Stephanie Theobald 3A

Alternative Energy

Mr. Pavelka

5-11-16

The alternative energy that I think the human population should use is solar energy. Solar

energy is the energy used from the Sun’s rays. The way it works is by turning the rays into

electricity with solar panels. Our human race should use solar energy because it’s less damaging to

the environment than burning fossil fuels.

There are many advantages of solar energy, such as little maintenance, reduced waste, and

renewability. Solar energy is sustainable and renewable it will never run out, or at least until the

Sun burns out. The Sun should be giving off its rays for about 5 billion more years. The Sun is the

main energy source for solar energy. This is important because it shows how reliable solar energy

is. Solar energy only requires a little bit of maintenance. It only needs a small inspection once or

twice per year. It is a very simple process, you really only need a garden hose. This is an important

note because it shows how little of a hassle cleaning solar panels is. These are only two of the

many benefits of switching to solar energy.

There are a few disadvantages of solar energy such as the initial cost and the location of the

sun. “The initial cost of solar energy for the panels can range anywhere from $13,000 to $27,000.”

For most people that can be a little expensive electricity. Another disadvantage of solar energy is

the location of the sun. Houses may be covered up by trees or nearby large buildings in which

installing a solar system would not be efficient. Some areas may have more clouds or fog that may

require more solar panels to generate enough electricity for the home. The seasons can cause
issues, especially in the winter months. Solar panels cannot produce more energy than the home

during the winter and this can make them unreliable.

Solar energy has some impact on the environment such as land use and climate conditions.

Solar panels do use a lot of lands depending on the size of the panels. Also, how much electricity

do you need? For example, on average, solar panels take up 3.5 to 10 acres per megawatt. That is

a significant amount of land but, it is worth saving the planet from pollution. This is an important

note because it shows how much land is needed for solar panels. Also, solar energy would help

climate conditions because there would be no toxins or pollutants being emitted to cause global

warming. For example, the burning of fossil fuels releases roughly 21.3 billion metric tons of

carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually. This is a large amount of pollution that would be

distributed and could cause harm to humans. This is important because solar energy would be low

emission and produce no pollution. Solar energy would be impactful to the environment by

rescuing the planet from pollution and helping the survival of humans.

Solar energy is one of the most reliable alternative energy to provide the greater benefit of

the clean and renewable sources. It is utilized by the sun and once solar panels are installed, solar

energy can be produced free of charge. In the long term, solar energy will last a long time and the

world’s oil reserve may fall short in 30 years. Solar energy is better for our health and people will

live longer lives.

Mcardle, Isaac. "Renewable Energy." Answers. Answers Corporation, 2016. Web. 17 May 2016.

"Go Solar California." Go Solar California. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2016.

"Solar Energy Basics." NREL Learning. N.p., 25 July 2014. Web. 17 May 2016.