Point Critical Analysis of Current Event
1. Exploratory
The largest solar panel assembly plant located within the Western hemisphere, (NPR, Andrea Hsu), was a $150 million investment.
“The U.S. is the second-largest market for solar in the world, after China.” (NPR, Andrea Hsu)
Today, the infamous Georgia Dalton plant operates 24/7, and according to Hsu, “employs 600 American workers who operate the high-tech assembly lines imported by Hanwha from Korea.”
The cost of installing solar has fallen by more than 70% in the past decade, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Which serves as a perfect example of how the costs of solar panels have become more cost-efficient for the community.
The NPR article also includes how “Georgia's then-Gov. Nathan Deal announced the plant in May 2018, four months after President Trump imposed a 30% tariff on solar panel imports. The plant began shipping panels in February 2019.”
2. Diagnostic
Solar power is a form of green energy. Solar panels could help reduce your home’s carbon footprint because unlike other resources, they don’t emit carbon dioxide and other harmful greenhouse gases that contribute to the global warming/ climate change.
A motive behind making Georgia the home of such a largely successful solar industry, according to the NPR reading, is because "tariffs have made it such that for the time being, this is the most attractive place to assemble panels for use in the U.S. market," says Moskowitz. "The vast majority of these will end up in projects in the U.S."”
3. Cause and Effect
One casual concern discussed around the booming solar industry, aside from its environmental impact, is the amount of farmland being overpowered by the creation of more solar plants. After further research, I concluded that solar panels could even contribute to agricultural needs. There might be an issue surrounding the amount of land being given to each role, but it seems like a tolerable factor for farmers as they have grown more accustomed to the idea. This was proved by Clay County's local farmer Will Harris, when writer Andrea Hsu states that;
“Harris and Silicon Ranch are putting together a plan to rotate animal species around the solar farm, possibly cattle and sheep. The animals would graze on grass and weeds and naturally fertilize the land with their manure. In between grazing periods, the land would have time to recover. Grazing in this way could prevent erosion and, down the road, potentially sequester carbon in the soil, as Harris has achieved on his own land. But it could take years.”
4. Priority
According to Andrea Hsu’s NPR article, the cause or motive behind Georgias booming solar industry, is because of how they “don’t have the kind of state-level mandates that have propelled the growth of renewable energy in other parts of the country.” And contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t even the issue of climate change that influenced such action(s) to be taken either. Along with the mandates, the costs of these solar resources significantly dropped over time which was also a contributing factor that made it easier for the community to invest.
5. Application
Now, I can easily say that I am more educated about the solar industry. With my assumptions and straight-forward judgements out the window, I could now look into the different ways (such as leasing) that I could purchase a solar panel if my family or myself really needed to.
Furthermore, learning the basics about solar panels gave me the realization that they are so much better for the environment. Instead of having one mindset that limits the usage of electricity or burning fossil fuels, I could be saving the environment from more harm if I participated in the solar franchise.
6. Critical
The article gave me quite the number of statistics to consider and compare with other states. I never knew that out of all places, Georgia contains one of the largest solar industries. In addition, whenever I heard the word “solar”, I could only think of the (rumored to be) super expensive solar panel's placed on certain houses in the neighborhood. I never took into consideration the acres of land that must be dedicated to the industry such as the solar panel plants. I assumed they were a lot harder to purchase than what was explained in the NPR article. I could definitely continue to learn more about the panels themselves and how they are created in these big factories. Through these sources and external research, my thoughts on solar panels changed in a more positive way after learning of all their benefits and how they don’t harm our environment as much as other resources might.
Sources:
Hsu, A., & Kelly, M. L. (2019, June 24). How solar grew in Georgia despite lack of mandates on renewable energy. National Public Radio.https://www.npr.org/2019/06/24/733795962/how-georgia-became-a-surprising-bright-spot-in-the-u-s-solar-industry
Silicon Ranch. (2017). Silicon Ranch Hazlehurst II Project on Georgia Farm Bureau TV [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/217896697
“Solar Panels in Georgia [2022 Data & Statistics].” ElectricRate, 28 June 2022, https://www.electricrate.com/solar-energy/georgia/.
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