Increasing Reliability of Solar Energy to Help The Environment
Kalden Tenzin, Dante Blair, Dylan Greenstein, Niaj Rahman
City College of New York
Summary
Fossil fuels are a resource that is used to produce energy for our everyday life. Resources such as coal, oil, and natural gas. They can be used to generate heat and electricity. But these are only non-renewable resources that will only last for so long and are destroying the environment since we are burning them. So, an alternative that we thought of is to use solar energy. Solar energy provides a clean and renewable source of energy from that sun and does not harm the environment. The average price to buy solar panels in the United States can range from $17,760 to $23,828 according to an article on Energysage. In this report, the benefits that solar energy has over fossil fuels will be explained and ways to improve on solar energy devices so that it can always be generating energy during the night or in harsh weather conditions will be shown. We will propose improvements to the solar battery to make it more effective for everyday use which in turn would help increase the reliability of the solar panel.
Author Note
This paper was prepared for ENGL 21007 taught by Professor Susan Delemare
Table of Contents
- Introduction………………………………………………………………………………p.3
- Objectives…………………………………………………….………………………….p.5
- Preliminary Literature Review……………………………………………………….. ..p.5
- Technical Description of Innovation………………………………………………..…. p.8
- Budget ……………………………………………………………………….……….. p.10
- References ……………………………………………………………………………..p.12
- Appendix……………………………………………………………………….………p.15
List of Figures
Fig. 1 Environmental Damage…………………………………………………….….…p.4
Fig. 2 Diagram of Solar Panel…………………………………………….………………p.7
Fig. 3 Diagram of Off Grid Solar Panel System……………….…………..….………….p.9
List of Tables
Table 1 Group Task Schedule……………………………………………………………….p.15
Introduction
Some of the basic facts that are surrounding our research area is that non-renewable resources tend to cause increased damage to our ecosystem. For instance, non-renewable resources of four major types are considered as oil, gas, coal and nuclear energy. These resources when used cause greenhouse gas emissions, oil spills, air, water and land pollution (fig. 1). Also, this is a resource that cannot be easily replaced by natural minerals and is becoming more scarce as time passes. We believe that renewable resources are a better alternative instead of these non-renewable resources. Some of the many benefits for this substitution could be a diversity in options for energy supplies and reduced independence on a resource that is short in supply. In addition to this if we substitute for renewable energy we can see that the energy will never run out. For instance, we plan on using solar panels which get their energy from the sun. So the sun is something that is out there for a majority of our waking day and is easily accessible. If we incorporate solar panels and store batteries properly, we can have energy 24/7. We can also see that renewable resources are cost friendly. Research shows that, in the long-run, renewable energy is more cost effective than non-renewable as the only expensive investment made is buying the solar energy device (Wales, 2018). Furthermore, we wouldn’t have to keep spending money on replenishing non-renewable resources. We would have the sun providing us energy constantly. There is no cost to bring the sun up as it consistently appears throughout our day in normal conditions.
Fig. 1 Environmental Damage from Harmful Effects of Non-Renewable Resources on the Environment by Greentumble. Retrieved from
In addition to those multiple pros to renewable resources we can also say that renewable resources have multiple health benefits. (Non-Renewable Energy Types. Arkansas Advanced Energy Systems) Some of these many health benefits not only personally but to the society as well would be that there wouldn’t be much of a spread of pollution. If factories were to use solar panels to function, there would be less pollution in the air as well. Not only just factories, if cars stopped using oil and gas to run and they switched over to renewable resources such as solar energy. There wouldn’t be so much pollution in the air at all. To add on, think about a state like New York, where there are many cars that are travelling from point A to point B. We see how on the highways these cars are producing many amounts of gas and pollution throughout the air. This all could be stopped if we just moved to renewable resources. In addition these fossil fuels that we are using as a source of energy took millions of years to form. So as soon as we use these fossil fuels it will be impossible to replace.
