Over the years, many different methods of energy conduction have been created and used. The most common energy sources used include:

• Coal
• Electric
• Gas
• Solar power

However, since much of our energy comes from finite resources, people depend more on solar power. While solar power can never run out, it comes with drawbacks.

Solar Panels

Solar panels are made of mainly glass, aluminum, and silicon. The cells inside of the silicon used photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electricity.

Solar power is a renewable energy source, which is why so many people choose to invest in them.

One of the main problems lies with the price. Solar power is costly, therefore making it inaccessible to millions of people. On top of that, in 2013, “Germany’s government changed the law, suddenly making renewables more expensive. The industry collapsed. Seventy thousand people in Germany’s solar industry lost their jobs, and Heckert found itself one of the lone manufacturers left in this once-popular renewable energy park known as Saxony’s Solar Valley outside of Chemnitz” (Schmitz 8). Then, the industry moved to Asia.

Last year, according to Schmitz, “China invested 10 times more in the industry than Europe did. They made 97% of the silicone wafers that go into solar panels and more than three-quarters of the world’s solar panels themselves.”

Inflation Reduction Act

The IRA lowers prescription drug costs, health care costs, and energy costs.

“The average American family is estimated to see an annual $1,025 in energy savings, as the Inflation Reduction Act tackles one of the largest drivers of inflation— oil and gas prices— by lowering fuel and electricity costs and improving energy efficiently” (Invisible, 7).

The act will stabilize the economy by curbing inflation. Moreover, the IRA makes solar power more accessible and financially viable for consumers.

Sources

https://www.npr.org/2023/05/17/1173250926/solar-power-eu-germany-china

https://www.epa.gov/hw/end-life-solar-panels-regulations-and-management#:~:text=Hazardous%20waste%20testing%20on%20solar,the%20environment%20at%20high%20levels.

https://indivisible.org/resource/inflation-reduction-act-explained#:~:text=The%20Inflation%20Reduction%20Act%20is%20a%20package%20that%20will%20bring,wealthy%20pay%20their%20fair%20share.