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David Wiles Professor Miner ENGL 2010 4/23/2014 The Change to Solar Energy conservation has become one of the greatest necessities in the United States. In modern society it is common to see Americans being instructed to turn lights off upon leaving a room, to never leave refrigerators open, and to turn outside-lights off when all who dwell in the home are safely in bed. It is said that, The U.S.s move toward greater energy self-sufficiency is an important catalyst for economic growth, security and currency stability (siemens.com). The intensity of air pollution in the US due to excessive energy consumption is becoming more severe by the day, which is why the United States government has decided that the solution for energy conservation was to develop and mass produce a more efficient light bulb known as the Compact Fluorescent. Although the term energy efficient is part of the title of the new bulb invention, the solution to this issue can be found through another means, which is by focusing on the sun. The fossil fuel that is used to produce such large amounts of energy sufficient enough to power the nation is the reason for the concern of energy consumption. Although the fuel supply is large and the nation could very well continue to use this as a direct source for energy, the more America uses, the more the air becomes polluted (greenenergychoice.com). It was discovered that more than 3.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide is

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pumped into the air every year, and the numbers are increasing every time the amount is measured (greenenergychoice.com). According to statistical research, electricity consumption in America is more severe than all countries except for Canada. (Shrinkthatfootprint.com). These studies have also shown that energy consumption rates are increasing every year, which will result in a consitent, annual increase in nuclear power consumption and a dangerous increase in air pollution. The U.S government has been seeking ways to help Americans reduce the amount of energy being used within in each home, and came up with the invention of a newer, more efficient light bulb in hopes that the nation will finally begin its energy saving journey.American engineers, however, are stating that lighting is but a portion of the solution to the issue. There are numerous things that drive these differences, including wealth, physical house size, appliance standards, electricity prices and access to alternative cooking, heating and cooling fuels (shrinkthatfootprint.com). In other words, the bigger the house, the bigger the air conditioner will be, and depending on which state a person lives in, even a smaller house can have outrageously high electricity costs. Although the CFL bulb was created to be the solution to reducing the billions of tons of airborne pollution, engineers and scientists have found that the new bulb contains about 5mg of mercury, which is a heavy metal known to cause severe conditions to the human body such as

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kidney failure, cancer, and heart disease, which may not be the best choice for in-home or business lighting (Salthammer, T). The dangers of breaking a box full of light bulbs can be compared to those that result from excessive air pollution, which has led to an invention that captures the sun. In 1839, the invention of the solar panel erupted when a man by the name of Alexandre Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect, which explains how electricity can be generated from sunlight and was able to be improved when another engineer, Russell Ohl, invented the solar cell (Energymatters.com). These solar photovoltaic panels are able to produce energy without producing wastes and air pollutions. Light (photons) striking certain compounds, in particular metals, causes the surface of the material to emit electrons. Light striking other compounds causes the material to accept electrons. It is the combination of these two compounds that can be made use of to cause electrons to flow through a conductor, and thereby create electricity. Each system has the capability to store certain amounts of energy for use in the evening. This phenomenon is called the photo-electric effect. Photovoltaic means sunlight converted into a flow of electrons (electricity) (Energymatters.com). Over the years, large solar panels have been built in vast groups along highways in Arizona, and other rural desert areas in order to help provide clean energy to entire cities. The idea of connecting these panels to individual homes has begun to arise. The greatest concern at this point in time appears to be the cost.

