John Zimmerman

The engineers of todays society are tasked with a handful of

grand challenges, in addition to the respective challenges that each
engineer must face in their professions. These grand challenges are
concerned with the advancement of human civilization as a whole. One
of these grand challenges that the human race will inevitably have to
address is the issue of finding alternative energy sources. In societies
recent past, beginning with the Industrial Revolution, humans have
become too dependent on fossil fuels as the main source for providing
energy. Being reliant on fossil fuels has many drawbacks. The most
prevalent drawback is the pollution that is released into Earths
atmosphere, upon the combustion of these fossil fuels. The emission of
these greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous
oxide, and ozone, are the primary cause of global warming today (Perry
1). In addition to the negative environmental impact, fossil fuels are not
a renewable source of energy. This means that the dissipation of fossil
fuel reserves underground is inevitable. Now more than ever, because
of the growing population and industry, it has become important to
address this issue. One possible solution to this grand challenge is the
advancement of solar energy.
Solar power allows humans to harness the energy emitted from
the Sun by converting it from light energy to usable electricity. Using
thin-film solar cells to create a semiconductor solar panel, which

absorbs light energy and converts it into electricity, completes this

process (Damaschke). Although this concept of harnessing solar energy
has been around for a while, current solar panels are not as effective as
they could be. In fact, even todays most effective solar cells can only
convert just over twenty percent of the Suns rays into electricity
(Damaschke). There are an abundance of positive consequences to
engineering more efficient ways to take advantage of solar energy.
One of the many advantages of transitioning to solar energy is
the fact that it is a renewable resource, unlike fossil fuels. Solar energy
will be available for society to harness as long as the Sun is still alive
and burning, which NASA estimates to be for another six billion years
from now (Shahan). Comparing the lifespan of solar energy to that of
fossil fuels, which is estimated to run out within the next few decades,
really highlights the rewards that come with focusing on engineering
more efficient solar cells. Since the energy from the Sun is so abundant,
solar energy is also sustainable. This means society would be able to
satisfy its energy needs right now, without compromising the ability for
future generations to do the same. It would actually be impossible to
over consume the energy emitted from the Sun (Perry).
The availability of the Suns rays is another advantage of solar
energy. Sunlight is available all around the globe, including countries far
from the equator. In fact, Germany has by far the highest capacity for
solar power in the world (Damaschke). Since every nation has the

opportunity to harness solar power, the advancement of this field could

prove to be crucial. More efficient engineering may be able to produce
solar power in places where the electrical infrastructure would not
normally allow it. This access to cheap electricity would change the
course of history in remote areas that are far from advanced
infrastructure.
By transitioning their dependence from fossil fuels to solar power,
homeowners would actually save a significant amount of money. The
cost of gasoline is usually high, and will continue to climb as fossil fuels
become more and more scarce. The long-term savings produced by the
introduction of solar panels on homes can be impressive. In addition to
long-term savings, homeowners can actually sell surplus electricity
generated to utility companies in order to lower monthly costs directly
(Shahan). The worldwide elevation of solar power would cause
electricity prices to drop dramatically. The cost of electricity would drop
because of the mass availability of solar energy, and due to the fact
that the Suns rays come in contact with Earths surface at all times.
Another important advantage of solar power is that harnessing
the Suns energy produces only minimal pollution. The pollution that
stems from harnessing solar energy comes from the industrial
processes of assembling the solar panels, and the transportation of
these materials (Perry). The significance of this can easily be seen when
contrasted with the overabundance of greenhouse gases that are

produced during the combustion of fossil fuels. Converting energy

dependence to solar power would be a big step towards preventing
further global warming and other environmental issues in the future. It
would be unethical for society to remain dependent on fossil fuels
because of the future implications it would have on human existence.
This is the most important advantage of solar energy when considering
this specific grand challenge that society is faced with today.
The present day solar panels do not contain mechanical parts that
are susceptible to damage and, therefore, require little maintenance.
After installation, current solar panels last for about twenty to twentyfive years before any serious maintenance is required (Damaschke).
The reliability of solar panels would also improve upon focusing more
time and money toward this alternative energy source. The production
of solar energy is also silent. This compares favorably when contrasted
against wind turbines, hydroelectric power, and the combustion of fossil
fuels.
In addition to the positive aspects detailed above, investing in
solar energy would also create jobs at a faster pace than many other
energy sources would. Money invested into solar energy creates around
two to three times more jobs than the same amount of money invested
into coal or natural gas. According to Shahan, fourteen new jobs would
be created for every one million dollars invested into solar energy

(Shahan). It should also be noted that this number is higher than that of
wind energy, coal, and natural gas.
Despite the many advantages of solar energy, there are also
some disadvantages that cannot be overlooked. The primary
disadvantage of solar energy is the fact that the sunlight is only
available during the day, not at night. Solar energy production is also
dependent on clear skies, void of poor weather conditions. In order for a
solar panel to be most effective, it must also be able to rotate with the
movement of the Sun. A storage device is needed for complete
optimization because power is used at all times of the day, not only
during hours of sunlight.
The next biggest downside to solar power is that the electricity
produced must be stored for future use. The most common way to store
this energy is with large batteries, which usually cost a considerable
amount of money. Todays engineers will have to make advancements
in the ways in which solar power can be stored. Some possible ways to
accomplish this could be by using the solar energy to pump water and
receive hydroelectric power, or by using the energy to power the
electrolysis of water molecules into hydrogen (Damaschke). Other
potential mechanisms for storage are capacitors, superconducting
magnets, and flywheels (Damaschke).
The initial cost of installing and implementing solar panels also
requires a significant amount of money. This disadvantage is due to the

exotic materials, which are currently used in solar panels. Solar cells are
made from rare materials such as cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper
indium gallium selenide (CIGS). Residential solar panel systems can end
up costing anywhere from fifteen thousand dollars to upwards of forty
thousand dollars (Perry). Although financial support from the
government is rewarded, this total cost of implementing solar panels is
still expensive.
In conclusion, spending the time to optimize solar energy has
many advantages, as well as disadvantages. It would be unethical for
society to look the other way when addressed with the grand challenge
of finding an acceptable alternative energy source that does not harm
the environment. Engineers and other intellectuals must weigh the
positive and negative consequences of producing solar energy in order
to make the best decision. Engineering advancements in this area are
becoming increasingly important as global warming proceeds, and as
fossil fuel reserves are becoming more and more depleted. It is obvious
that something has to be done to change the narrative for future
generations. Converting dependence away from fossil fuels, and toward
solar energy, could ultimately solve this major problem that society is
faced with today.
Bibliography
Damaschke, Nate. Alternative Energy.
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~dama0023/solar.html. Web. 2009

Perry, William. Grand Challenges for Engineering.

http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/File.aspx?
id=11574&v=ba24e2ed. Web book. Copyright 2008. Accessed
July 26, 2015.
Shahan, Zachary. Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Power.
http://cleantechnica.com/2013/10/08/advantagesdisadvantages-solar-power/. Web. October 8th, 2013.