Grade 10 Physics & Environmental Science
One World: Issues in Energy
Student Name: Cedric
Date: _______
“Write an article that explores the use of one alternative to fossil fuel-based power generation.
We need sustainable solutions to the global energy problem.”
Links here.
Essay Title:
Is renewable energy a viable alternative to fossil fuels in order
to generate electricity in Saudi Arabia?
This is (highlight):
Draft submission Final Submission
“I confirm that this work is my own work and is the final
version. I have acknowledged each use of the words or ideas Cedric Pacaud
of another person, whether written, oral or visual.”
Criterion A: One World
Level
0
Highlight the statements that best represent your work
Level descriptor
The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below.
1–2
The student states how science is applied and how it may be used to address a specific problem or issue in a
local or global context.
The student states the effectiveness of science and its application in solving the problem or issue.
3–4
The student describes how science is applied and how it may be used to address a specific problem or issue in
a local or global context.
The student describes the effectiveness of science and its application in solving the problem or issue.
The student describes the implications of the use and application of science interacting with at least one of the
following factors: moral, ethical, social, economic, political, cultural and environmental.
5–6
The student explains how science is applied and how it may be used to address a specific problem or issue in a
local or global context.
The student discusses the effectiveness of science and its application in solving the problem or issue.
The student discusses and evaluates the implications of the use and application of science interacting with at
least two of the following factors: moral, ethical, social, economic, political, cultural and environmental.
Criterion B: Communication in Science
Level
0
Level descriptor
The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below.
1–2
The student uses a limited range of scientific language correctly.
The student communicates scientific information with limited effectiveness.
When appropriate to the task, the student makes little attempt to document sources of information.
3–4
The student uses some scientific language correctly.
The student communicates scientific information with some effectiveness.
When appropriate to the task, the student partially documents sources of information.
5–6
The student uses sufficient scientific language correctly.
The student communicates scientific information effectively.
When appropriate to the task, the student fully documents sources of information correctly.
Grade 10 Physics & Environmental Science
One World: Issues in Energy
Student Name: Cedric
Date: _______
Is renewable energy a viable alternative to fossil fuels in order to generate electricity in Saudi
Arabia?
There are many different alternatives to generate electricity in the world. However in a country such
as Saudi Arabia in 2009 there was not an alternative used. In 2009 Saudi Arabia had 100% fossil fuel
consumption, and their needs to be other ways to generate electricity. The country should have
alternatives to generate electricity because fossil fuels are one of the “largest source of emissions of
carbon dioxide” (Fossil fuel , 2012) However the decision of whether it is a viable alternative to
generate the electricity depends on whether the country has the space to build it, it is eco-friendly, if
it pleases the population, and there is enough money to build it. These criteria must be met in order
to make a source of energy a viable alternative to be built in Saudi Arabia. For example, renewable
energy should be an alternative to fossil fuels in the country. If renewable energy is not the
alternative there may be a huge damage to the environment because fossil fuels generates high heat
waves, floods and droughts, forests disappear, species become extinct, water becomes polluted,
top soil is damaged, which causes erosion, and one of the biggest problems in the world is that it
can lead to climate change (300 Years of FOSSIL FUELS in 300 Seconds, 2010). The scientific
solution to solve this problem is to use resources continually and avoid using fossil fuels. This
solution applies to a global problem because there are many countries that generate energy that
is not clean for the environment.
There are many solutions to reduce the pollution caused by fossil fuels in Saudi Arabia. An
alternative to reduce it is to install systems such as wind turbines, solar energy, hydroelectric
power, biomass and geothermal energy (Renewable energy, 2013). Each of these renewable
Grade 10 Physics & Environmental Science
One World: Issues in Energy
Student Name: Cedric
Date: _______
energy solutions is effective, but which solution will be the most viable in Saudi Arabia? In the
country there is a renewable energy program followed by Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud, who
stated that he hopes the country has 100% renewable and limited carbon emission energy forms
within his life (Harvey, 2012). In this new energy program the country has already installed a
solar power of 69.4 gigawatts in 2011 (AGENCIES, 2013 ). Furthermore, the country is hoping to
install 54.1 gigawatts of solar power by 2032 (AGENCIES, 2013 ). For this reason, solar power
should be installed somehow in replacement with the petroleum, coal and natural gas products
in the country to achieve this goal. This solution is an important alternative to fossil fuels
suggested by the ambassador of the country.
