300: Revised Abstract

Laurens Requirement

My research examined the application and benefits of using Solar Power vs. Wind Power as alternative energy. I found that we need to reform our ways of obtaining energy from the carbon emitting producers and replace the process with clean, renewable, options. Without these new options we would soon face the doom of filling our atmosphere with concentrated carbon dioxide. The problem is in finding which option is best in a given situation. My method in analyzing the problem was to explore individual requirement in each case, understanding what it needs, what can be done, when it can be used, etc. By learning which option is best to use, we may develop a more efficient result and a cleaner environment. Unfortunately, there is no clean cut answer to each problem as there are variables to consider, such as reliant climate, sun and wind, environmental protection, and costs. For example, wind generated energy requires a lot of wind. Solar generated energy requires a lot of sun. Placing these options in regions not suited to the particular environment does not make environmental sense.

Some possibilities are being explored now with varying results. Solar generated street signs have been proven too unreliable due to the cost of each solar panel and the unreliability of weather patterns. According to “Solar Powered Signals: Myth or Marvel?” by Coetzee, theft of solar panels was one of the biggest cons for using solar generated street lights. However, there are some good possibilities, such as a US and China solar project to develop the biggest solar farm set for completion in 2019 in the Mongolian Desert with a total of 11,950 megawatts of power. The same US company is also developing three more solar farms, one the Mohave Desert totaling up to be 1,100 megawatts of power.