Summary Reader Response Draft 3

In the article, “What are Solar Light Panels and how do they work” from Economic Times, Team ProductLine (2019) discussed that solar light panels are utilized for residential and commercial lighting. Photovoltaic (PV) modules, encompassing high-quality crystalline silicon solar cells, are used to create solar light panels. With these PV cells, light energy from the sun can be transformed into electrical energy to be utilized or stored. In terms of features, solar light panels are extremely durable and will only degrade gradually. According to the article, the adequacy of these panels decreases by just 2% or less after one full year. Moreover, not only do solar panels reduce the dependability on conventional power sources and fossil fuels, but they also do not produce deleterious greenhouse gases. PV cells come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can range in length from a few millimetres to several inches. These cells are combined to create PV modules that can be up to a “few feet wide and several feet long” as stated in the article (What are Solar Light Panels, p. 7, 2019). The article states the various applications of solar light panels. They can be fixed into homes to reduce the cost of electricity and decrease the effects of global warming. In the present day, they are used to power most traffic signs and streetlights and in devices such as calculators and flashlights.

Solar energy can potentially play a consequential role as one of the future’s essential sources of energy for homes, streetlights, and devices. They can become the main source of energy without harming or affecting the environment.

Solar panels are installed in homes to provide electricity. According to Gomes (2022), switching to a solar power source could be beneficial for homeowners in the long run. Not only will electricity bills be reduced, but the emission of greenhouse gases will also decline. The production of electricity from the panels derives from the semiconductor materials used, which can convert sunlight instantly into electricity. Since these panels come in numerous shapes and sizes, they can be installed on home rooftops (Woodhouse et al., 2021). Having solar panels mounted on rooftops is the most effective way as they are the most likely to be exposed to sunlight. In a blackout, electricity from the solar panels could still be generated throughout the house (Faundo, 2022). As far as electricity bills go, Sembcorp (2022) reported that a landed property in Singapore using solar light panels can save electricity costs up to SGD 60,000 after 25 years.

Another common way to implement the use of solar panel systems is in street lighting. Solar-powered streetlights can constructively “light the streets from dusk to dawn” (Bria Homes Promotes Renewable Energy, p. 5, 2022) as they store as much energy from the sun throughout the day. Rosales (2022) claims that using solar power had been the most environmentally friendly method of lighting up streets, roads, and facility buildings. Modern streetlights using solar panels are also reported to be waterproof and weatherproof, allowing them to overcome different obstacles while remaining functional. Solar panels installed on streetlights would mostly require sunlight and would not produce any harmful gases.

Solar energy also plays a vital part in our daily lives, as it can be found in many of our devices. Apart from solar panels being installed in homes and streetlights, they can also be used in the devices we possess. One of the devices that use tiny solar cells is the calculator. Solar-powered calculators were invented and used since the 1960s (Freedom Solar, 2023). These calculators have scaled-down solar cells fixed onto them, hence using solar energy from the sun to power them. An alternative use of solar energy is in watches. Solar-powered watches are long-lasting as they do not require users to constantly change their batteries. In the present day, solar watches are “becoming increasingly popular” (Freedom Solar, 2023). The use of solar energy in such devices could be environmentally friendly as they reduce the waste of other resources such as batteries.

Despite solar light panels having many applications, there is a major reason they are not implemented as much as they should be. That very reason happens to be the excessive cost of solar panels. According to Solar AI Technologies (2022), the estimated price to install solar panels for a terrace house would be SGD 18,000, while the price for a bungalow would be SGD 36,000. On the bright side, researchers have been devising “new technological advancements” (Zafar, p. 1, 2022) to drive the dependence on solar energy, by reducing the costs of solar panels.

In conclusion, solar light panels can be used efficiently for various applications while being environmentally sound. Apart from making use of solar energy in homes and for streetlights, it can also be used for devices such as calculators and watches. Although there could be a high price to pay for installing solar panels, the countless benefits of using solar energy outweigh the drawbacks.  Ultimately, this innovation has been improving in terms of efficiency and cost and could possibly take over as one of our main sources of energy for the applications mentioned above.

References

Bolt, O. (2022, December 19) 5 Best Solar Powered Calculators. https://energytheory.com/best-solar-powered-calculators/

Bria Homes. (2022) Bria Homes promotes renewable energy through solar-powered street lights in its communities nationwide. https://www.bria.com.ph/articles/bria-homes-promotes-renewable-energy-through-solar-powered-street-lights-in-its-communities-nationwide/

Faundo, Y. (2022) Benefits of Using Solar Powered Lights. https://www.bria.com.ph/articles/benefits-of-using-solar-powered-lights/

Freedom Solar. (2023, January) 39 Uses of Solar Energy. https://freedomsolarpower.com/blog/39-uses-of-solar-energy

Gomes, C. (2022, January) Solar panels to power your home? Here’s what you need to know. https://www.dbs.com/livemore/home-tips/solar-panels-for-home-what-you-need-to-know.html

National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (2021, October). Research and Development Priorities to Advance Solar Photovoltaic Lifecycle Costs and Performance. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy22osti/80505.pdf

Zafar, S. (2022, August) The Bright Future of Solar Lighting. https://www.bioenergyconsult.com/future-of-solar-lights/