Design Summary Reader Response of Solar Panel - Draft 1

 The webpage about “Solar Panel (University of Calgary, 2020)” introduces to readers about the materials and features of a solar panel. The solar light panels consist of a photovoltaic module (PV) that is assembled with multiple solar cells (The Economic Times, 2019), it comprises of silicon, phosphorous, and baron (University of Calgary, 2020). Solar Energy is harvested when the panel is exposed to direct sunlight and the energy is absorbed by the PV cells to form electrical charges which travel along the internal electrical field inside the cell, creating electricity (Solect, n.d). Firstly, solar panels are very durable and deteriorate at a very slow pace. An article reported “Solar Panel last for about 25 – 30 years” and was deemed inefficient by experts after that timeline (Richardson, 2021). Secondly, Solar panels come in different shapes and sizes with a maximum range of several inches (The Economic Times, 2019), this shows that solar panels can be shaped into different shapes and sizes to meet different requirements making them highly versatile. Lastly, solar panels do not depend on traditional power sources and fossil fuels, making them extremely environmentally friendly. With fossil fuels running low while global warming increasing, countries located close to the equator should utilise solar energy over wind energy due to its eco-friendly, versatility, and noise pollution that was caused on the environment.

 

Pertaining to eco-friendly, wind turbine could cause adverse effect on wildlife as turbines can be turning up to 180miles per hour (Dillion, 2020) which will endanger birds and other flying creatures. On the other hand, Solar panels are capable to protect small mammals and birds by providing shelter from rain and predators. Research from the University of York and Lancaster has shown that the impact of solar farms on wildlife is beneficial by planting hedges around the perimeter or creating wetland areas which could potentially reverse the decline of certain endangered species with good management of the solar farms (Jesus, 2022).

 

Another difference between solar panels and wind turbines is noise pollution. Solar panels do not give off any sound while operating as they are installed stationery. However, Wind Turbines tend to be louder, especially with high wind speed. “Smaller turbines, at high speeds, can be as loud as a lawnmower.” (Max, 2021). An article reported that a “wind turbine is typically placed to a home is 300 meters or more. At that distance, a turbine will have a sound pressure level of 43 decibels (General Electric, 2014). In context, the average decibel level of human speech is estimated between 55 to 65 decibels (Decibel Pro, n.d). This will annoy the nearby residents and can only be installed in specific areas.

 

Thirdly, the Installation and placement of solar panels are much more versatile compared to wind turbines. The “PV cells are available in different shapes and sizes and may have a maximum length of several inches (The Economic Times, 2019)”. A solar panel on a small home will require up to 200 square feet of roof space, while a larger home will take more than 1000 square feet to offset the electricity usage (Palmetto, n.d), whereas the installation of a wind turbine takes roughly 65000 square feet or 1.5 acres of land to install a 2MW Wind Turbine (Richard, 2018) which is capable to power up to 60 000 house. Even though both solar panels and wind turbine takes up similar spaces, wind turbine still must consider the following criteria such as a moderate wind speed between 12km/h to 90km/h, any amount above or below the specified range will not generate electricity or might even damage the turbines (HydroQuebec, n.d). Additionally, wind turbines must be installed 150 meters away from nearby obstructions and 9 meters tall above any obstructions for the wind turbine to turn safely (Richard, 2018). This show that solar panels are much more versatile and could be utilized in all sorts of situations.

 

However, wind turbines also have their advantages over solar panels. Even though wind turbines can be efficiently used in specific locations. Wind turbines can convert up to 60% of the energy they harness from the wind into usable electrical energy whereas the most efficient solar panels convert only about 22% of energy harnessed from sunlight into actual electrical energy (Regen Power, 2021). This shows that in certain specific areas, a single wind turbine could outperform a solar panel as an alternative energy source with its high-efficiency level, but this could be overthrown due to the criteria and land use of the Wind Turbine’s installation. Utilizing the same land area of a wind turbine, we could install more solar panels which could potentially out scale the electricity converted from a single wind turbine.

 

In conclusion, Solar Panels are much more efficient as an alternative energy source, especially in countries with a sunny climate. Solar Panels are highly eco-friendly and do not cause any adverse effects on the environment. Furthermore, they tend to be neighbourhood friendly that can be installed in both urban and rural areas compared to wind turbines. Notedly, wind turbine tends to have a higher efficiency level when utilize in the correct areas. However, the cons and disadvantages of having a wind turbine had out scaled the efficiency level and it can be solved by installing more solar panels or creating a higher efficiency solar panel by changing different types of solar cells. Therefore, solar panels have great potential for replacing wind turbines as an alternative energy source worldwide due to their capabilities.

References:

1.      https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Types_of_photovoltaic_cells (Type of Photovoltaic Cells, University of Calgary, 2020)

2.      https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Solar_panel (Solar Panels, University of Calgary, 2020)

3.      https://solect.com/the-science-of-solar-how-solar-panels-work/ (How do solar panels work, Solect Energy, N.D)

4.      https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/productline/power-generation/what-are-solar-light-panels-and-how-do-they-work/articleshow/69130408.cms?from=mdr (What are solar panels and how do they work, The Economic Times, 2019)

5.      https://news.energysage.com/how-long-do-solar-panels-last/#:~:text=As%20a%20general%20rule%2C%20solar,to%20be%20a%20significant%20amount. (How long do solar panel last, Luke Richardson, 2021)

6.      https://sciencing.com/much-land-needed-wind-turbines-12304634.html (How much land is needed for Wind Turbines, Richard Gaughan, 2018)

7.      https://stanfordmag.org/contents/backyard-windmills-nitty-gritty (Backyard Windmills, Rachel Adams, 2010)

8.      https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapores-first-large-scale-solar-floating-farm-opens-at-tengeh-reservoir (Singapore’s first large solar floating farm at Tengah Reservoir, Clara Chong, 2021)

9.      https://blog.quintasenergy.com/the-hidden-benefits-of-solar-pv-for-wildlife#:~:text=Along%20with%20enhancing%20wildlife%20habitats,while%20still%20making%20a%20profit. (The hidden benefit of solar PV for wildlift, Jesus Nunez, 2022)

10.   https://regenpower.com/articles/which-renewable-energy-is-better-wind-or-solar/#:~:text=The%20wind%20is%20a%20more,energy%20compared%20to%20solar%20panels. (Which renewable energy is better, wind or solar, Regen Power, n.d)