We plan to look out for the community and the world as a whole. We believe that replacing non renewable energy to renewable energy will be the greatest accomplishment. Not only will we be helping the world financially, we will also be saving lives in the process. Cases of asthma will decrease and all sorts of health benefits will be found with the substitution of renewable energy. We believe that industries should take a look into this matter because they will easily save loads of money and still produce tons of goods at the same time. If they switch to solar panels they will be able to produce infinite amounts of good because the sun is always out everyday. At the same time they will save money because they wouldn’t need to replace the non renewable resources all the time. It is also a hassle to just go out and find coal and keep replacing it all the time. It isn’t worth the time nor the effort. Solar panels and renewable resources will just make the lives of the industry and civilization easier.
Objectives
For our group project, we wanted to find a better way for everyone that uses solar batteries, to use them more efficiently and effectively than they already are. As we all know, solar panels are heavily reliant on obtaining their energy from the sun. This is a problem because of the fact that the sun is not always easily available for our use, thereby not maximizing our total energy intake. To solve this issue, solar batteries are used to store energy that is not currently being used for later times of need. However, even this mechanism has its flaws. Our main goal is to find methods that would improve the solar batteries which will in turn, help the solar panels. Our plan is to replace the common materials used to make solar batteries, lithium ion, with something that can potentially be both more efficient and cost friendly. This will require us to do a lot of research as well as discuss what we have learned and thought about. Our final result will be a way for solar batteries to last much longer, cost less, and be more efficient.
Preliminary Literature Review
There have been a variety of problems that non renewable resources have displayed. To begin, it is a scarce resource that would eventually disappear, and our high dependence on it for everyday life poses an even greater threat as the eventual disappearance will make adapting for the future unsustainable. In a case study for the consumption, economic growth, and emissions of nonrenewable and renewable energies, it was found that policies which promote the use of renewable energy caused great economic benefits while an increase in non-renewable energy consumption caused a significant increase in the level of emissions leading to negative effects (Thai-Ha, 2020). The author concluded that “renewable energy contributed greatly to environmental protection in developed countries”, however non developed countries had not displayed the same sized benefits as the author believes that their policies did not allow for full utilization of such energy (Thai-Ha, 2020 p.16).
Taking this into consideration, solar energy, a renewable resource, has seen an increase in options for everyday energy. In order to harvest solar energy, solar panels were created as an easy to access device that can be applied to one’s own house. In addition, as time passes the cost for solar panels only lowers. From 2016 to 2017 alone, the cost dropped nine percent, making it convenient for more families and businesses to lean towards (Hoen et al., 2021). Furthermore, the panels can endure pretty harsh weather conditions and have a long lifespan making it more favorable as a future investment.
Although solar energy is a beneficial replacement to non-renewable resources, the downsides to using solar panels for harvesting this energy is noticeable. For starters, solar panels can only harvest solar energy through the use of photons, a particle of light, that remove electrons from atoms to generate a flow of electricity (Dhar, 2017). The figure below shows a detailed representation of how solar panels interact with the sun (fig. 2). This means that any weather conditions that affect sunlight such as clouds or snow would reduce the amount of electricity generated.
Fig. 2 Diagram of Solar Panel from Solar Panels Explained by Value Walk. Retrieved from https://www.valuewalk.com/2017/02/solar-panels-explained/
To attack this problem, researchers have discussed the use of energy storage materials for solar energy. According to the solar company, Instyle Solar, the ability of storing energy can allow for future use of solar energy in unfavorable environments, solving the problem of weather conditions (2018). Coupled with a statement by the solar company, EnergySage, solar batteries that are most commonly used are made up of one of the three chemical compositions, being either lead acid, lithium-ion, or saltwater (2021). Lead acid is the cheapest, which in turn has the shortest lifespan and is most useful to buyers that want a multitude of energy storages (2021). Lithium-ion is the most used chemical composition for solar batteries and even though it’s more expensive than lead acid, it has a longer lifespan and is more compact making it reliable for homes (2021). Saltwater is the newest type of battery, which uses the electrolytes found in saltwater making it easily recyclable; however, because it’s new its potential is not yet explored fully (2021).
