The Advantages of Solar Power
What are the Advantages of Using Solar Power?
Since scientists like Einstein discovered that humans could harness energy from the sun, we’ve been developing technologies to generate energy cleanly and efficiently through solar photovoltaic cells ever since. The longer we use solar technologies for renewable energy in our homes and businesses, the more advantages to using solar power we discover.
Consider the following important benefits of solar power for our planet and our energy future :
• Completely renewable: Unlike fossil fuels which will eventually be entirely depleted from the planet, the energy hitting the earth’s surface from the sun will continue for thousands of years in quantities that far exceed our needs.
• No pollution: Solar modules operate without generating any pollution – not water pollution, not air pollution, and not soil pollution. Most importantly, solar power doesn’t result in greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide (a key pollutant in climate change), which is a common pollutant emitted when we burn fossil fuel energies like gasoline, diesel, and heating oil.
• Long lasting durability: Solar modules are made to last, with most exceeding their 20 year warranties. Theoretically, solar panels should last for 100 years or more if properly maintained and cared for.
• Maintenance-free: By and large, you will have to perform little to no maintenance on a solar system. Although you may need to clean the panels periodically, most are created to perform efficiently even with a little dust covering them. In contrast to gasoline engines, home oil heaters, and power stations like natural gas and coal-fired stations which all require regular, costly maintenance, solar power means much less work and time.
• Scalability: Solar energy can be provided in small scale and large scale. This means we can carry mini solar power stations with us to generate energy for portable electronics, we can install solar panels on our homes in medium-sized installations, and we can have massive installations that generate energy for entire cities.
• Low embodied energy: Though it does require energy to create solar panels, they produce more energy in just five years than the power consumed for manufacturing solar panels in the first place. And since they last 20+ years longer than this, the net energy produced is very positive.
• Remote deployment: Unlike giant coal or nuclear power plants, solar panels can be deployed virtually anywhere on earth (and even in space), which means energy can be produced in distributed, often very remote locations. This is very useful for rural communities and emergency situations.
• Energy security: Not only does producing energy from solar diminish our dependence on foreign oil from regions that are politically unstable, it also provides energy security of another kind. By distributing power sources across the country on rooftops and in fields, we reduce our vulnerability to having large power stations wiped out by terrorist attacks.
These are just some of the many reasons for choosing solar power over conventional sources of electricity. Solar electricity is good for the country, good for your home, and good for the planet as a whole.