The use of solar power on systems is a viable alternative to the use of fossil fuels in Saudi Arabia.
There are already systems and gadgets such as air conditioners and vehicles, which are solar
powered instead of fossil fuels, which absorbs the heat of the sunlight and drives the system to
function. The solution works for solar vehicles because there are the photovoltaic cells in the
solar panels, which transforms the energy from sunlight into electricity to drive it. (Solar vehicle,
2013) For air conditioners solar panels absorb the energy from the sunlight to cool homes, and it
allows rooms to become cooler as it gets hotter outside. The system uses lithium bromide, which
is a safer substance than fossil fuels towards the environment when it is discharged (Culhane,
2007). Before the discharge there are steps it goes through to produce the chill air. The air
comes from the solar panel, which stores the heat that will be contained in a tank with
approximately 1200 gallons of water that heats up and goes into a solar absorption cooling
system, which separates the heat and cold (Culhane, 2007). From that, there is the chilled water
for the air conditioning system. This system takes up less space than fossil fuels because unlike
Grade 10 Physics & Environmental Science
One World: Issues in Energy
Student Name: Cedric
Date: _______
fossil fuels nuclear power plants are not required. The solar panels only require tanks and
chambers to function for the air conditioning. The solar electric panels are an alternative to fossil
fuels in Saudi Arabia because it does not require huge space.
The effectiveness of the installation of solar panels to function systems has its advantages and
disadvantages. The advantages are that it can even work in harsh conditions of snow or wind.
This has been proven in the University of Vermont that has a solar panel that is able to preserve
during the winter, and the position of the solar panel allows the snow to come off (Top 10 Solar
Energy Myths, 2012). Also the efficiency of the Solar Panel “has more than quadrupled since the
1970’s.” (Top 10 Solar Energy Myths, 2012) For this reason, the technology of solar panels keeps
advancing and the mechanism of it is efficient enough to move the transportation systems that
are used in our daily lives. In addition, Solar panels not only work in hot areas, but it works in
cold areas because as long as there is UV light it conducts electricity. However, the disadvantages
are that the efficiency of solar panels are generally 11-15%, which is not as fast as oil and coal
that generally generate electricity in an efficiency of 33%. (Fossil-fuel power station, 2013). This
is a problem because additional solar panels need to be bought in order to generate the
electricity and it takes up more space. For this reason, it is workable to generate electricity from
solar panels in homes and vehicles, but is not as efficient as fossil fuels.
The use of solar panels is a solution to the environmental issue in the world. The stakeholders
are the citizens in Saudi Arabia that need to work together towards solving the issue. The
solution to prevent this issue has its potential positive and negative impacts in the country. The
potential negative impact is that by installing more solar panels there is more impact on the land
Grade 10 Physics & Environmental Science
One World: Issues in Energy
Student Name: Cedric
Date: _______
use. Depending on the type of solar panel technology the space of land required changes and it
causes the loss of habitat and land (Environmental Impacts of Renewable Energy Technologies,
2012). However, the system can preserve over a ton of carbon dioxide each year because it emits
clean energy (Solar Panels (PV), 2013). This is an important one-world issue that must be solved
in Saudi Arabia because in 2010 it was recorded that the country had the 10th largest carbon
dioxide emission in the world (List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions, 2013). If the
solution will be implemented there will be less need of high supply of oil as the country is ranked
second highest in the world in the production of oil. (List of countries by oil production, 2013). It
may drive the country to produce other sources of energy than oil if it is not demanded very
high.
