The Cost of Solar Heat

-H. A. Bethe

Summary:

The cost of solar heat is much expensive in a huge scale. It needs large field to set up mirrors to the central boiler. The mirrors would be controlled by computer and it would be like traditional method. ERDA has been working on this project. It needs $2500 to produce one Kilowatt power without adding interest and inflation. On the contrary, nuclear fission reactors need only $500 to produce a kilowatt of electricity. It is five times cheaper than solar power.

In this way, the cost is too high. For example the sun shines only one part of the day in 24 hours. It needs $250 million to produce 100 megawatt electricity on a sunny winter day in the Southern U.S. It needs to utilize the full sun power at a day. It would produce 400 megawatts at a day which would be less at morning and evening time. So we need 400 megawatts power plant to produce 100 megawatts of electricity. In this way, it needs four times more boilers and turbines to produce solar electricity in comparison to nuclear and fossil-fuel power plant. It needs even more money to establish storage equipments which would cost much higher or we can’t imagine at all to this cost.  

We need half of the cost for mirrors and electronic drive mechanisms. It needs $125 million to establish a plant of one square mile; or less than $5 per square foot. We can’t think that the cost could be less for mass production as well. On the contrary a house costs $30 a square foot. As a corollary, solar power is much expensive in comparison to nuclear or fossil-fuel power.

1.   Drawing your information from the passage given above, answer in your own words the following questions in complete sentences. Your answer to every question should not exceed 35 words.

a.       Describe the most practical proposal that has been made for the use of solar heat for power generation.

Answer: Solar power is much expensive in comparison to the nuclear and fossil-fuel power. So it would be better to adopt alternative ways to produce electricity.

b.      Why is it necessary to have solar equipment generating about 400 megawatts to get an average output of 100 megawatt?

Answer: The reason is that the sun shines only 12 hours a day. Moreover, at morning and evening time also the production is less than at daytime. So we need to establish 400 megawatts of power plant to distribute electricity for night time.  

c.       What would be the cost ratio of a solar power plant compared to a nuclear power plant?

Answer: The cost of Solar power plant is five times expensive than nuclear power plant.

d.      Does the author feel that the mirrors and their electronic drive mechanisms can be built for about $5 per square foot?

Answer: No, he has no such feelings. He has excluded the inflation and interest of the money. It needs more amount than $5 per square foot.

2.   Analyze paragraph 35 and say how the three principles of paragraph writing have been utilized.

Answer: The author has started the paragraph with a common statement. Then he has described in detail how the cost of solar heat costs high. For proof he has compared it with other costs. At last he has drawn conclusion that the solar cost is much more expensive in comparison to other alternatives.

3.   Analyze paragraph 33 and say what techniques has been utilized to write this introductory paragraph. Give reason for your answer.

Answer: The author has begun the paragraph with general statement which stand as a hook. Then he has described the positive and negative aspects of his statement. He has presented the evidence for his statement as well. The conclusion is so much effective that he has given the gist of his statement. So the author has fully utilized the norms of paragraph writing.

4.   Analyze the following introductory paragraphs and say what techniques have been utilized in writing them, bearing in mind that there is a vital link between the introductory paragraph and the rest of the essay. Give reasons for your answer.

Answer: The first paragraph has used a general description as the beginning of the paragraph. Then the issue has been described. Rather than the hook the author has given plain introduction of the paragraph.

-By Prem Prasad Sigdel