Overview Of Solar Power:
Solar power is one of the fastest-growing sources of energy in the world. Solar technology has continued to get better and more affordable leading to more people, companies, and governments investing in new solar panels for electricity. Solar panels take the power of the sun and transfer it to electricity that people can use. Solar panels are great because, barring a bad spate of prolonged weather, the sun is up every day. Once solar panels are installed they require very little maintenance and will continue to generate power as long as the sun is shining.
Solar panels create no greenhouse gas emissions and do not have any harmful byproducts. The only waste that comes from solar panels is the panels themselves. Solar panels can go bad every 20 to 50 years but that number could rise as the technology continues to be refined.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Solar And Nuclear Power
While solar power might seem the next big thing in energy production needs, it isnt always what it seems.
Nuclear power plants can provide clean and efficient energy at significant savings to the customer, but they can also provide several dangers to human health and the environment if there is a disaster.
Cost And Time For Nuclear Power Plants
Nuclear power plants are not as prevalent as solar farms. The most recent nuclear plant started running in October 2016. Before that, there were no new nuclear power plants for the past 30 years. However, more plants are currently in the works, according to the Energy Information Association.
The plant that officially started running in 2016 is the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, located in Tennessee, which took about 23 years for one of its reactors to start fully running.
The second reactor took 33 total years.
It also takes a long time and a lot of money to construct a nuclear power plant. One of the planned plants that received approval in 2012 will likely cost $25 billion, which is way over their original budget. Plus, its still not close to completion.
While they are very costly to construct, nuclear power plants are usually efficient to run. The facility produces large amounts of power and heat. Any heat that would go to waste in other power plants is put back into making electricity.
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Comparing Solar Vs Nuclear Power
As the name implies, solar power gathers energy from the sun and convert it into usable electricity by using technologies such as solar photovoltaics, solar heating, and artificial photosynthesis. This type of clean energy sounds great comes with a host of benefits. However, it also has its caveats.
Advantages Of Solar Energy
Here are all the advantages of solar energy that point out why it is better than energy generated from fossil fuels.
Pollution-free Solar energy is green energy, and it does not generate any pollution starting from its generation to transmission process. No harmful gas comes out of a solar power plant, and there is no radioactive material involved.
Durability A solar cell converts light energy to electrical energy, but there is no drive system involved. Hence, there is no wear and tear, and this enhances the durability of solar cells. As a matter of fact, there is very little maintenance required which justifies its long-lasting lifespan.
Renewable There is no dearth of sunlight, and you can generate solar energy as long as there is sunlight. Therefore, it falls under the category of renewable energy as it is not limited to fossil fuels. Yes, it is true that you cannot generate solar energy at night or during rainy days, but as soon as the sun shines, you can start generating solar energy as long as you like in order to compensate.
Convenient To generate solar energy, you need the installation of solar panels, and they are very easy to install. In fact, anyone can set it up on their roofs if they want to generate solar energy for their home. Not just installation is simple and easy, the maintenance is quite low which is why it has the potential to become a household item going forward.
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Solar Vs Nuclear Power: Which Is The Better Energy Source
Its a simple fact: our world is heavily reliant on fossil fuels and it is terrible for the environment. Not only does it spew harmful chemicals into the air, but it also takes a lot of effort to mine and ends up with lots of waste.
For this reason, were seeking cleaner energy sources such as solar, wind, hydroelectric and nuclear power. Among these, nuclear power has a lot of capability to produce large amounts of energy through a single source, while renewables like solar power can produce low amounts of energy without any cost.
So when it comes to solar vs nuclear power, which one is better? Lets find out more about each type of power and compare their advantages to see which ones better for the environment.
Total Annual Energy Production
More than the time, it is the amount of energy a power plant can produce helps in meeting the energy demands. A nuclear power plant can operate 24 hours a day, and hence, it produces more total annual energy. On the contrary, a solar power plant operates only when the sun is out, and this means it is effective and operational for 30% of the time in a day. Naturally, solar energy lacks which is why countries are giving preference to nuclear energy through solar power plants are not uncommon.
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Countering Nuclears Capacity Factor
An asset management firm, Lazard, analyzed solar vs. nuclear-levelized energy costs and concluded that nuclears lengthy construction to become operational outweighs its benefits.
