Engineering
P1-Annotated Bibliography
Masson, V., Bonhomme, M., Salagnac, J. L., Briottet, X., & Lemonsu, A. (2014). Solar panels reduce both global warming and urban heat island. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 2, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2014.00014
The article is a study on how the production of solar energy has become a way of diminishing dependency on fossil fuel. Global warming is a cause for worry for most people around the world since it is associated with climate change that is being experienced. The articles underscore that the use of solar energy is a good way of mitigating global warming as it contributes to the lowering of greenhouse gases emission. The authors begin by stating how renewable energy has become a necessity towards sustainable energy development in an era when mitigation of climate change is gaining prominence. The authors assess the effect of implementing solar energy on the local climate when the plan is espoused at a city scale. The article further presents a way of implementing solar panels in a Town Energy Balance scheme and uses the Paris metropolitan in the simulation. The research found out that solar panels by shading the roofs increases domestic heating by 3% and reduces the energy needed for air-conditioning by 12%.
Mumtaz, S., & Khan, L. (2017). Adaptive control paradigm for photovoltaic and solid oxide fuel cells in a grid-integrated hybrid renewable energy system. PloS one, 12(3).https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0173966
In this article, the authors delve into why the hybrid power system as an emerging power generation scheme has become common. They note that it has been enabled by the plentiful availability of renewable energy sources and provides the characteristics which they depict. The article notes that maintaining the balance between generation and load has made engineers and researchers occupied with how they will develop an intelligent and adaptive algorithm. The paper proposes a Hermite wavelet embedded NeuroFuzzy and indirect adaptive maximum power point tracking as a way of obtaining a swift response in a hybrid power system. The authors believe that the proposed adaptive control is superior and robust. In summary, the article elaborates on how photovoltaic and solid oxide cells can be integrated to form a renewable energy system.
P2
Engineering is a field that makes immense contributions to the advancement of life in different aspects. Primarily it involves the application of science and math to resolve issues that human beings face. The engineers often attain this by designing, evaluating, developing, testing, modifying, installing, and maintaining an array of products and systems while sustaining a relationship between environmental factors and technological advancements. Scientific discoveries, which are the epitome of engineers’ novel ideas, have, for years, been associated with the improvement of the human condition. The profession of engineering is divided into many specialty areas, with each playing unique and significant roles. Some of the renowned categories include aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and civil engineering. In this paper, we will focus on electrical engineering and its role in developing and advancing solar energy.
Electrical engineering has been pivotal in discovering novel and sustainable alternative sources of energy. The field deals with electricity technology. It mainly entails design, testing, manufacturing, construction, control, monitoring, and inspection of electrical and electronic devices, machinery, and systems that immensely contribute to the generation of energy. In their practice, electrical engineers make many discoveries with the paramount ones being the various sources of electricity and devices that enable the utility of this power. Electricity demand has been increasingly growing due to population growth and increasing energy demand requiring the invention of new energy sources to meet the requirement. Presently, fossil fuels meet most of electricity demand globally. Mumtaz and Khan (2017) note that fossil fuels cannot be relied upon to meet the global electricity demand, which is projected to grow by 49% from 2007 to 2035 due to the adverse environmental effects they generate and their scarcity, which escalates the cost of electricity. Electrical engineers have, therefore, been working relentlessly to innovate cost-effective, renewable, and environmentally friendly sources of power.
Solar energy, which is renewable energy, has become one of the preferred power alternatives due to its low environmental impact has been one of the inventions developed by electrical engineers. Solar panel installation on rooftops has been an approach that enables solar energy production and is preferred due to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (Masson, Bonhomme, Salagnac, Briottet & Lemonsu, 2014). Despite its environmental conservation advantage, solar power remains expensive. Nonetheless, its usage has continued to increase each day, making the market of solar thermal and photovoltaic electricity generation grow rapidly. The use of solar energy, which is an abundant, free, and clean source of energy, will lead to a decrease in the consumption of fossil fuel across various industries, creating positive effects on the environment.
Essentially making the most out of solar energy requires the integration of solar power and thermal storage systems. Innovative hybrid solar technology, an application of solar energy, is one of such technologies and has become one of the most espoused in building, processing plants and agriculture. The preference of this tech has mainly been due to its incorporation of multiple collector systems and its capacity to perform multiple tasks, which include the generation of thermal and electric power. Hybrid solar energy systems are made of many components, some of which include a concentrator, a spectral beam splitting filter, an evacuated collector tube, and solar cells.
In summary, engineering is a field that has made invaluable contributions to the progression of human condition due to the discoveries it has enabled. The profession is divided into many categories, which include aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and civil engineering. Electrical engineering, a field that deals with electric technology, plays a significant role in discovering novel and sustainable alternative sources of energy. The global demand for power has been growing rapidly. Fossil fuels have been the primary source of power, but their adverse effects on the environment have fueled an invention of solar energy, which is renewable and environmentally friendly. Hybrid solar technology, an application of solar energy, integrates many components and is used in many areas.