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U.S. Energy Policy & Solar Energy   Term Paper ID:27992 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Reviews the potentialities of solar energy as an alternative fuel. Discusses the need for federal funding into research & development of the relevant technologies.... More...

10 Pages / 2250 Words 8 sources, 17 Citations, APA Format $40.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: Reviews the potentialities of solar energy as an alternative fuel. Discusses the need for federal funding into research & development of the relevant technologies. Paper Introduction: U.S. energy policy is a matter of ongoing concern. Our society makes use of massive amounts of energy of various types, and the need for energy is growing. Energy policy is tied to a number of other policies, from the economic to foreign affairs. The costs of energy have an impact on every aspect of society, and energy policy relates to foreign affairs in that the dependence of America on foreign energy sources creates a situation whereby the nation can be held hostage to the whims of external powers. In such an atmosphere, more and more concern has been raised that the United States discover a source of renewable energy, something that will not be depleted as will fossil fuels, something that is cleaner and safer for the environment than are fossil fuels, and something that is still economically viable, producing sufficient energy at a cost compa Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Most countries thenfollowed a policy of contractionary policies in order to counter inflationand expansionary policies aimed at stimulating output and reducingunemployment. The authors note, though, that forboth developed and developing countries, current oil dependence is lesstroubling than the tremendous momentum toward increased dependence (1 -12). Second, henotes that the national energy condition requires immediate remedialaction. New York: The H.W. Renewable energy has been suggested as a source to be considered inany policy development, and renewable energy means solar energy and relatedenergy sources that rely on the sun. The argument against government subsidization for solar energy mightcould begin with the belief that solar energy will never prove economicallyfeasible and therefore should not be pursued. energy policy is a matter of ongoing concern. Emmaus, Pennsylvania: Rodale Press, 1985.Oatman, Eric F. U.S. and Edward N. Hydroelectricitysources already provide 14 to 15 percent of U.S. . Third, energy management will affect all sectors of U.S. Government involvement can assure that the developmentof solar energy takes place in a way that benefits all citizens and thatwill serve the energy needs of the entire nation. Photovoltaic devices are used for solar energy in certain situationssuch as for the space program. The costs of energy have an impact on everyaspect of society, and energy policy relates to foreign affairs in that thedependence of America on foreign energy sources creates a situation wherebythe nation can be held hostage to the whims of external powers. government to subsidize such research for thelong-term benefit of all. did subsidizesolar energy, and how good would be the return on such an investment?SOLAR ENERGY One of the great unknowns in American energy policy remains the extentto which solar energy in its various forms will contribute to the nation'senergy supply in the future. Energy Vulnerability and National Security. Foreign policy has already been much affected by oil crisis after oilcrisis, and our ability to escape from this cycle is something to be soughtafter assiduously. Adistributed system involves the use of parabolic troughs and dishes inwhich the reflector and mirror and receiver are all contained in one unit.The parabolic trough focuses sunlight onto a tube-shaped receiver runningthe length of the trough, and the parabolic dish directs light onto areceiver or combination receiver and Stirling engine mounted above thedish. Industries have built thousands of new plants relying on oil andnatural gas, and consumers started to use oil and natural gas to cook.electrical use worldwide has also increased greatly. Energy policy is tied to a number of other policies, from theeconomic to foreign affairs. Consumer Guide to Solar Energy. Clearly, alternatives are needed, and the ability to find alternativeswill be an important political and foreign policy matter in the comingdecades. What would happen if the U.S. Windpower is being developed in New York and New England.Cumulated production of photovoltaic capacity remains small, but there is apotential for large-scale use and growth in the 199 s (48). Renewable Energy: The Power to Choose. To some degree,of course government involvement is necessary because government designsthe overall energy policy and will have to take account of any solar effortthat is being undertaken. The government has a strong stake in the outcome of the race todevelop solar energy on a wide scale both domestically and internationally. For economists, the key question ishow much renewable energy can be generated, and how much will that cost?It is necessary to examine the end uses of the energy and to determine thesupply required and the costs of that supply compared to current costs.Critics have raised several objections to renewable energy: "It is chargedthat some renewable energy systems produce little or no 'net energy'--thatmore energy goes in than comes out. Costs have been reduced for existing systems by as muchas 9 percent as a result of improved designs, new materials, andinnovative manufacturing techniques (Flavin and Piltz: 25). In solar thermal systems, solar collectors with mirrored surfacesconcentrate light onto a receiver, which in turn heats a liquid that drivesa turbine generator and produces electricity with an overall efficiency ofmore than 2 percent. Prospects for