Please go to this link: http://www.imperialjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/0
ID: 287677 • Letter: P
Question
Please go to this link: http://www.imperialjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/14.pdf
or google "ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF SOLAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES RONI GEORGE* , ARUN OUSEPH BABU**"
Find this article, read it and answer each question in detail. Your argument should include valid points from credible sources. I need the sources from where you get the information. Here are some of the questions that must be answered.
Is the argument made in the article valid and how so? (It is ok if the argument is valid, there are many arguments for and against renewable energy) What are your rebuttals to the main argument in the article? (Be sure to use facts from reputable sources, journal articles from science journals or your old/current textbooks you need to use some source!) Closing arguments Sources you used to make your rebuttal o o oExplanation / Answer
Yes, the arguments made are valid from my point of view. Following are my arguments:
1. Solar cells contain heavy metals that can leach into groundwater when disposed at the end of their lifecycle. Photovoltaic manufacturers also employ toxic and explosive compounds that can lead to unintended health risks for workers and local residents. Thus they are hardly clean.
2. There’s no evidence which may support our assumption that solar cells are a zero-carbon energy technology. A study in Nature Climate Change by a University points to just the opposite and tells that solar energy is merely a green illusion. Solar cells rely on fossil fuels for mining, fabrication, installation and maintenance. They also require conventional power plants, or storage mechanisms such as batteries, with additional layers of environmental impacts.
3. While there are no global warming emissions associated with generating electricity from solar energy, there are emissions associated with other stages of the solar life-cycle, including manufacturing, materials transportation, installation, maintenance, and decommissioning and dismantlement. Most estimates of life-cycle emissions for photovoltaic systems are between 0.07 and 0.18 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt-hour.
Since you have asked for rebuttals, following are few rebuttals:
1. The argument that large solar farms use up farmland that should be used for growing food may be countered by the following observation.It has been observed that, solar and sheep mix well together, with the sheep using the panels for shelter while keeping the grass trimmed and the grass grows better due to less wind and less dew to burn off while the spacing of the rows of panels ensures that there is sufficient sunshine for growth.
2. Solar PV works well with other renewable technologies such as ground, water and air source heat pumps, where each kWh of cheap solar electricity can be converted into 4kWh of heat or cooling. Intermittency can be smoothed by using surplus wind and solar electricity to pump water from a lower to a higher reservoir and run it back as hydro-electricity when the grid or local user most needs it.
3. While the production of solar cells does use energy, there is no need for this energy to come from fossil fuel sources. It can, in fact, come from solar power. Solar power can, therefore, produce solar panels, and be 100% 0-emission from production to electricity generation. It should also be noted that "back-up" sources of energy needed not be fossil-fuel based.
Finally, I would like to conclude that, though the writer of the paper has written so much against the solar energy and the points are really needed to be considered to make solar energy more environmental friendly. It can not be denied that in coming 2-3 decades, solar is going to replace conventional energy not completely but a large proportional is for sure. The critics should be taken care of to make the system more efficient and eco-friendly.