Activity 3.2.3 - Alternative Energy - Solar energy

a. Define alternative energy energy:

Alternative energy is a type of renewable energy that comes from a source that is inexhaustible. This type of energy does not come from fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) and emits little or no greenhouse gases.


b. Describe arguments for alternative energy in general:

The world is consuming more and more energy as time goes by especially in countries of rapid economic growth like China and India (Mutiti et al 2018) Because of this we are burning more non- renewable fossil fuels in the form of coal, oil, and natural gas, and therefore emitting more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. On the contrary, alternative energy causes almost no harm, if any at all, to the environment. The use of it would solve the issues of oil spills and pipeline leaks, dramatically decrease the number of carbon dioxide emissions that cause climate change, and result in healthier conditions for human life.

Alternative energy is also more sustainable than other conventional sources because it comes from the Sun, which is inexhaustible because we know it will keep burning for the next 5 billion years. (Mutiti et al 2018)

c. Assess solar energy and explain its advantages and disadvantages, Include its limitations.

Almost all energy originally comes from the Sun, an inexhaustible source of renewable energy. Solar energy from panels is light from the sun that is turned into electricity through photovoltaic cells, and then used to power or heat homes and businesses (Mutiti et al 2018) It is a great alternative to conventional sources of energy because there is nothing to be used up and therefore cannot become scarce. It also does not produce any greenhouse gases emissions.
Rural communities that are located too far away from a power plant and not connected to an electrical grid would greatly benefit from solar energy for their homes. Farmers in these communities could also receive extra income by installing solar panels and wind turbines (an indirect source of solar energy) in their lands.

It should be noted that solar energy is unevenly divided across different locations on the planet. This makes certain places that are mostly sunny all year long better candidates for this type of alternative energy.
As of now, solar energy cannot be stored and used at a different time like coal, or oil. This means that less or no solar energy at all is available to be generated at night or when it's raining. (Zehnder 2018) Hopefully in the future we are able to find a way to store solar energy and send electricity to parts of the world that may not be very sunny year-round.

Although it does not produce greenhouse gases, solar energy makes a small impact on the environment in different ways. The making of photovoltaic cells in solar panels uses conventional sources of non-renewable energy like fossil fuels. It also produces sodium hydroxide and hydrofluoric acid. Large areas with solar panels need constant cleaning and cooling which could harm certain ecosystems depending on their climate.


Mutiti, S., Mutiti, C., Manoylov, K., VandeVoort, A., & Bennett, D. (2018)