Solar panels are a rapidly developing trend in the United States and across the world. With a 25% growth over the last decade, it appears that the emergence of renewable energy is rising. However, solar panel energy does not replace unsustainable energy sources and, in certain situations, contributes very little as an energy source. Penn State, for example, gets less than 1% of its electricity from solar panels. So, what are our options?
Starting off we can take a step back and examine who has done it the best, in this case its Arizona State University (ASU). In the picture above, ASU demonstrates why it is known as being the college that has the greatest number of solar panels in the country, this work can be replicated here at Penn State! ASU took years of planning and thoughtful coordination in order to get their solar panels implemented, and it has made a long-lasting impact on the campus. It has been recorded that around 50% of the energy that is generated by ASU comes from solar panels. Those numbers are outstanding and show the potential of what focusing our resources on solar panels could do, as well as decreasing energy cost by tens of thousands of dollars.
Although PSU positioning may not be suited to get the same results as PSU, the idea of reducing our carbon footprint through the implementation of solar panels still remains. Developing a foundation for solar panels at PSU has the potential to save the campus thousands of dollars as well as help lead the way and inspire other schools to follow in our footsteps towards a cleaner campus. The research is there, the work has been done before, all that we are waiting for is the green light. Solar panels can really make a difference.
This was a very hopeful post to read and I hope that Penn State can take strides to incorporate more sustainable ways of energy. It’s crazy to think that we only use 1% of solar energy at this campus, we could definitely be incorporating more. I think a good option would be taking advantage of the open areas and field around are campus and dedicate them to sustainable energy.
This is very interesting, and I don’t know much about solar panels so I’m eager to hear more about this. I do wonder why Arizona State has the most solar panels, but I guess that could potentially be due to the weather and heat. I like how you provide context and a solution if Penn State wants to hop on board with solar panel electricity.
I think the way that you included another university as a real-world example as something that has already been done adds validity to your argument. It made me think PSU could also attempt something like this and learn from various other models, such as I know in Germany newly built or renovated buildings have to have something like solar panels.
I also love solar panels and I think they are an excellent source for clean energy. The only problem I would have for a university as big and energy-consuming as Penn State is where would they go? Penn State would need a massive grid, most likely in a place that gathers a lot of sunlight like a tall mountain or hill. This would mean clearing a forest or clearing homes, forcing us to choose between more deforestation or relocating people. Alternatively you could suggest placing panels on buildings directly, but that would only go so far before all of University Park is a massive mirror from a birds eye perspective, which would only generate so much energy. All in all, this is a good concept, I just think a solution would be difficult.
Very good pacing, didn’t talk fast at all. Clear and loud voice too. Good job addressing why solar panels are not being implemented. I liked how casual it is. I think you could address some of the SDGs in the actual speech.
Class pitch:
– Maybe add a flashy attention getter at the beginning
– Spend less time talking about the issue and more time focusing on the rhetoric you’re analyzing (I agree with your argument, though!)
– When you don’t have as much of a time constraint, you will be able to slow down a bit with your delivery
I like the comparison of PSU vs ASU has it shows that a real world example exists of how we can better solve this problem. By including ASU it shows that the solution to more green energy already exists- years of planning and a genuine effort to reduce pollution and improve green energy.
Class Pitch:
Josh, I think that you maintained really great eye contact throughout the pitch. It helped me to stay engaged with what you were saying. As far as the invention aspect, I think that your pitch could benefit from a more impactful visual- maybe one that includes statistics.
Josh, I think you had a really good pacing of words throughout your pitch. I’d recommend an attention-grabbing beginning, but your elevator pitch was very informational.