Key Topics
- Innovation for sustainability on solar energy
- Introduction on solar energy as innovation for sustainability:
- Indication of how solar energy is Innovative:
- Why solar energy is innovative than other energy:
- Identify how the sustainability issues apply and provide assessment of their relevance to engineers:
- References:
1. Introduction on solar energy as innovation for sustainability. (1 page)
2. Indication of how solar energy is Innovative?(1 page)
3. why solar energy is innovative than other energy(argument)?(1 page)
4. Identify how the sustainability issues apply and provide assessment of their relevance to engineers. (2 pages)
Innovation for sustainability on solar energy
Introduction on solar energy as innovation for sustainability:
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Place Your OrderSolar energy can be considered as one of the most widely used sources of non-conventional energy that is renewable in nature. The discovery of this form of energy and its applications in different domains of life has been a revelation to humankind. This form of energy can sustain more than the conventional sources of energy such as fossil fuels and petroleum. The innovative technology encompasses the conversion of the solar energy from the sun into electrical energy with the help of solar panels which are used for storing the sun’s energy in solar cells. Therefore, the invention of the multiple usage of solar energy as a sustainable resource has been one of the most instrumental discoveries by man and currently the light of the sun can be considered as perhaps the most sustainable source of energy as the sun will continue to emit energy for millions of years to come. The objective of sustainability is meeting the current needs of the society without compromising the capacity of the future generation to cater to their own needs. According to this criterion of sustainable development, the solar energy is the most promising source of renewable energy as the sun’s energy will not be depleted so as to jeopardize the needs of future generations both in households and industries. This attribute of sustainability is achieved from the renewability factor because even if the population on the planet begins to increase at the current rate, still there will be enough of the sun’s energy to provide heat and light to humankind for ages at length (Barth, 2018).
Indication of how solar energy is Innovative:
Customizable solar panels-These solar panels can have customized looks and skins to suit the tastes and preferences of the household consumers.
Solar-powered streets and highways-The solar energy has been used in many countries around the world for developing solar-powered pavements. This technology includes lighting up the roads at night with LED bulbs and also having the thermal heating power to melt snow during the chilling winters. These technologies help in releasing clean energy.
Why solar energy is innovative than other energy:
Solar energy can be considered as more innovative than other forms of energy purely due to its renewability and reduced impact on the environment that achieves sustainability to the community. Versatility is one of the key attributes of solar energy. As for example, it is possible to install the solar PV panels on the roof or on the land where there is adequate sunlight for the solar cells to capture and store the energy for use later on. The Photovoltaic Cells are not as highly expensive to maintain as compared to some of the other forms of non-conventional energy such as wind turbines. The solar energy is a form of energy that does not emit any pollution and therefore can be used in a wide range of activities both in domestic and industrial purposes. Thus, scalability factor is one of the most important innovative attributes of solar energy as it can be used in large-scale as well as small-scale installations. The only care that needs to be taken while installing the photovoltaic cells is that the areas where the solar panels will be installed receive adequate sunlight. The solar powered cells require much lesser area for installation as compared to other forms of non –conventional renewable energy like the wind turbines requiring large area of open spaces that limits their scope of installation for household purposes (SEIA, 2013). Solar energy is also utilized to run a large number of wearable and portable devices such as wristbands which help to track and monitor vital signs of the body like heart rate, pulse rate and also determine calculations such as total distance covered, calories burned and total hours of sound sleep, etc.
Identify how the sustainability issues apply and provide assessment of their relevance to engineers:
The use of solar energy is rampant in the domain of mechanical engineering also. The mechanical engineers work with various machines and equipment used in various industries. Hence, they have to work with various forms of mechanical devices and instrument those capture and store solar electricity. This solar electricity is then transferred to the required devices for powering them up. The mechanical engineers are entrusted with the duty of researching, designing and producing the solar energy devices such as solar panels, solar-powered engines and other tools and equipment those are required for the purpose of installing and maintaining the solar energy systems. Thus, the primary objective of the mechanical engineers is to design the various forms of solar-powered equipment and machineries which can be used for an array of household, official and industrial purposes. Hence, it is evident that the engineers have a major role to play in the development of the solar energy technology such that they can improve the way of life of the people in a way that sustainable growth and development is possible across the world (Wagner, 2018).
References:
Energysage. (2018). New solar panel technology: learn about advances in solar energy. Retrieved from energysage: https://news.energysage.com/solar-panel-technology-advances-solar-energy/
SEIA. (2013). Advantages of Solar Power Over Alternate Energy Sources. Retrieved from soluxesavings: http://www.soluxesavings.com/advantages-solar-power-over-alternate-energy-sources-a-122.html
Wagner, V. (2018). Engineers Who Work With Solar. Retrieved from chron: http://work.chron.com/engineers-work-solar-1835.html