solar panels

• define solar panels

  • solar technologies convert sunlight into electrical energy either through PV panels or mirrors that concentrate solar radiation 
  • This energy can used to generate electricity or be stored in batteries or thermal storage
• examples of solar panels

  • In 2019, about 1% of global energy came from solar technologies 
  • in Tokyo, a new regulation passed by its local assembly in Dec 2022 means that all new homes built in Tokyo by large-scale home builders after April 2025 must install solar power panels to cut household carbon emission
• economic advantages (increasingly cheaper)

  • increasingly cheaper to produce energy from solar power as technology improves 
  • operational costs are relatively low compared to other forms of power generation 
  • Fuel is not required, which means that solar technologies can generate large amounts of electricity without the uncertainty and expense of securing a fuel supply
• economic advantages (anticipated high returns)

  • anticipated high returns on the initial installation of infrastructure
  • Able to reap profits and generate jobs in associated sectors
  • eg. Australia -> a cattle station halfway between Alice Springs and Darwin is set to house the world’s largest solar farm, which energy generated from the project to ultimately power Singapore. The company, Sun Cable, expects the project will generate 1,500 direct jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs during construction, and about 350 permanent jobs once in operations
• environmental advantage

  • results in zero carbon emissions when producing energy
• Political advantage

  • a domestic source of energy is insurance against uncertainties in energy supply caused by geopolitical developments, which may result in rising energy costs
• social advantage

  • solar energy can be used to increase access to electricity in areas that are not connected to the energy grid since solar panels can be installed in individual homes for small-scale energy generation 
  • in remote areas, this electricity can be used for heating, or to distill water in regions with limited clean water supply (since distillation requires large amounts of electricity for the heating components
  • Improving health outcomes
• environmental disadvantage (materials generate carbon emission)

  • the production and supply of the special materials and metals that are required to produce solar panels continue to generate carbon emissions
• environmental disadvantage (high energy consumption and extraction of minerals)

  • Lithium extraction is environmentally unfriendly. 
  • Has resulted in loss of biodiversity, pollution of soil and reduction in water tables 
  • this is worse for countries facing water shortages and governments must decide on economic and environmental priorities
• environmental disadvantage (not all countries are suitable)

  • Singapore, while being in the tropics and receives much amount of insolation, has high cloud cover, especially on rainy days 
  • this reduces effectiveness and efficiency of solar panels in capturing solar radiation 
  • in high latitudes, solar power is unlikely to contribute a large proportion of national energy requirements due to lack of solar intensity and the dark, long winters
• economic disadvantage (initial cost)

  • initial cost of purchasing a solar system is high 
  • this includes: 
  • Paying for solar panels 
  • inverters, batteries, wiring and installation
• economic disadvantage (large expensive batteries)

  • As solar energy must be either used right away or stored, it is necessary to purchase large expensive batteries to store excess energy generated 
  • These batteries, used in off-the-grid solar systems, can be charged during the day so that the energy is used at night 
  • These costs have to be borne by either individuals, state or private energy companies, depending on policies 
  • In Singapore, the cost of solar panels is from $15,000 to $38,000 or more
• socio-political disadvantage

  • Communities have been displaced by solar farms
  • In Mikir Bamuni Grant village in the eastern state of Assam, a 15 MW solar panel plant being built on agricultural land will displace hundreds of villagers