While we focus our attention on the community sun and its benefits, solar energy can be found in many forms. It’s worth taking the time to appreciate each one. This post will be published in conjunction with an article on the pros and cons of solar energy so you can make informed decisions about your energy.
1. Solar Is Clean
Solar energy doesn’t pollute the environment or emit greenhouse gases that cause climate change. Fossil fuels can cause air pollution and water contamination and millions of deaths prematurely in areas where they are mined, processed, and burned. Emissions from fossil fuels already cause major disruptions in the planet’s cooling and heating cycles. This is already having serious consequences for humanity’s quality of life, especially for vulnerable communities and farmers. It is possible to reduce carbon emissions by choosing solar energy over fossil fuels and creating a sustainable energy system that will last for future generations.
2. Solar Energy is Renewable
Although the planet’s oil reserves are more durable than originally thought, they will eventually run out. However, we will continue to get the sun’s energy for many more years. This makes solar energy renewable. Solar energy is more abundant than hydropower and wind. In just an hour, the sun gives Earth more energy than any human being can use in a year. We are improving our ability to harness this power efficiently every year.
3. Solar Energy Is Cheap
Recently, solar and wind energy have emerged as the most affordable sources of electricity. This is true in many areas, even without any government subsidies. The cost gap for solar is even wider when you consider the negative effects of fossil fuels. These include public health spending on oil spill clean up, mine fatalities, natural gas leaks and water contamination. A global report from August 2017 shows that fossil fuel subsidies could reach $5 trillion annually if added to existing fiscal subsidies. Renewable energy would be the most affordable form of energy if the fossil fuel industry were held responsible for its true production costs.
4. Job creation
While fossil fuels are largely extracted and manufactured using highly automated processes, solar and other renewables require skilled labour to plan and install. Despite being relatively young and recently imposed new solar tariffs, the solar industry employs more people than any other energy source. The wind and solar industries alone created 100,000 jobs in America in 2016. These jobs cannot be outsourced because they require site-specific fabrication and installations.
5. Local & National Energy Independence
Individual Americans can produce their solar energy. Community solar also offers the same benefits. This allows the US not to rely on the global energy market at a national level, protecting us against unstable energy prices, supply disruptions, and other issues. Intel CEO Andrew Grove has argued that the concept of energy resilience is essential for our national energy security.
Solar energy can also reduce the dependence on local utilities. Although utilities are committed to making positive contributions to their communities and many customers express frustration, solar energy may offer them an opportunity to bypass this monopoly or become completely independent.
6. The Grid’s Benefits
National leaders recently suggested that renewables could compromise the reliability of our electricity grid. Independent research has proven that residential solar energy, as it stands today, is a benefit to both the grid and the consumers.
Rooftop solar energy can be used locally and generated locally. This means that less energy is lost in long-distance transmission and distribution, which costs ratepayers approximately $21 billion annually. Solar panels produce maximum electricity when utilities are experiencing peak demand during the daytime. This means that infrastructure investments are less necessary to meet this demand. A higher solar capacity allows utilities to avoid expensive clean-ups at fossil fuel plants while generating electricity. Experts recommend that utilities embrace solar to everyone’s benefit.
7. Versatile Application
Although “solar power” is often associated with rooftop panels, the photovoltaic cell converts the sun’s rays into electricity. This is only one type of solar technology. Solar thermal systems use solar energy to heat water, whether residential or commercial. Concentrated solar power (CSP), systems that use mirrors to focus solar rays into receivers that heat the water into steam and power steam turbines to produce electricity, uses steam turbines to power steam turbines.
Good old-fashioned sunlight is the best source of heat and light for our homes and businesses. No technology is needed!
8. Low Maintenance
Solar panels are very easy to maintain. Rooftop panels require minimal maintenance. While snow can be more detrimental to a panel’s functionality, panels tilted for a maximum generation means that they will slide off or melt quickly. These systems can be expected to last 40+ years with simple maintenance and a standard 20-year warranty.
On the other hand, solar farms allow for more efficient maintenance because they can be accessed from one location and are often easier to maintain than a rooftop.