returns elsewhere and credibility concerns. Transition finance is emerging to mobilise capital for high-emitting sectors, but greater harmonisation and credible standards are required for these instruments to reach scale.

A secure and affordable transitioning away from fossil fuels requires a major rebalancing of investments

Investment change in 2023-2024, and additional average annual change in investment in the net zero scenario, 2023-2030, a doubling of investments to triple renewables capacity and a tripling of spending to double efficiency: a steep hill needs climbing to keep 1.5°c within reach, investments in renewables, grids and battery storage in the net zero emissions by 2050 scenario, historical versus 2030, investments in end-use sectors in the net zero emissions by 2050 scenario, historical versus 2030, meeting cop28 goals requires a doubling of clean energy investment by 2030 worldwide, and a quadrupling in emde outside china, investments in renewables, grids, batteries and end use in the net zero emissions by 2050 scenario, 2024 and 2030, mobilising additional, affordable financing is the key to a safer and more sustainable future, breakdown of dfi financing by instrument, currency, technology and region, average 2019-2022, much greater efforts are needed to get on track to meet energy & climate goals, including those agreed at cop28.

Today’s investment trends are not aligned with the levels necessary for the world to have a chance of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and to achieve the interim goals agreed at COP28. The current momentum behind renewable power is impressive, and if the current spending trend continues, it would cover approximately two-thirds of the total investment needed to triple renewable capacity by 2030. But an extra USD 500 billion per year is required in the IEA’s Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE Scenario) to fill the gap completely (including spending for grids and battery storage). This equates to a doubling of current annual spending on renewable power generation, grids, and storage in 2030, in order to triple renewable capacity.

The goal of doubling the pace of energy efficiency improvement requires an even greater additional effort. While investment in the electrification of transport is relatively strong and brings important efficiency gains, investment in other efficiency measures – notably building retrofits – is well below where it needs to be: efficiency investments in buildings fell in 2023 and are expected to decline further in 2024. A tripling in the current annual rate of spending on efficiency and electrification – to about USD 1.9 trillion in 2030 – is needed to double the rate of energy efficiency improvements.

Anticipated oil and gas investment in 2024 is broadly in line with the level of investment required in 2030 in the Stated Policies Scenario, a scenario which sees oil and natural gas demand levelling off before 2030. However, global spare oil production capacity is already close to 6 million barrels per day (excluding Iran and Russia) and there is a shift expected in the coming years towards a buyers’ market for LNG. Against this backdrop, the risk of over-investment would be strong if the world moves swiftly to meet the net zero pledges and climate goals in the Announced Pledges Scenario (APS) and the NZE Scenario.

The NZE Scenario sees a major rebalancing of investments in fuel supply, away from fossil fuels and towards low-emissions fuels, such as bioenergy and low-emissions hydrogen, as well as CCUS. Achieving net zero emissions globally by 2050 would mean annual investment in oil, gas, and coal falls by more than half, from just over USD 1 trillion in 2024 to below USD 450 billion per year in 2030, while spending on low-emissions fuels increases tenfold, to about USD 200 billion in 2030 from just under USD 20 billion today.

The required increase in clean energy investments in the NZE Scenario is particularly steep in many emerging and developing economies. The cost of capital remains one of the largest barriers to investment in clean energy projects and infrastructure in many EMDE, with financing costs at least twice as high as in advanced economies as well as China. Macroeconomic and country-specific factors are the major contributors to the high cost of capital for clean energy projects, but so, too, are risks specific to the energy sector. Alongside actions by national policy makers, enhanced support from DFIs can play a major role in lowering financing costs and bringing in much larger volumes of private capital.

Targeted concessional support is particularly important for the least-developed countries that will otherwise struggle to access adequate capital. Our analysis shows cumulative financing for energy projects by DFIs was USD 470 billion between 2013 and 2021, with China-based DFIs accounting for slightly over half of the total. There was a significant reduction in financing for fossil fuel projects over this period, largely because of reduced Chinese support. However, this was not accompanied by a surge in support for clean energy projects. DFI support was provided almost exclusively (more than 90%) as debt (not all concessional) with only about 3% reported as equity financing and about 6% as grants. This debt was provided in hard currency or in the currency of donors, with almost no local-currency financing being reported.

The lack of local-currency lending pushes up borrowing costs and in many cases is the primary reason behind the much higher cost of capital in EMDE compared to advanced economies. High hedging costs often make this financing unaffordable to many of the least-developed countries and raises questions of debt sustainability. More attention is needed from DFIs to focus interventions on project de-risking that can mobilise much higher multiples of private capital.

Subscription successful

Thank you for subscribing. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link at the bottom of any IEA newsletter.

Floating solar panels could provide much of Africa’s energy – new research

Reader and NERC Independent Research Fellow, Bangor University

Professor of Energy & Environmental Sciences, Lancaster University

Disclosure statement

Iestyn Woolway receives funding from UKRI NERC

Alona Armstrong receives funding from UKRI and the solar industry.

Lancaster University provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation UK.

