Solar power prospects : Hawaii experience
The sun is a direct source of energy. Using renewable energy technologies, we can convert that solar energy into electricity
The State of Hawaii, an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan was admitted to the Union on August 21, 1959, making it the 50th state of the USA. Its capital is Honolulu on the island of Oahu. The most recent census (2006) puts the state's population at 1,285,498 As energy prices increase and the world becomes more aware of the problems of global warming, sea level rise and air pollution, locations such as the islands of Hawaii with a good and free source of solar energy have an excellent solution to reduce the environmental effects of fossil fuels with residential solar panels and solar power systems. Solar panels are mounted on roofs or anywhere on a building or be free standing for any location where a reduction in power bills are needed. Hawaii solar power incentives are excellent compared with many states with energy efficiency and in reducing Hawaii's dependence on imported oil firmly on the government agenda. How do solar panels work?Solar panels harvest the sun's energy to produce electricity to power lights and appliances or for any use that requires electrical power. Solar photovoltaic cells are arranged in a grid-like pattern on the surface of the solar panel. These solar voltaic cells collect sunlight during the day and convert it into energy. Energy is created when sunlight strikes the solar panel's crystals and causes some electrons to break loose. The amount of power produced depends largely on the quality of the solar panels and the technology in making it. Panels of special semiconductors like silicon convert the sun's energy directly into electricity. Solar panels in the past used to be of silicon but as silicon is becoming more expensive, research has turned to other materials. Lately, a whole new type of solar panel is produced. They are made of plastic and the price is comparatively cheap. These plastic panels work just as well to power just about any appliance that is used in a home out in a remote location. Solar panels are mostly placed on the roof. The power generated is transmitted to a battery for storage and household power needs are drawn from this storage. Solar energy is also most suitable for heating water for household use, swimming pools and hot tubs. The best thing about solar power is that it does not release harmful emissions or effluents leading to global warming, acid rain and smog. The utility of solar panel is great. Having solar panels installed to our home, we can live anywhere even in rural areas without foregoing the conveniences of the city and without having to install expensive electrical line extensions from noisy generators. Hawaii: the 50th state, 1st in solar energy
Hawaii, with lots of sun but no oil, might soon be a step ahead of other American states in the race toward clean energy. A bill to require all new homes to have solar water heaters has been passed. The bill goes beyond the rebates and tax credits that other states and cities are offering. Some conservatives say that it is a heavy-handed government mandate to go green and will make people save money -- cutting about $1,000 a year from the electricity bill of an average home in Hawaii. For a state that has the nation's highest electricity rates and has also been called “the Saudi Arabia of sun,” this move seems natural. Given the environmental and political problems, most people in Hawaii feel it to be encouraging as Hawaii relies more heavily on oil than any other state. There are other reasons for which the Hawaiians are happy -- the use of solar panel minimizes their dependence on fossil fuels coming from other countries. The fossil fuel supplies on which America relies for its energy are dwindling, and becoming increasingly expensive and politically costly. According to them, the nation desperately needs to reduce its dependence on oil and other fossil fuels and move toward clean, renewable energy. Hawaii is the best-suited state in the USA to lead the change. The state ranks third in annual sunlight, pays the highest electric rates in the nation and relies primarily on imported and highly polluting energy sources. Fossil fuels and global warming
Emissions from the power plants that run on fossil fuels constitute the leading contributor to global warming. Scientists tell us that a failure to respond to the global warming crisis will lead to rising sea levels, more severe weather patterns and increased rates of communicable diseases. The time for debate is over. Investing in renewable energy now will yield big dividends to our world's well-being in the future. The sooner our transition toward renewable energy happens, the better off we'll all be. Solar energy is a particularly promising technology. Clean, quiet, reliable and requiring virtually no maintenance, solar energy produces electricity during the time of day when it is most needed. And unlike most energy technologies, it has the advantage of producing power in the same place where it's consumed. Until recently, solar electricity was too expensive for mass use. As a mature technology in an immature industry, however, solar energy is now at a critical stage of growth. Every time the cumulative demand for solar energy doubles, the price of a solar panel goes down by about 20 percent, due to increased economies of scale. The more solar panels are purchased, the cheaper they become. As the price lowers and the technology continues to improve, solar energy's prospects become brighter than ever. As a result, states like Hawaii can benefit from solar investments and play an important role in bringing the cost of solar energy down nationwide. Solar power in Bangladesh -- a bright idea!
I read an article on this issue last week (May 31, 2008, published in the the 'Daily Ittefaq'). This is a good brainstorming discussion and we should take this solar power system seriously. Bangladesh is a perfect environment for solar water heating. As the sun shines most of the time, we don't have to worry about freezing, and our local utility supports the purchase and installation of solar systems with generous rebates and solar tax credit, if possible. Bangladesh can therefore benefit from the experience of Hawaii solar systems -- where a solar system has been proved to be the environmentally and economically sound choice for heating water in residential complexes. Dr. Md. Rashed Chowdhury is Principal Research Scientist of the Pacific ENSO Applications Center (PEAC) and a Faculty of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Hawaii, USA; Email: rashed@hawaii.edu
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