Benjamin Dial

1104 UWRT
3:30-4:45
Professor Connie Douglas

The Voices at The Table

Where does energy come from? What is the worlds biggest energy market? There are a

lot of questions when it comes to talking about energy. What type of energy though? Are we

talking about energy to move an object? Energy to power up a car? One focus of energy that the

world is much focused on today is Solar Energy. Solar energy is used for all sorts of things. It

can give you power to a house, charge up an electric car, etc. There are so many different

opinions and voices that are heard when it comes to sitting at the table and discussing solar

energy, but the three loudest voices heard are the good, the bad, and the community who is

paying and consuming this solar energy. The main question asked frequently is, Will solar

energy become the worlds leading energy source within the next few years?

The voice that most people pay attention to is the voice of criticism. Whether its about

the money it takes to generate solar power or the amount of land it takes up for a solar field and

plant. Though we have some alternative sources, none of them are sufficient and reliable enough

to take the place of the consumption of fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels is the cheapest and

easiest way to produce energy. We are still waiting for technology to come up with a cheaper

way to produce an alternative source. (Bowman Pg. 34) Everyone gives their opinion about solar

energy and most people try to back it up with facts. The most frequent asked question is, How

much will it cost to generate solar fields? Solar fields are said to be expensive and even solar
panels on your house costs a pretty penny, but have you ever looked deep into that. Danette

Porter, a superintendent of the ESS, said that the cost of solar panels put on your house will be

cheaper than paying a light bill in the long run. The voice of criticism runs deep into the

questioning of solar energy. Criticism about solar energy is probably the biggest voice heard

around the world., quoted Connie Warren, administrative assistant in the office of DSI. (Porter

and Warren)

The voice of the goods of solar energy are well respected and have a lot of research and

proof to back themselves up. The Earth receives around 1.9106 EJ of energy in visible light

each year and only a fraction of this light energy is being converted to biomass (chemical

energy) via the process of photosynthesis. Out of all photosynthetic organisms, microalgae, due

to their fast growth rates, have been identified as potential source of raw material for chemical

energy production. Solar panels have also been used worldwide for electrical energy production.

(Moheimani Pg. 53) Ms. Porter talks about how solar panels can generate energy in the dead of

night through hydroelectricity. That solves a big answer that a lot of people always asked. She

also talks about how installing solar panels to power up your house will be cheaper than always

paying a light bill for the rest of your life. Porter quotes that after five to ten years, you can be

paid off the price of the solar panels and installation fees and guaranteed by some companies for

your panels to work for at least 15 years. She also says that if you do have problems with your

solar panels the maintenance is free for up to 15 years. Solar energy is very reliable and can even

give you power when all the other power goes out. That means no more power outages and no

more blackouts. Solar energy is also a renewable source and we will never run out of it. That is

something that the leading energy source (fossil fuels) will end up doing.(Porter)
 One voice that is loud but hardly heard is the voice of the community. The community is

who must suffer the loss of land due to solar fields that are a minimum of forty acres. Most

farmers in the east are selling their land to solar companies. (Dial) Farmers can get power from

the company and get paid by the company. After 20 years, the solar company gives the field back

to the farmers who can then sell the solar panels or keep using them. One person from the

community of Maxton, NC, Rocky Locklear, said that solar panels are the worst thing thats ever

happened in the country because of the loss of farm land. Another person from the same

community, Oral Dial, stated that solar panels may be the beginning of a new era for the world.

Mr. Dial is the owner of a small construction business and he says that solar panels may open

many doors for all the small business owners around the area. (Dial and Locklear)

In conclusion, Solar Energy is on its way to becoming the worlds leading energy source.

In most cases the good out ways the bad and that is proven to not be the case here. It is a constant

war between the people at the table and what should happen. One thing that most people think is

that solar energy is just now becoming a thing, but theyre wrong. Solar energy has been around

for a very long time but it is just now reaching the eastern part of the United States. Some

countries have already switched over to the use of solar energy as the main source of power. In

the end, all the voices that have spoken at the table have all been heard and evaluated by the

leaders of the world. So, there is an answer for the main question. Will solar energy become the

worlds leading energy source within the next few years? It wont be long before solar energy

surpasses fossil fuels and becomes the dominating energy source based on the research and the

facts that have been stated and proven about solar energy.
Works Cited Page

Dial, Oral. Personal interview. 27 March 2017. (General Contractor and owner of Orals

Construction Company)

Locklear. Rocky. Personal interview. 27 March 2017. (On-job Supervisor for Orals Construction

Company)

Moheimani, Navid R, and David Parlevliet. "Sustainable Solar Energy Conversion to Chemical

and Electrical Energy." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 27 (2013): 494-504.

Print

Porter, Danette. Personal interview. 28 March 2017. (Superintendent for Evergreen Solar

Services)

Warren, Connie. Personal interview. 28 March 2017. (Administrative Assistant for Directional

Services Incorporated)

Bowman, Jeffrey, and Marcus Griswold. "Counterpoint: Alternative Energy WonT Solve All

The Demands Of World Energy Consumption." Points Of View: Alternative Energy

Exploration (2016): 3. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 15 Feb. 2017.

(Interviewed D. Porter and C. Warren together.)

(Interviewed O. Dial and R. Locklear together.)