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As a loan officer for a financial institution (EnerBank USA) I have discovered that the average solar panel system can cost anywhere between $10,000 and $55,000 depending on the company being hired to do the work, the quality of each panel, the size of the home where the work is being performed, and the state in which the business or residential home is located. For many Americans, the price for solar panels can be too great. However, there are currently some incentives for those who can. The federal government has offered tax credits for up to 30% of the cost for the solar panel system that one purchases, there are home improvement loans that have reasonable interest rates (between 2% and 6%), and can have terms of up to 12 years. The monthly payments on these loans are usually less than the average electricity bill through the local electric company. There are also some companies that have developed a supply of rental panels, which would allow an individual to sign a long-term contract that could last up to 20 years. Owning the panels would be most beneficial for the homeowner, but renting panels would prove to be more cost-effective than paying the usual electric bill every month. There are some universities already considering the complete switch to solar energy as well. The University of Utah recently had multiple solar panels installed on some of the campus buildings, and has presented a program called the U Solar Program, which was developed to promote the use of solar panels and help residents in the state of Utah to more easily afford solar panel systems for their homes. The program offers the participant up to 25% in credits towards the installation of solar continuing to do so (2014) (ODonoghue, ODonoghue also interview with some of panels, and will be until the first of October Amy). The reporter, shares part of her the staff members

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within the University of Utah in her article. While interviewing Myron Wilson, director of the Us Sustainability Resource Center, he stated that, This program makes it easier and more affordable for people to power their homes with solar energy, and both installers went through a rigorous selection process, considering quality and price a process that some homeowners may not have the time or expertise to conduct (ODonoghue, Amy). The cost of a solar panel system can also prove to be easier to maintain for companies instead of working with large scale power lines throughout each city. A useful characteristic of solar photovoltaic power generation is that it can be installed on any scale as opposed to conventional forms of power generation which require large scale plant and maintenance. Solar panels can be installed to generate power where it is needed, which removes the need to transport and distribute power over long distances to remote areas (energymatters.com). In other words, when a storm hits and manages to destroy power lines, those who have a direct source of power by means of a solar panel system will still have power. Another concern with extensive air pollution is how much Americans are paying in health care expenses due to exposure to the affected climates. Government researchers have discovered that the health costs of human exposure to outdoor air pollutants range from $40 to $50 billion, an estimated 50,000 to 120,000 premature deaths are associated with exposure to air pollutants, and people with asthma experience more than 100 million days of restricted activity, and costs for asthma exceed $4 billion. If all cities, with the help of local universities, financial institutions, and federal government tax credits, were to attempt the act of completely going solar, the billions of tons of air pollutants being produced each year would potentially be reduced to thousands of tons or less. This would not only improve the health of the American people, it would also help the crops that are grown nationwide. The pollution currently in the air is ruining

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$6 billion dollars-worth of crop each year, which means our crops and food supply would sky rocket if pollution was to be reduced by the billions of tons through the use of solar panels (cleanerandgreener.org). The nuclear power plants could eventually be closed down, and those who are working within those hazardous environments would then be able to find employment that proves to be less dangerous, for example, joining the solar companies as maintenance workers for the solar systems, as well as the installation of new solar panels on homes. The benefits of going solar, will continue to prove most effective in resolving the excessive energy consumption issue that Americans face in todays extremely polluted world. The government will be able to say at the end of the day a greater change was made, officials will return the right amongst Americans that allows for freedom of choice in which light bulb to use, and the life-span of most, if not all, American individuals will be prolonged.

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Works Cited Air Pollution, lceanerandgreener.org. Leonardo Academy Program. Web. Apr. 2014. Fossil Fuels: How do They Negatively Affect the Environment?Greenenergychoice.com. Web. Apr. 23, 2014. ODonoghue, Amy: U. First University to Launch Community Solar Program. Ksl.com. Deseretdigitalmedia. Apr.22, 2014. Web. Apr. 23, 2014. Salthammer, T., et al. "Estimating Human Indoor Exposure To Elemental Mercury From Broken Compact Fluorescent Lamps (Cfls)." Indoor Air 22.4 (2012): 289-298. Academic Search Solar Panel Brief History and Overview. Energymatters.com. Platinum Partner. Web. Apr. 23, 2014. Sustainable Energy in the U.S. usa.siemens.com. Siemens Corp. Web. Apr. 23, 2014. Wilson, Lindsay: Average Household Electric Use Around the World. Sinkthatfootprint.com. Shrinkthatfoot LTD. Web. Apr. 23, 2014

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