Tag Archives: Energy

Sustainability and Energy Conservation

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One of the first things that has come to my mind on the topic of sustainability is the concept of energy conservation.  This can be accomplished in many ways, and through many different forms.  For example, some ways to conserve energy could be turning off the lights when you are not home, turning down the heat in the winter at night time or turning down the air conditioner om the summer when you go to bed.  These simple things can make a large impact on your own personal footprint.  For the purpose of this blog we will focus on the amount of energy that can be saved by simply turning off the lights.  Lets say that a incandescent light bulb is graded for 60 watts.  This light bulb will use approximately .06 kilowatts of energy per hour while it is on.  Over time this adds up not only in energy use but also in money to pay the bill.  If you were to turn off that bulb there would be a 100% decrease in energy obviously, with a decay factor of 1.0.  This seems like it is so obvious, yet not enough of us are doing this.  In the long run turning off your bulb is not only incredibly helpful for the environment but also for your wallet.  When thinking about sustainability it is the little things that we have to do that will make an impact.  If we are able to do the small things like I have listed above it will be beneficial for all.

The Importance of Solar Panels

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Solar panels are an extremely effective way to help combat greenhouse gas emissions by taking natural energy from the sun and converting that into electricity. Using solar panels decreases our dependance on fossil fuels, which as we have previously learned in important to reduce for sustainability purposes and the health of the earth. There are at least 92.7 billion solar panels in use throughout the world today. One year of solar power saves 12,500 pounds of carbon emissions, which is very important in the subject of sustainability. With less carbon emissions and using natural energy, there are less fossil fuels and therefore a more healthy planet.

The United States and other European countries, like Spain and Italy, and China are the driving forces in increasing the amount of solar panels used. These countries receive a lot of sunlight making this initiative to use solar panels very effective. It is predicted that the growth rate of solar panels will be 7.8% from 2022 to 2030.  The power generated from solar panels has grown by 23% since 2019, making this energy source account for 3.1% of global electricity. In America specifically, the amount of solar panels installed grew 485% from 2010 to 2013. The amount of solar panels that the U.S. had installed by 2014 was enough energy to power about 2.4 million U.S. households. According to the growth rate, solar panels are increasing around the world and saving this initiative from countries is helping to save energy globally.

 

citations: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/solar-panels-market#:~:text=The%20global%20solar%20PV%20panels%20market%20is%20expected%20to%20grow,USD%20286.64%20billion%20by%202030.

https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/solar-power-rise

33 Solar Energy Statistics You Need To Know (2021 Data)

Solar and Wind Energy Working Together To Make A Difference

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Solar and Wind are both good forms of renewable energy. Very recently, during the first week of this month, photovoltaic energy (a form of Solar Energy) broke records in the Spanish, Italian, and French markets. This energy along with wind energy helped lower the prices of energy in most European Electricity markets.

The first week of April ended with a general increase in solar energy production compared to the previous week. In the Spanish Energy Market, the hourly photovoltaic energy production record was broken on April 7 with 11 313 MWh. On April 10th, the highest production in history was registered in the French market, at 8788 MWh. The Italian market reached the highest production with this technology since July 2014, with 12 310 MWh on the same day April 10th.

The increase in production in the Italian market was 48% and in the French market was 24%, compared to the previous week. In the German market, the increase in solar energy production was 11%.

https://cleantechnica.com/2022/04/14/solar-pv-energy-breaks-records-together-with-wind-energy-lowers-european-electricity-markets-prices/

Moving to Solar

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When pondering solutions to be more sustainable, switching to solar energy pops up as a solution. Solar seems like an excellent addition to one’s home; however, there are a lot of apprehensions. This stems from the cost. Solar has been known for being an expensive investment that turns people away. However, since 1998 the price of a solar array has decreased by 70% for an average home (Solar Nation). In other words, the price of solar has a decay factor of 0.30. When considering the cost, some factors change depending on the area, such as your electricity grid and how much your household consumes. Although, it is clear that the initial cost of solar is decreasing every year while the savings are consistent. This being said, solar is an excellent switch to a more sustainable and renewable lifestyle.

 

https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/homeowners-guide-going-solar

https://www.solar-nation.org/can-switching-to-solar-panels-save-me-money

How humans most contribute to carbon dioxide emissions

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Carbon dioxide is an important greenhouse gas and since the industrial revolution, has been rising in levels in our atmosphere contributing to global warming and climate change.  According to the EPA, as of 2019, carbon dioxide accounts for 80% of greenhouse gas emissions that stem from human activities.  Knowing this, it means that, to reduce these emissions and mitigate global warming, we must be conscious of which activities we do that contribute to carbon dioxide emissions in our atmosphere the most.  Combustion of fossil fuels is by far the human activity most responsible for greenhouse gas emissions; from transportation to energy use, fossil fuels are used often by human beings and are therefore responsible for the majority of carbon dioxide emissions.  Transportation, in 2019, was responsible for 35% of carbon dioxide emissions; as fossil fuels such as diesel and gasoline are combusted to act as fuel for transportation, they contributed the most to carbon dioxide emissions.  From cars to planes to trains, most forms of transportation rely on the combustion of fossil fuels and are the greatest way in which humans contribute to carbon dioxide emissions.  The second and third most important ways in which humans contribute to the aforementioned emissions are through electricity, which is responsible for 31% of emissions, followed by industry at 16%, both also due to the use of fossil fuels for energy.   By adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere through these processes, humans have contributed to an increase in the greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.  While this is an issue as it is a main contributor of climate change, to help address this issue, we first need to become aware of what human processes have contributed the most to the addition of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere so we can figure out solutions and alternatives to the burning of fossil fuels.  From this data, we can see that focusing on energy efficiency will be the best solution in regards to mitigating our contributions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

 

https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases#carbon-dioxide