The asset management firm found out that solars utility-scale cost per kilowatt is about $1000, while nuclear ranges from $6,500 to $12,250.
Therefore, the long-term benefits of nuclear energy are incomparable to solar energy, which still produces more carbon-free energy for the world despite its low capacity factor. And at an affordable cost.
Solar energy producers are countering nuclears impressive capacity factor by manufacturing and installing more solar plants.
Lets take the example above of two power plants , each of 2430 MW going head-to-head. While a 2430 MW nuclear plant can generate 21 million MWh of power, a similar solar power generates 6 million MWh. It means a country will have to construct four of 2430 MW solar plants to compete with one nuclear plant.
But thats where the math benefits solar energy plants.
You see, by the time a 2430 MW nuclear plant is complete and functional, more than four similar 2430 MW solar energy plants will be operational. And perhaps would have already served the country.
Is Nuclear Or Solar Energy The Cleanest
I am sure that you have seen nuclear power plants, and they often look like there are large amounts of smoke being emitted into the universe, but is that the case? There is a huge misconception that the smoke coming out of nuclear plants is a dangerous and radioactive pollutant.
It is steam, simple water vapor coming out of the plants, unlike coal plants that emit ashes, toxins, and greenhouse gases. A nuclear plant is harmless because extracting energy from nuclear power is considered one of the safest and cleanest ways of getting electricity.
However, waste comes hand in hand with emissions, and there isnt a viable long-term solution for nuclear waste storage. There are currently three main options: onsite storage, long-term storage, reprocessing fuel for use and other nuclear energy plants. Neither is ideal.
Solar panels produce electricity without creating emissions, which sounds great, but it is also not the whole story. Producing solar panels takes lots of energy. Raw materials have to be found, transported, processed, and the whole thing has to be assembled.
Due to lifecycle emissions, this means greenhouse gas emissions since our economy still largely runs on fossil fuels. On top of that, producing solar cells requires a few chemical substances, some of which can negatively affect the environment and people alike.
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What Is Nuclear Power
Simply put, nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions that release nuclear energy to generate heat, which is most frequently used in steam turbines to produce electricity in a nuclear power plant. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission , nuclear decay , and nuclear fusion .
Nuclear power has one of the lowest levels of fatalities per unit of energy generated compared to other energy sources. Coal, petroleum, natural gas, and hydroelectricity each have caused a greater number of fatalities per unit of energy, due to air pollution and accidents. Since its commercialization in the 1970s, nuclear power has prevented about 1,84 million air pollution-related deaths and emission of about 64 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent that would have otherwise resulted from the burning of fossil fuels.
Solar Energy Vs Nuclear Energy
As the global climate issue worsens, the world gradually learns that our usage of non-renewable energy sources such as natural gas and coal contributes significantly to the problem’s exacerbation. As the global climate issue worsens, the world gradually learns that our usage of non-renewable energy sources such as natural gas and coal contributes significantly to the problem As part of their efforts to become part of the solution, countries are hurrying to construct infrastructure for alternate renewable energy sources.
Nuclear power and solar power are two energy sources that are very different in how they work and what they provide. Nuclear is a type of energy that’s been around for decades, while solar is a more recent invention. Solar power has many benefits over nuclear power, but there are downsides as well.
The deciding factor in whether you should choose nuclear or solar is what your priorities are. Nuclear provides base load electricity 24/7, while solar only provides up to 6 hours of power at a time. If you’re concerned about the environment and pollution, nuclear would be the way to go, but if you’re looking for cheap electricity and an alternative to coal, then solar would be a more viable option.
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To Summarize Here Are Five Reasons Why Nuclear Is Better
How Is Solar And Nuclear Energy Classified
Because of the use of the sun, solar energy is classified as a renewable energy source since it is a source of energy that can theoretically regenerate and replenish itself indefinitely. Some people argue that nuclear energy should also be classified as renewable, but most agree that it is more accurately classifiable as a sustainable energy source.
This means that while nuclear energy might not be seen as infinite, the consumption rate is insignificant compared to the amount of the supply. Theres only a finite amount of nuclear energy, but the possibility of someone using so much of it that the world runs out is very slim.