One of the economic one world issues with the installation of solar powers is that the cost is
different depending on how it is installed. The stakeholders of the issue are the people who buy
the solar panels. The installation of this system depends on the potential positive and negative
impacts of the economic issue. The potential positive impact is that there is a way of reducing
the price of solar panels and it involves 4 ways. The ways are to rent the solar powers, or buy the
used ones, or to take benefit of the government rebates because the government allows a
deduction of price up to 30% for solar panels if it is a source of electricity at home, or your own
solar panel can be built. (Josh Peterson, 2013). However there are potential negative impacts, it
is that depending on the electricity consumed there are different number of panels needed to
power homes. (Why Are Solar Panels So Expensive? Factors That Affect Cost, 2013)Solar powers
are normally 11-15% efficient and that suggests that the sunlight does not get converted into
electricity as much as fossil fuels. Therefore the panels need to cover a larger surface area to
Grade 10 Physics & Environmental Science
One World: Issues in Energy
Student Name: Cedric
Date: _______
generate enough electricity in homes, which costs more (Solar Panel Efficiency and the Factors
that Affect it, 2012). This is an important one world issue because it is the major barrier, which
is stopping people from buying the unaffordable panels in Saudi Arabia. For this reason,
depending on the way the solar powers are installed it can be an affordable price to be an
alternative to fossil fuels.
Solar panels will be a viable alternative to fossil fuels if the potential positive impacts of this
solution are applied for families in Saudi Arabia. The solar panels can be installed in systems
that require the source of electricity in the country. The citizens will most likely be against this
solution if the price is too expensive, or it destroys the natural environment by the installation of
it. The citizens will be for this solution if it provides clean energy or it is not too expensive to be
installed. The ambassador states that there is the space to build it and is pleased about this
system. The system is eco friendly because it absorbs UV light to produce electricity but some
citizens may not have the money to install it. Overall it is a viable alternative to fossil fuels
because the country has the space to build it, it is eco-friendly, it pleases the population, and will be
enough money to build it depending on the way it is installed.
Word count: 1586 words
Grade 10 Physics & Environmental Science
One World: Issues in Energy
Student Name: Cedric
Date: _______
References
Why Are Solar Panels So Expensive? Factors That Affect Cost. (2013). Retrieved from Solar Power
is the future.com: http://www.solarpoweristhefuture.com/why-are-solar-panels-soexpensive.shtml
300 Years of FOSSIL FUELS in 300 Seconds. (2010, November 8 ). Retrieved from Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ-J91SwP8w&feature=player_embedded
AGENCIES, A. A. (2013 , February ). Saudi Arabia pushes towards major renewable energy
program . Retrieved from AL ARABIYA NEWS: http://english.alarabiya.net
/articles/2013/02/24/268060.html
Culhane, T. H. (2007, March). Solar Air Conditioning. Retrieved from Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtMC2MXc_n8
Environmental Impacts of Renewable Energy Technologies. (2012). Retrieved from Union of
Concerned Scientists : http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energychoices/renewable-energy/environmental-impacts-of.html
Fossil fuel . (2012). Retrieved from Science Daily : http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles
/f/fossil_fuel.htm
Fossil-fuel power station. (2013). Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Fossil-fuel_power_station
Harvey, F. (2012, October ). Saudi Arabia reveals plans to be powered entirely by renewable
energy. Retrieved from The Guardian : http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012
/oct/19/saudi-arabia-renewable-energy-oil
Josh Peterson, P. G. (2013). 4 Ways to Save Money on Solar Panels. Retrieved from
howstuffworks: http://home.howstuffworks.com/save-money-solar-panels.htm#page=4
List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions. (2013, March). Retrieved from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions
List of countries by oil production. (2013, April). Retrieved from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_oil_production
Solar vehicle. (2013). Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_vehicle
Solar Panel Efficiency and the Factors that Affect it. (2012). Retrieved from One Block Off The
Grid: http://howsolarworks.1bog.org/solar-panel-efficiency/
Grade 10 Physics & Environmental Science
One World: Issues in Energy
Student Name: Cedric
Date: _______
Solar Panels (PV). (2013, January ). Retrieved from Energy Saving Trust :
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Generating-energy/Choosing-a-renewabletechnology/Solar-panels-PV
Renewable energy. (2013, April). Retrieved from Wikipedia :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy
Top 10 Solar Energy Myths. (2012). Retrieved from Solar Energy.net:
http://www.solarenergy.net/Articles/top-10-solar-energy-myths.aspx