Unicef Milestone one

I will be describing a few solutions the UNICEF issue as well as explaining which one is the best option. The UNICEF issue arises from the multiple times they are dispatched to an area and that area does not have any electrical power. Without electrical power, the area they are in is normally without lights and means of keeping open a line of communication. As we all know communication is the key to success in any situation. Imagine being in an area with no way to communicate with others in your area as well as the home base. It is vital to be able to call for help at a moment’s notice or call home base to send more supplies so you don’t run out. The three ways to keep communication open in an area with no power is solar power, project loon, and satellite phones.

All three of these technologies address the needs of the UNICEF employee without electrical power. These various communication sources are stand alone sources and do not need assistance from electrical power to function. The main reason all three fulfills the needs of the situation is because they all allow a UNICEF employee to stay mobile while staying in contact with whom they need to.

First let’s look at solar power. We will mainly focus on solar photovoltaics (PV). Photovoltaics are the direct conversion of light into electricity (Knier). Solar PVs does not necessarily use direct sunlight to function. Some light is good enough for the system to work. This ensures electricity for buildings not only during long and sunny days, but also during cloudy and rainy days. It is solar power so the stronger the sun, the better power. For places recovering from disaster or communities lacking access to electricity, solar systems provide an alternative or a complement to traditional power sources such as fossil fuel generators (diesel or gasoline is not only expensive, it emits noxious fumes and can cause fires) (Chow). Keeping power on in an area using solar power enables phones and computers to stay charged so the line of communication is never broken.

This is an amazingly reliable energy source. We know every day that the sun will rise and set. We can determine what time the sun will rise and set also. We cannot run out of solar energy, unlike some of the other sources of energy. Solar energy is very secure. Nobody can turn the sun off of cause it not to rise one morning. Most importantly, solar power is independent. Once you have solar panels on your roof, you have an essentially independent source of electricity that is all yours.( Shahan). It is a very low maintenance cost or no maintenance at all is required for solar power. UNICEF varies with the amount of time they will be in an area, so having continuous energy for an extended period of time is a necessity.

Solar power has some faults also. The initial start up cost can be fairly high. With UNICEF, I would imagine the cost to be lower because you really