Energy in America. market. However, even if it isassumed that solar energy is feasible, there can be objections togovernment subsidies as a way of funding research and development. The Renewable Energy Alternative. These troughs operate at temperatures up to 75 -degrees Fahrenheit,and dish systems at up to 36 -degrees Fahrenheit. Durham: Duke University Press, 1987.Carlsnaes, Walter. In addition, thegovernment has the resources to provide the funding necessary once it isdetermined that it is in the national interest to do so. The result was a period of "stagflation," with the combinedvisitation of low growth and high inflation, against which most traditionaleconomic instruments have been ineffective. ." (3).Second, while we have noted the relationship between national security andenergy vulnerability, this has not led to well-coordinated policies linkingthe two dimensions. When his first engine failed,though, the company folded. There are two categories ofsystems, the central receivers and the distributed receivers. Solar energy is notyet economically viable for large-scale use, though it does have certainspecific energy-efficient uses to which it has been put in hearing homes orpowering small engines. Deudney and Flavin (1983) also suggest the use of renewable energysources to a greater extent than is now the case and note the worldwidescope of the present energy problems. They state that oil now supplies 44percent of the world's commercial energy and 38 percent of total energy,but they also find that even these numbers underestimate the impact onsocieties. Two businessmenbought this invention in 1895 and founded a company in Pasadena, and theproduct became popular rather quickly so that nearly 3 percent of Pasadenahomes had solar heating systems by 1897. However, solar cells can nowbe made on an assembly line basis at much less cost, and they could affectthe energy marketplace greatly in the coming years (Maycock and Stirewalt,1985: 1).ENERGY POLICY There are indeed a number of new technologies and improvedtechnologies today that can make use of solar energy and that may providemore efficient energy from solar energy in the future, but it is also clearthat more research is required. history,and this fact endangers the foundations of American society. They also believe that the diffusion of the marketplace, withdifferent companies taking different approaches, is preferable to havinggovernment directing the research into certain specific areas while perhapsignoring other promising avenues. Concentratedsunlight is a versatile and high quality form of energy, and so solarthermal technology has numerous applications, primarily industrial andcommercial uses of process heat and electrical power generation. Department of Energy already plays a role inthe development of solar technologies and has focused particularly onreflective surfaces for mirrors, plant configurations, and myriad technicalissues related to the operation, maintenance, and cost-effectiveness ofsystem components. Prices have never returned to their pre-1973 levels and are notlikely to do so. Solarenergy appears directly in solar power through photovoltaic cells andsimilar devices and indirectly as falling water, blowing wind, or plantmatter (biomass). They also point to the general failureof government programs to accomplish what they have been designed toaccomplish, and they feel that the energy needs of the country will bebetter served by private development of new technologies. Washington, D.C.: Renew America, 199 .Maycock, Paul D. This is atechnology that has advanced rapidly in recent years and that is nowproviding economical power to the California electricity system, as anexample. Solar energy has been suggested as such asource because the energy of the sun is, if not infinite, at leastconsistent, ubiquitous, and infinite in human terms. Solar thermal technologies all convert the energy of the sun's heatinto usable medium- or high-temperature heat or electricity. We need toexamine, perhaps, whether the government should be involved in this kind ofsubsidy and what we can expect to get out of it over time. New York: W.W. Stirewalt. First, he notes that an energy supply adequate for allfuture domestic needs is unpredictable for the first time in U.S. Norton, 1983.Flavin, Christopher and Rick Piltz. Geothermal capacity approaches1,5 megawatts, and wind electric capacity exceeds 1,1 megawatts. This andother energy crises have had economic and political consequences, includingenormous economic losses, higher inflation, higher unemployment, and lowerreal output in the industrial economies of the West. government shouldsubsidize energy policy is to ask a question after the fact, since the U.S.government already subsidizes the development of solar energy. By the end of World WarI, more than 4, of these solar systems had been sold, but the industrywent into decline in World War II because of a shortage of copper, the keycomponent of the process (Sklar and Scheinkopf, 1991: 9-1 ). Federally sponsoredresearch is investigating new receivers that yield temperatures as high as9, -degrees Fahrenheit (Flavin and Piltz, 199 : 24). ReferencesBlackburn, John O. Bothare concentrated in California but are also found in Hawaii and otherwestern states. Blackburn (1987) points out that the energy debate in the UnitedStates has produced more divergence than consensus, noting the progressionafter the crisis of 1973: "Initially, it seemed clear what had to be done.Then, sharply different views emerged; first, as to the nature of energyproblems,and then, as to appropriate policies to address these problem"(1). Oil use in the ThirdWorld has increased along with its use in industrial societies, and todaythe developing countries, which contain three-quarters of the world'spopulation, consume just one-quarter of the oil used each year. Manysee the operation of the marketplace as the best way to achieve a change,and they oppose government funding in the belief that private funding canbe found because there is a clear demand for the production of newtechnology. New York: Pinter Publishers, 1988.Deudney, Daniel and Christopher Flavin. electricity, and more newcapacity comes into service each year. Oil prices quadrupled almost overnight (1). Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly, 1981.Sklar, Scott and Sheinkopf, Kenneth G. A major technological advancecame in 19 8 with the invention of the kind of solar collectors that arethe predecessors of the ones still in use today. Today, there are already some 5, buildings in the United states relying to some degree on active solarenergy systems for heating and cooling, and much energy can be saved by theuse of architectural design elements that contribute to solar use, such asbetter orientation of buildings and proper placement of evergreens anddeciduous trees. A Guide to the Photovoltaic Revolution. This is quite different from a subsidy, however,which implies government control and which could be counter-productive as aresult. The history of solar energy in the United States can be traced back tothe work of an engineer named John Ericsson in the early 188 s. Such a questionneeds to be considered in terms of overall energy policy and energy needs. Proponents claim that solar energy could be mademore powerful and more economically viable with research and development,and they call on the U.S. The solar cells accompanying Vanguard I werepainstakingly made by hand and cost more than $1, per Watt, which wouldbe prohibitive for home use, as the typical household needs 5, to 1 , Watts to satisfy its peak electrical demand. The argument for government involvement begins with the fact that thedevelopment of solar energy is an important component of an overall energypolicy and that rapid development is necessary if we are to stave offdisaster. Rosenbaum (1981) sets forth the political issues facing us in energypolicy today. The centralsystem consists of one receiver perched atop a large tower that issurrounded by a field of mirrors called heliostats, and with hundreds ofthese mirrors focused on a single surface, central receivers can producetemperatures of 12 -degrees Fahrenheit for systems now in operation. Wilson Company, 198 .Rosenbaum, Walter A. Chicago: Bonus Books, 1991. In such anatmosphere, more and more concern has been raised that the United Statesdiscover a source of renewable energy, something that will not be depletedas will fossil fuels, something that is cleaner and safer for theenvironment than are fossil fuels, and something that is still economicallyviable, producing sufficient energy at a cost comparable to the presentenergy-economic structure. Our society makesuse of massive amounts of energy of various types, and the need for energyis growing. Proponents of solar energy claim that solarenergy could supply 4 percent of the nation's energy needs by the year2 , but others see solar energy as an impractical solution to America'senergy problems. Backers of solar energy point out that the term can beused to refer to a host of renewable energy producers, from simple wood-burning stoves to windmills to water power to biomass fuels to solar cellsthat can convert the sun's rays into electricity and beam it to earth asmicrowaves (photovoltaic technology) (Oatman, 198 : 138). These are the renewable energy sources, and they alreadyprovide a certain amount of energy to the U.S. The man considered to be the real father ofsolar energy in the United States was Baltimore inventor Clarence Kemp, whopatented the first commercial solar energy heater in 1891. First, though in the past it has been customary to think ofthreats to a nation's security exclusively in terms of military challenges,the energy crisis has forced a reconsideration of this traditional view:"It has become clear that interruptions in the flow of critically neededresources can be as detrimental to the balance of international power--andhence national security--as more conventional confrontations. The political, and especiallyforeign policy, consequences of these economic problems have also beenunsettling. societyand will require national energy planning on an unprecedented scale.Finally, government will be forced for the first time in history to imposedeliberate and sustained energy conservation measures (3 -32).GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIZATION OF SOLAR ENERGY Solar energy is just one of the possible energy alternatives, thoughit is an important one and involves a number of different specific forms ofenergy production. In 1892,inventor Aubrey Aeneas founded the Solar Motor Company of Boston to developsolar-powered motors to replace the conventional steam engine, and by the19 s he had demonstrated a large solar-driven engine in California andopened an office there to sell engines. Today, 67 developing nations rely on oil imported to meetthree-quarters of their energy needs. Sustainable Energy. Still, experts do predict that solar energy could by theyear 2 replace three million barrels of oil a day, nearly half thenation's projected oil imports. Oil waslong seen as the ideal fuel for development, for using it requiresrelatively modest investments in transportation and combustion facilities.Oil can also be used with relative ease in both cities and ruralcommunities. Excess energy so produced can then be storedrelatively inexpensively for later use. Since some renewable energy sourcesare intermittent, energy storage issues must be considered" (43). Carlsnaes (1988) notes how American concerns about energy policy canbe traced particularly to the oil crisis of 1973 when gasoline pricesabruptly rose after OPEC raised prices and reduced output for a period oftime. This technology has been seen as exotic,impractical, and expensive. Asking whether the U.S. Energy, Politics and Public Policy. The U.S. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.