These solar batteries are the key to the future use of solar panels as its efficiency improves as time passes. In a case study that discusses the use of energy storage material going onwards, they state that “newly developed materials for all storage systems are being researched and tested” (Ali et al., 2021 p.15). Furthermore, these materials would offer better storage capacity and boost in performance, making solar energy a contender in global demands for energy (Ali et al., 2021 p.15). However, even with this bright outlook on solar panels, the battery’s development contains a problem that hinders its full utilization to the buyers, which is its high cost. We propose that instead of using the common choice, lithium-ion, to create solar batteries, we instead use a currently trending material known as sodium ion. Lithium-ion, similarly to non renewable resources, is a scarce material that is heavily relied upon for billions of electronics. The substitution towards sodium ion will not only decrease the cost of solar batteries because it’s high in supply, but also has the potential to be just as, if not more, powerful in energy production and storage. According to Washington State University (WSU), researchers have created a sodium-ion battery that holds as much energy and works as well as some lithium-ion batteries showing the potential that sodium-ion holds as an abundant and cheap material (Abraham, 2020). Furthermore, research groups from Dresden, Stuttgart, and Moscow looked into multilayer storages for sodium ion using supercomputer simulations which resulted in possibilities into achieving a significantly higher storage capacity compared to lithium ion (Welle, 2020)
Technical Description of Innovation
The model we will use is a diagram for an off grid solar power system (Fig. 3). The diagram provides seven essential parts for a solar power system including pv array, charge controller, battery pack, inverter, battery charger, automatic transfer switch, and generator.
Fig. 3 Diagram of an off grid solar power system from Off Grid Solar Power Systems by Electricity Forum. Retrieved from https://www.electricityforum.com/solar-power/off-grid-solar-power-systems
Fig. 3A – The photovoltaic (PV) array is made up of multiple interconnected PV cells which convert solar energy into electricity.
Fig. 3B – The charge controller is a voltage regulator to keep batteries from overcharging.
Fig. 3C – The battery pack is usually made up of multiple lithium-ion cells connected to form a single battery.
Fig. 3D – The inverter is an energy converter that is dependent on what energy is converting into another. In this case stored DC energy is converted into AC energy, which is a type of energy used for houses.
Fig. 3E – The battery charger as the name implies puts energy into rechargeable battery by forcing an electric current through it
Fig. 3F – The automatic transfer switch connects your generator into your home. When it detects power outages, it switches your home to generator power. When the power is back, it switches generator power to utility power.
Fig. 3G – The generator is a device that stores backup power to your house in times of need.
To improve this system, we proposed to use different material batteries instead of the normally used lithium-ion cells (Fig. 4C). If we adapt the solar power system into using sodium ion battery cells, it will increase the storage capacity of solar energy, lower the costs of investing in the solar battery and have a more efficient production of energy. Overall, this will increase the reliability of solar energy making long term investments worth the wait. This will eventually lead to less dependence on environmentally damaging resources such as coal, oil, and natural gas.
Budget
According to Energysage’s article on solar panels, the cost of solar panels has been falling with time. The current cost of solar panels in New York on average can cost from $16,308 to $21,060 for a 6-kilowatt system and $27,300 to $35,100 for a 10-kilowatt system, costing $3.12 per watt. The price of solar panels has been pushing people away from buying a solar panel system but with the cost lowering, we believe more people will be interested in them. For the solar panel batteries that will help the system perform better there are two different battery types we are looking at, the lithium-ion batteries and sodium ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries have a higher energy capacity than sodium ion batteries. But sodium ion batteries have better use for renewable energy applications like energy storage for homes or backup power for a data center. Sodium ion batteries are cheap and easy to make. It is a lot easier to obtain sodium than lithium. Sodium ion batteries are safer to use than lithium batteries. According to Power Technology, the material costs are $30/kg for lithium batteries, and $10/kg for sodium salt, so the cost per kW/h for the lithium cell is around $48/kWh, and for material in the sodium cell is $35/kWh. So with our innovation the use of sodium batteries will be cost efficient for customers and more reliable with energy.
