TOPIC: ENERGY RESOURCE, STORAGE AND USE (SOLAR ENERGY)
Introduction
Solar energy is in innovation state to which new advances are announced for efficiently storing and using the latest technology. The essay consists of advanced technology used in Apple as a 100% renewable source of energy. The barriers, challenges, risks, benefits, and problems of using solar energy are discussed in the essay. The importance, storage, and use of solar energy are provided in detail.
Technology solar energy
A milestone has been considered for designing, storing, and updating the solar energy resources. The cost of solar energy is declining as the technology captures the sunlight and generates power to companies such as Apple and Amazon. The latest developments in solar energy are solar skin design solar-powered roads, wearable solar devices, and solar batteries (Apple, 2019). The energy product for Photovoltaic solar energy is converted from electricity. Photovoltaic system components consist of modules and cells that help to build a system that comprises support structures, electronic parts, and storage of power (Calza, Parmentola & Tutore, 2017). The photovoltaic system offers an intermittent system to which battery storage is essential. A lead-acid battery is usually used to provide in the night, even where there is insufficient sunshine. Therefore the use of virtual storage electricity is highly adopted by companies with power plants such as coal, gas, and oil. Sunlight is the primary source to which solar energy is highly used as a technology breakthrough to reach mainstream status.
The two primary methods of storing solar energy are battery banks and Grid Inter-Tie. The most efficient storage system is a battery bank to which it is efficiently stored with the help of electricity generated by the solar power system. Battery back-ups are essential while engaging in battery solar power storage systems (Staffell et al., 2019). The battery solar power system consists of components such as charge controller, battery bank, system meter, and main DC disconnect. Solar energy is used as a source of green energy to which computing machines can be used with a source of power by 100% renewable energy. There are efforts made by Apple Company to focus on renewable sources of energy for the business case, which helps to reduce the energy cost. The technology sector uses solar power to transform from using electricity to solar energy.
Problem
The cost of technology is a major problem while using solar energy. The storage facility is all over a different concern that needs to be directly focused while considering information technology aspects in storing solar energy power. Solar panels use a material that needs a clean manufacturing environment; this is the most crucial aspect that is difficult to be maintained. Therefore solar panels are expensive and need higher costs to be invested in installing the solar panels. Other issues are experienced while installing the solar panel to which alignment systems tend to be a significant expense for an average company to invest in solar panels. Solar farms are built in desert regions to which installation cost is reduced, but overall expensive transmission lines are the major hurdle to bring the power to a specific area (Min, Fertahi, Bouhai, Naa & Munaaim, 2019). Maintenance cost adds up for a solar panel to which a clean environment is suitable. The efficiency of solar power decreased even when there is dust or fallen debris in solar panels.
Current state of business
Apple Company adopts 100% green energy from Apple Park headquarters with solar roofs to distribution centers. Apple has stated that using green initiatives to which social enterprises and environment policy is addressed for a successful business (Apple. 2019). The adoption of the latest technology is increasing the success criteria that Apple has focused on business objectives. Apple has installed solar energy capacity for on-site and off-site installations in the company. The company has announced that the global facilities that include data centers and retail stores are highly powered with 100 percent solar energy that is a renewable source of energy by 17-megawatt rooftop installments of biogas and fuel cells. Apple is the largest company that uses solar power ahead of Walmart and Amazon (Cardwell, 2016). The business is turning to solar energy as a renewable source to which cost-effective means are considered towards solar capacity and storage. Tech giant Apple is using 400 megawatts of solar power within total installed capacity. A sense of achievement results with the help of reliable solar power that makes the industry investment useful and significant towards climate change. The local opportunities are increased using solar energy with full display and efficiency of solar energy.
Challenges and barriers
The significant problems for any company to adopt a renewable source of energy is accessed with the environmental concern that the company uses. Solar energy has tremendous obstacles to which clean energy transformation is essential for an organization to overcome the obstacle (Fellaou & Bounahmidi, 2017). Smart policy can help to reach ambitious clean energy targets. Another impediment to the commercial sector is the struggle of recovering capital from ownership structure. To overcome the obstacle of growth, it is essential to focus on price sensitivity and consider low price products. Workforce development ensures functions such as standards to accelerate success and incentives provided to the commercial sector.
Social benefits and risks
Solar energy is the advanced technology that is hugely beneficial in terms of reducing electricity bills, diverse applications, technology development, low maintenance costs, and sources of renewable energy. Solar energy is beneficial as it is accessible with the help of sunlight that produces heat and transforms into the energy source (Sivarajan, Manikandan, Rajeshkumar & Reddy, 2019). There is a risk associated with solar energy to which investment is the primary barrier in installing solar panels. Solar energy is dependent on weather conditions. Therefore solar energy cannot work at other times.
Conclusion
Their essay proposed the importance of solar energy as the latest technology used in several companies. The use of solar energy, storage capacity, and components of solar power was discussed in the essay.
References
Apple. (2019). Environmental Responsibility Report. Progress Report, 1-87.
Apple. (2019). Supplier Clean Energy, April 2019 Program Update, 1-5.
Calza, F., Parmentola, A., & Tutore, I. (2017). Types of Green Innovations: Ways of Implementation in a Non-Green Industry. Sustainability, 9, 1-16.
Cardwell, D. (2016, August 23). Apple becomes a green energy supplier, with itself as a customer, Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/24/business/energy-environment/as-energy-use-rises-corporations-turn-to-their-own-green-utility-sources.html
Fellaou, S., & Bounahmidi, T. (2017). Evaluation of energy efficiency opportunities of a typical Moroccan cement plant: Part 1. Energy Analysis, Applied Thermal Engineering, 115, 1161-1172.
Min, H., Fertahi, S., Bouhai, T., Naa, N., & Munaaim, M. (2019). Solar Energy development: Case study in Malaysia and Morocco. International Journal on Emerging Technologies, 10(1), 106-113.
Sivarajan, S., Manikandan, S., Rajeshkumar, T., & Reddy, R. (2019). Recent Analysis of Green Energy Technology (GET) for telecom applications. International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering, 8(4), 1-7.
Staffell, I., Scamman, D., Abad, A., Balcombe, P., Dodds P., Ekins, P., Shah, N., & Ward, K. (2019). The role of hydrogen and fuel cells in the global energy system. Energy and Environmental Science, 2, 1-5.