Bangor University provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK.

View all partners

New research has found that several countries could meet all their energy needs from solar panel systems floating on lakes. Climate, water and energy environmental scientists R. Iestyn Woolway and Alona Armstrong analysed how much energy could be produced by floating solar panels on just 10% of the water surface of one million bodies of water globally. They found that Ethiopia and Rwanda could generate more energy than their current national energy need from the floating energy systems alone.

How do floating solar panels work?

Also known as floating photovoltaic systems, these are solar panels mounted on structures that float on water bodies like lakes, reservoirs and ponds.

Floating solar panel systems use pontoons or rafts to keep the solar panels afloat. These floating structures are anchored or tethered to the edges of the water bodies to ensure stability. The systems can be designed to withstand varying water levels and weather conditions, including storms.

About five million  square kilometres of Earth’s surface area (or 3.7% of the Earth’s surface that isn’t covered with ice) is taken up by lakes and reservoirs . Solar panel systems could be floated on many of these surfaces.

Just like solar panels mounted on buildings or the ground, the floating systems convert sunlight into electricity using photovoltaic cells. The generated electricity is then transmitted to the grid or used locally. Being on water helps keep the floating solar panels cool , and they produce more electricity than land-based solar panels and may last longer.

Floating solar panel systems are used by countries that do not have a lot of land available but do have large and numerous water bodies. Ghana recently installed the largest floating solar panel system in Africa on one of its reservoirs.

We used a tool called the Global Solar Energy Estimator to help us calculate how much energy solar panels could generate in over 1 million water bodies around the world. We gathered data about sunlight and air temperature and specific details about the solar panels. Using satellite images of the water bodies, we worked out which parts of the water could be covered by solar panels.

We did not include water bodies that dry up, freeze over for more than six months a year, are situated within a protected area, and are more than 10km from a population centre. We also limited the size of the floating solar systems, taking potential technical and environmental constraints into account.

What are the advantages of floating solar systems for African countries?

Our research found that Rwanda and Ethiopia could generate far more energy from these systems than they currently use. Rwanda could generate 237% of its current total energy needs, and Ethiopia 129%. Chad could generate 73% of its current energy need from floating solar systems alone. Mali, Madagascar, Malawi, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Togo could generate between 15% and 58% of their total energy demand from floating solar panels.

We also found that there are 1,977 water bodies across Africa that could be used to float solar panel systems. This would spare the land that would otherwise be needed for land-based solar panels.

Read more: 'Limitless' energy: how floating solar panels near the equator could power future population hotspots

Floating solar panels can also help reduce water evaporation from lakes and reservoirs. This would benefit water scarce countries in Africa.

Another benefit is that the panels shade the water and this can reduce harmful algae blooms – mats of toxic bacteria – growing on the surface of the water, destroying water quality and aquatic life . This can improve the health of water bodies and reduce water treatment costs.

Floating solar panel systems can also be set up in rural, remote or off-grid areas that have never had a regular supply of electricity before.

What are the hurdles?

African countries will need to address these problems if they want to make full use of floating solar panel systems:

Grid connectivity and infrastructure: Many regions in sub-Saharan Africa have limited or unreliable grid connections. The grids need to be improved if these countries are to make full use of the electricity generated by floating solar panel systems. If expanding the centralised grid is too expensive, off-grid solutions such as mini-grids near the water bodies need to be developed.

Regulatory and policy support: Governments will need to encourage the development of floating solar panel projects, including incentives, subsidies and streamlined permitting processes. They’ll also need to set up strict regulations, including environmental and safety standards.

Environmental considerations: Thorough environmental impact assessments will need to be carried out to avoid any potential negative effects on aquatic ecosystems and water quality.

Social considerations: Engaging with local communities to gain their support is very important. It is critical to take into account how communities use the water body. The aim should be to ensure that everyone benefits from the energy generated in an equitable way, and that “ green grabbing ” – where nature is sold to set up green energy systems, disadvantaging indigenous people – is avoided.

What else did you learn from your research?

Many countries have large water bodies, a lot of sun and serious problems with water evaporation and algae blooms. Floating solar panel systems can address these environmental problems and create low carbon energy at the same time.

The potential benefits are promising. But more research is needed to understand their environmental impacts and optimise their design and implementation. This includes studying the long-term effects on aquatic ecosystems and water management practices.

Why is solar so important?

Solar energy generation produces minimal greenhouse gases compared to conventional energy sources like coal and natural gas. This helps combat climate change and reduce air pollution. By using solar power, countries can reduce their reliance on imported fossil fuels, and enhance energy security and economic stability.

Solar energy has also become more and more affordable. The world is aiming to achieve Net Zero – an end to all carbon gas emissions – by 2050. Floating solar panel systems can contribute to reaching this goal.

• Climate solutions
• Net zero emissions

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship

Health Safety and Wellbeing Advisor

Social Media Producer

Dean (Head of School), Indigenous Knowledges

Senior Research Fellow - Curtin Institute for Energy Transition (CIET)