Eco Energy

Introduction

Our country keeps growing day by day and as a country keeps growing more problems intend to develop, one of this problems is power shortages due to a high demand of electricity all around the country. Power shortage is a great crisis in the country as it affect major industries and households in South Africa. Places like hospitals need electricity as it’s essential for the patients who are on life support equipment's. The figure below illustrates how the solar works.

How the solar panel works

Solar panels can be an option which the country can adopt, solar panels convert the suns energy into chemical energy which can then serve as electricity in households, restaurants, factories and other industries. It works better in households because not a lot of power is needed in households thus if people are to get themselves solar panels the demand of electricity would be reduce thus also reducing power blackouts. In terms of the site we visited we would recommend them to install solar panel powered geysers because geysers consume a lot of electricity. It would be a great decision because the project is a low income housing project, it thus helps residents save money on electricity. In the figure below we can see solar powered geysers installed at some low income houses. The households save money on electricity because the geyser is connected to the solar panel.

Solar powered geysers

Advantages of using solar panels

•          Solar energy is completely free after initial capital thus making it a great investment.
•          Power your entire household or supplement power use: solar power generates enough energy to power an entire household, but if that kind of dependence on an admittedly intermittent power source worries you, you can always use solar power to supplement your power needs – use it to heat your pool or your geyser or for outdoor lighting.
•          Solar power systems are durable and low maintenance: once you’re equipped you’re set to enjoy years of trouble free energy.
•         Store energy: solar power can be stored for inevitable rainy days, so you don’t have to worry about your oven being cut off in the middle of a dinner party. And if you use solar power as a supplemental source of energy, excess electricity generated can be fed back into the grid, which is credited against your conventional power bill.
•          Environmentally friendly: solar power doesn’t produce any carbon emissions, it’s clean and renewable, which allows you to reduce your carbon footprint and do your bit to alleviate global warming.

(Sustainable.co.za)

Disadvantages of solar power

•          It is costly.
•          The energy depends fully on the sun thus if there’s no sun there’s no energy.
•         Many solar power storage systems store enough energy to power your home for up to five days.

(sustainable.co.za)

Solar power not only makes environmental sense, it also makes economic sense (Eco Store). The product is a great investment and can solve the power crisis in South Africa thus we would definitely recommend it for people to purchase.  

Installation of a solar powered geyser