Science Research Project (Solar Energy)

According to my research about solar energy I recommend that FPL develop more solar energy production facilities and assist individual homeowners in applying solar panels to their homes. My recommendation is based on many factors. One of the major factors for considering solar energy is that Florida is almost always sunny. There are about 8 hours of sunlight for a normal day and it seems logical to harness the sun’s energy for our needs.

When storing solar energy it makes more sense to connect to a utility grid and sell the excess power to a utility company because the batteries that store solar energy are very expensive and large. There is one disadvantage to this system because the power company will not buy the electricity at the same price as they sell it. They do however give people credit towards their electricity bill for the same cost inbound or outbound. This helps when people can also buy electricity when they can’t generate their own power, for example when it is cloudy, rainy, or at night.

The location for solar power production does not have to be big solar farms such as the Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center. Instead there could be five or six solar panels on someone’s house producing electricity that feeds into the local electricity power company’s grid. In Europe this is a reality with individuals producing electricity for themselves and selling the excess electricity to the power company. They do this not only with solar panels but with wind generators as well. We can also have large solar producing plants like the Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center that will meet the energy needs for Florida. All of these facilities can be located inland in almost any part of Florida. Solar farms do not use wat...

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... metal contacts connecting to the solar panels let the current flow into an electrical grid.

To conclude there are many choices for FPL to consider but I think that solar energy is the best choice because of these reasons. Solar energy will serve the consumers for many years to come.

Works Cited http://www.fpl.com/residencial/electric/sunshine_energy.shtml/ http://www.fpl.com/enviroment/solar/martin.shtml/

http://www.fpl.com/enviroment/solar/details.shtml/

http://www.howstuffworks.com/solar-cell.htm/

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/09/solar/

http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate.php?location=USFL0316

http://images.google.com/

http://www.epa.gov/

http://eia.doe.gov/

http://eere.energy.gov

Solar Energy: Renewable Energy and the Environment; Robert Foster; 2009

Selling Solar: The Diffusion of Renewable Energy in Emerging Markets; Damian Miller; 2008