Renewable Energy: Solar Power

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Renewable energy is energy that can be used over and over again. It never runs out. It is also better for the environment. I think that renewable energy is definitely an option for South Africa in the near future. There are many different forms of renewable energy and I’ll talk about the forms of renewable energy which would be most suited in South Africa. Solar Power would probably be the most successful form of renewable energy in South Africa. The reason why I say this is because South Africa is a country that has a reputation for sunny weather. This fact is true as South Africa is the 5th sunniest country in the world1. There are various different ways in harvesting the sun rays to convert it into electricity. The most successful way of harvesting the energy for only your household would probably be the Solar Water Heating method. The way it works is it uses the heat from the sun to heat a liquid inside the cylinders. The liquid then turns into a gas which supplies power to the generator which creates electricity. The Solar Water Heating method is more successful than the photovoltaic method because the photovoltaic method converts the light directly into electricity. This means that the photovoltaic method cannot store the electricity and is only able to function when there is sunlight2. So for the Solar Water Heating method if it was an overcast, rainy day, you would probably still have enough electricity to power all the essential requirements as the electricity would’ve been stored. A solar water heating system costs about R20000 so the cost is initially high but in the long term it is very efficient as your electricity supply is free. The government could also consider investing in a solar furnace. It is a massive collect... ... middle of paper ... ...vest the lightning strikes into electricity in the near future. In conclusion, I believe that we should still continue to use the remainder of fossil fuels available but the governments all across the globe should start considering the use of renewable energy only. We could possibly store the fossil fuels and use it as back up because not all forms of renewable energy are completely reliable. But having said that, we should also learn how to conserve our energy and do small things such as turning off your light when you walk out of your room. Even if the government doesn’t start considering renewable energy soon, nothing’s stopping you from investing in your own solar geyser or trying to get involved by promoting this recent form of energy. It is good for you as you save money and good for the Earth’s future as it reduces the emissions in the Earth’s atmosphere.

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