Will We Ever Run Out of Solar Energy? An Expert's Perspective

Solar energy is one of the cleanest and most abundant renewable resources. With ongoing research and investment into space-based solar technology, we can continue to rely on this clean source of renewable energy for many years to come.

Will We Ever Run Out of Solar Energy? An Expert's Perspective

Solar energy is one of the cleanest and most abundant renewable resources, which means it will never be depleted or scarce. In just one hour, enough sunlight shines into the Earth's atmosphere to hypothetically provide electricity to everyone on Earth for a year. No greenhouse gas emissions are released into the atmosphere when solar panels are used to generate electricity. And because the sun provides more than enough energy for our needs, solar energy is a very important source of energy in the transition to clean energy production.Fossil fuels are finite and can eventually run out.

According to forecasts, oil and natural gas could be depleted in 50 years and coal production in 115 years. With ongoing research and investment, there is a strong possibility that space-based solar energy will be the viable future of solar energy. Much research and engineering is still going on to find the most feasible way to launch solar panels and space launch systems, at a lower cost. Although there is an increase in solutions, investments and the use of renewable energy, oil, coal and gas still generate more than 80% of the global energy consumed, and solar energy generates less than 1%. Solar panels produce electricity by transforming the sun's continuous flow of energy into electricity.

The report predicts that a fully renewable global energy system will support approximately 35 million local jobs, with solar energy leading the way in job creation. We have made calculations in 143 countries that account for 99.7% of all emissions worldwide, and we have found that it is possible to power all of these countries only with wind energy, water and solar energy, in addition to electricity storage, heat storage, cold storage and hydrogen storage. The report states that, while the energy supply in the fully renewable energy system will be covered by a combination of sources, solar and wind energy will lead the transition. With current growth rates, he says, solar and wind energy could push fossil fuels out of the world's electricity markets by the mid-2030s, and by 2050 it could completely replace fossil fuels. In addition, Carbon Tracker shows that if humans decided to derive all their energy from solar energy alone, the required land would occupy only 450,000 km2, only 0.3% of the world's total land area, and less than the space currently occupied by fossil fuel industry operations.

Therefore, not only is the launch of the solar panels themselves expensive, but the additional materials that need to be transported are also expensive. The International Renewable Energy Agency says the electricity cost of photovoltaic solar energy fell 82% in the last decade, while onshore and offshore wind energy costs fell 39% and 29%, respectively. According to the National Space Society, space-based solar energy has the potential to dwarf all other energy sources combined. In conclusion, it is clear that solar energy is an abundant resource that will never run out. With ongoing research and investment into space-based solar technology, we can continue to rely on this clean source of renewable energy for many years to come.

Ismael Slagter
Ismael Slagter

Amateur sushi practitioner. Extreme internet nerd. Incurable internetaholic. Proud zombie ninja. Total foodaholic. Incurable social media lover.