Solar Energy Power (Photovoltaic Systems) Dissertation

Solar Energy Power (Photovoltaic Systems) - Dissertation Example The paper tells that solar energy has been the most dominant energy source since the dawn of civilization, though indirectly. But with the rise of industries and heavy machinery, solar energy has lost its importance and the use of fossil fuels has become commonplace. But as early as the 1970s, there have been researchers enjoining governments to find alternative energy sources. For example, in 1971 Farrington Daniels said: As [coil, oil and gas] diminish, atomic and solar energy will eventually become important: atomic energy in large multi-million-dollar installations near large cities and in areas where solar radiation is low, and solar energy in small inexpensive units n rural areas where solar radiation is abundant and the cost of electric transmission is high. Meanwhile in 1973 another researcher, George O.G. Là ¶f said that the man has to find other energy sources as the use of fossil fuel is unsustainable. For him, the development of technology that captures solar power is mu ch more important. He expounds: The raw energy, in the form of electromagnetic radiation, reaches the earth’s atmosphere at a rate of 170 trillion kilowatts. Even after about one-fourth is scattered into space by clouds and dust, the quantity of energy reaching the land area of the United States is more than 700 times the current demand for all types of energy. For Là ¶f, fossil fuels have to be replaced with renewable sources of energy because its inventory is finite and will soon run out. Moreover, as supply of petrol fuels decrease, its cost will increase steeply. More than 40 years after Lof’’s pronouncements, the world is now experiencing the repercussions of the indiscriminate use of petrol fuels. For one, price of petrol fuels are at record high levels. As of April 2, 2012, the price of unleaded petrol is recorded at ?141/liter, up by ?1.5 from the previous week (Department of Energy and Climate Change 2012a). Meanwhile diesel is at ?147.7/liter from ?14 6.6 the previous week (Department of Energy and Climate Change 2012a). As the price of petrol fuels increase, so do the prices of products and services that use it. Proof of this is the updated report released by the Office for National Statistics which rated inflation as of February 2012 at 3.4% and consumer price index for electricity, gas and other fuels at 142.9 compared to 130.3 in December 2011 (Gooding 2012). Aside from the increasing energy prices, there is also the issue of climate change, which is believed to be the outcome of the rapid build-up of greenhouse in the atmosphere because of anthropogenic activities. To avert the devastating effects of climate change, numerous countries adopted the Kyoto Protocol which mandated signatories to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly, carbon (UNFCCC 2012). This has prompted the parliament to pass the first legally binding framework to tackle the dangers of climate change – the Climate Change Act of 2007. But th is was just the start of legislation aimed to protect the environment. In 2008, the first Energy Act was given the Royal Assent to provide support to new technologies aimed at capturing carbon and developing emerging renewable technologies. Thanks to these laws, solar power has been rediscovered and is now one of the most promoted renewable source of energy because it can be found anywhere. In a speech by Greg Barker (2011) he said, â€Å"to date, solar has been by far the most popular technology with consumers. It is easy to see why: it’s simple, accessible, reliable and fits discreetly into homes and communities†. An advocate of decentralized energy generation (or microgeneration), Barker launched the feed-in-tariffs (FITs) for households and communities wanting to install a solar photovoltaic (PV) system. This way, people can invest in â€Å"small-scale low-carbon electricity, in return for a guaranteed payment from an