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Who Should Use Solar Power
There’s no doubt that solar power is a popular alternative to fossil fuels. Solar power has immense potential for the future as a renewable, affordable, and environmentally friendly energy source. It’s one of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint and combat climate change.
However, not all businesses can use solar power because it has some limitations. First of all, it only provides up to six hours of electricity at a time so if anyone runs a business with a 24/7 operation, this could be a problem. Additionally, it costs more money than nuclear power does in the long runwhich is why it’s only viable for some businesses.
Solar doesn’t have unlimited infrastructure like nuclear does so if anyone is concerned about the environment and pollution, then nuclear would be a more viable option.
Nuclear Has The Highest Capacity Factor
As you can see, nuclear energy has by far the highest capacity factor of any other energy source. This basically means nuclear power plants are producing maximum power more than 92% of the time during the year.
Thats about nearly 2 times more as natural gas and coal units, and almost 3 times or more reliable than wind and solar plants.
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Solar Power Vs Nuclear Power Which Is The Better Energy Source
Fossil fuel is still the major source of energy. However, with every passing year, the global climate crisis seems to get worse, and the main culprit for climate crisis is fossil fuels. That is why the alternatives to fossil fuel are always getting the limelight so that, in the long run, they can completely make fossil fuel obsolete.
The main alternatives are solar energy and nuclear energy. There are distinct advantages as well as disadvantages of solar energy as well as nuclear energy. The question arises which is better, and that is what we will discuss in this article based on facts.
Outline
The Dangers Of Nuclear Power
There are several dangers to using nuclear power. The plant must be kept in pristine shape with regular maintenance so that it functions at its best without contaminating the surrounding air and water.
Environmental Concerns
The most serious concern regarding nuclear power plants is the environmental threat that it poses. Nuclear power plants create radioactive wastes, which are very harmful to the environment.
These wastes need storing for thousands of years and are typically kept in an underground repository that cant be recycled. Staff stores the waste in steel, airtight canisters, which they bury underground in tunnels. The canisters are covered with clay and sealed to ensure that they dont leak and arent disturbed by others.
If these containers were to leak, they would have a severe effect on the environment.
Health Concerns
Nuclear waste is also hazardous to a persons health and remains that way for thousands of years, as the radiation can cause poisoning, illness, and even death. It is a carcinogen, even when exposed to a minimal amount of it.
Radiation is known to cause harm to your DNA, putting anyone exposed for long periods at a very high risk of cancer.
Plant Meltdowns
A nuclear plant meltdown occurs when the reactor core overheats, which happened in the past in both Fukushima and Chernobyl.
There are two different emergency zones that appear during this disaster.
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Financial Cost Of Nuclear Energy Vs Solar Energy
One of the biggest differences between solar and nuclear is the financial cost. While someone might argue that the financial cost of renewable energy is not as important as reducing our carbon emissions as quickly as possible in view of global warming and its disastrous effects on our planet, it still needs to be considered. The financial weight of a renewable energy solution will determine whether or not a country can actually afford the transition. This is even more important for countries with limited resources who need financially viable solutions to provide clean energy to their emerging populations.
Solar Vs Nuclear: Which Ones Better
In general, when it comes to the debate on solar vs nuclear power, there is no clear consensus since each one draws their own conclusion. If economics is the main criterion, then please check this video to get a clear picture
However, one things clear: both solar and nuclear power sources are much better for the environment than fossil fuels. If we want to clean up and conserve our beautiful planet, then more efforts must be made to push us away from this dependence. Adopting cleaner energy methods will certainly be beneficial!
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Final Thoughts On Nuclear Energy Versus Solar And Wind
The main takeaway here is not to believe everything youre told. The words wind and solar give off a feeling of cleanness and helpfulness. On the other hand, nuclear is perceived as dirty or violent.
In reality, energy derived from wind turbines and solar panels pollutes more carbon, produces more waste, requires more land, generates less electricity, and costs more money in the long run.
Nuclear energy is better than wind & solar power.
Ill leave you with this: If a team of rational aliens with zero human bias tasked themselves with saving the human energy problem, theyd be fools to not at least seriously consider the worldwide expansion of nuclear energy.
This article was originally published on October 26, 2021.
