Hey, people of the world, I hope you guys have been doing good!!!! Last week, alussinage wrote a post about wind energy, which was terrific. I want to thank her for becoming an essential partner of Climate Change with Tech. I thought that this week's post would be about solar energy. This would be the last post to wrap up our renewable energy series. This saddens me a little bit, but it's okay! We get to jump into something new, which will be great! So, let's dive in!
Let's start with the basics of solar energy. Solar energy is used for many purposes and has been used for so long. Solar energy has been used for warmth, drying various foods, converting them into electricity, and many more. Solar energy is created by the fusion that is in the sun. The fusion is protons of hydrogen atoms hitting each other in the sun's core, creating a helium atom. This fusion releases solar energy out into space in the form of electromagnetic waves. This reaches the earth as sunlight, and we harness this sunlight, creating solar energy. Solar energy is created through solar panels, also known as photovoltaic panels. This can be used to generate electricity or for energy storage in batteries and thermal storage.
Now, let's talk about the disadvantages and advantages of solar energy. The advantages of solar energy are that it does not release any carbon dioxide emissions or any other pollutants, it has minor effects on the environment, the materials that are used for solar panels are limitless and renewable, it reduces electricity bills, it has low maintenance costs, it is suitable for remote areas, and solar panels contain no moving parts, therefore, not creating any noise. The disadvantages of solar energy are that solar energy is not consistent because of the weather patterns and the location, solar energy requires a huge area to absorb the sunlight, which then can be turned into energy, solar panels are extremely expensive, and solar energy storage is very expensive.
And finally, here are some things that you can do to help out our environment:
You can recycle plastic water bottles and bags that have the recycle sign on them.
You can also help with clean clean-ups. There are plenty of clean-ups for beaches, roads, and many more.
You can also educate people.
You can use less plastic.
You can walk or bike. When you walk or bike, you don't release carbon emissions. In worst cases, use public transportation because many people use it, and it doesn't release more carbon dioxide.
You can plant plants.
You can conserve water to have water left, like taking 5-minute showers. You can buy reusable stuff, so you don't need to use too much plastic. You can participate in peaceful protests.
You can also talk to people who have more knowledge about climate change so that you can tell other people.
You can put a bucket in the shower when you shower, so you can use that water for your plants or clean something up.
You can buy local produce.
You can build a garden and grow fresh produce.
You can buy organic produce.
-Robotics Girl
Works Cited
“Advantages & Disadvantages of Solar Energy | GreenMatch.” Match Quotes & Suppliers | GreenMatch, Greenmatch, 25 May 2021, https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/2014/08/5-advantages-and-5-disadvantages-of-solar-energy.
“Advantages of Solar Energy - InterNACHI®.” InterNACHI® - International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, InterNACHI® , https://www.nachi.org/advantages-solar-energy.htm. Accessed 18 Sept. 2022.
“Disadvantages of Solar Energy - InterNACHI®.” InterNACHI® - International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, InterNACHI®, https://www.nachi.org/disadvantages-solar-energy.htm. Accessed 18 Sept. 2022.
“How Does Solar Work? | Department of Energy.” Energy.Gov, Energy.gov, https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/how-does-solar-work. Accessed 18 Sept. 2022.
“Solar Energy | National Geographic Society.” National Geographic , National Geographic, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/solar-energy. Accessed 18 Sept. 2022.
“Solar Explained - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).” Homepage - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), EIA, https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/solar/. Accessed 18 Sept. 2022.
Image: "Northeast Solar Energy Research Center" by Brookhaven National Laboratory is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
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