References
-Thai-Ha Le, Youngho Chang, & Donghyun Park. (2020). Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy Consumption, Economic Growth, and Emissions: International Evidence. Energy Journal, 41(2), 73–92. https://doi-org.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/10.5547/01956574.41.2.thle
-Ali, D., Kaya, M. F., & Şendoğdular, L. (2021). Today, Tomorrow, and the Future of Energy Storage Materials for Solar Energy. Engineer & the Machinery Magazine, 62(702), 70–90. https://doi-org.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/10.46399/muhendismakina.797433
-Wales, M. (2018, November 1). The Cost of Renewable Energy Versus Fossil Fuels. Nature’s Path. https://www.naturespath.com/en-us/blog/cost-renewable-energy-versus-fossil-fuels/#:~:text=New%20research%20shows%20that%2C%20in,least%20expensive%20energy%20generating%20sources.
-Dhar, M. (2017, December 6). How Do Solar Panels Work? LiveScience. https://www.livescience.com/41995-how-do-solar-panels-work.html#:~:text=Simply%20put%2C%20a%20solar%20panel,smaller%20units%20called%20photovoltaic%20cells.&text=This%20all%20adds%20up%20to,junction%20between%20the%20silicon%20layers.
–How to choose the best battery for a solar energy system. EnergySage. (2021, Apr 14). https://www.energysage.com/solar/solar-energy-storage/what-are-the-best-batteries-for-solar-panels/.
–Pros and cons of installing a solar battery – do you need one? Instyle Solar. (2018, May 3). https://instylesolar.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-installing-a-solar-battery/.
-Abraham, K. M. (2020). How Comparable Are Sodium-Ion Batteries to Lithium-Ion Counterparts? ACS Energy Letters, 5(11), 3544–3547. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.0c02181
-Welle, D. W. (2020, August 27). The batteries of the future: Sodium instead of lithium: DW: 27.08.2020. DW.COM. https://www.dw.com/en/the-batteries-of-the-future-sodium-instead-of-lithium/a-54707542.
–Environmental Damage [Image]. Effects of Non-Renewable Resources on the Environment. Greentumble (2020, December 5). Greentumble. https://greentumble.com/harmful-effects-of-non-renewable-resources-on-the-environment/.
– Diagram of Solar Panel [Image]. Animation: How Solar Panels Work – An Interesting Intergraphic(2020, February 2). ValueWalk. https://www.valuewalk.com/2017/02/solar-panels-explained/.
-Diagram of an off grid solar power system [Image]. Off Grid Solar Power Systems (n.d.). The Electricity Forum Copyright 2021. https://www.electricityforum.com/solar-power/off-grid-solar-power-systems.
-Patel, P. (2021, March 10). Pick off Large-Scale Lithium-Ion Applications. IEEE Spectrum: Technology, Engineering, and Science News. https://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/batteries-storage/sodium-ion-batteries-poised-to-pick-off-large-scale-lithium-applications.
-Matasci, S. (2021, May 12). Cost of Solar Panels: 2021 Pricing Guide: EnergySage. Solar News. https://news.energysage.com/how-much-does-the-average-solar-panel-installation-cost-in-the-u-s/.
-Are sodium-ion batteries worth their salt? Power Technology. (2018, May 21). https://www.power-technology.com/features/sodium-ion-batteries-worth-salt/.
Appendix A – Task Schedule
Table 1 Group Task Schedule
The task schedule provided assists in keeping track of the amount of time spent on each consecutive section throughout the project. The schedule implies that the project will take approximately one year to complete if everything proceeds smoothly. The most difficult section of the schedule would be the feasibility analysis as sodium ion is an up and coming topic for battery materials.
