The Advantages of Solar Energy
and Renewable Energy

The Benefits of Solar Energy

I can show you the advantages of Solar Energy by comparing solar energy to other types of energy sources. The future of solar energy is bright.

Solar energy for home applications use a renewable energy resource. In contrast, a fossil resource (oil, coal, gas) is not renewable. Sooner or later fossil resources are going to be depleted.

Energy from Sun is clean and produces no pollutants. In contrast as a by-product of fossils burning carbon dioxide acting as a greenhouse gas is released to the atmosphere causing the greenhouse effect and the infamous global warming. Another adverse effect is polluting the air by poisonous gases and micro dust particles that damage the population health and longevity. Compounded to that is the entire processing chain of fossils from drilling (or mining), refining, transportation, distribution etc. carries with it the hazards of accidents and pollution.

The sun is an omnipresent resource we can harness. Oil and natural gas are imported and are volunerable to political shakeouts abroad.

We still remember the prices we paid in 2008 for gasoline and the oil embargo in 1973.

With these advantages of solar energy in mind using solar energy is a natural choice

Solar Hot Water Heaters

Solar hot water heaters reach long life expectancy and the maintenance cost is very low . The capital investment is low, energy tax credits are available, and the balance is covered in a few years.

Residential Solar Power System

Solar panels (photovoltaic panels) present higher capital investment and the return on investment is longer. Under certain circumstances (e.g. if you need to be connected off grid, for a new home and in states were the tax credits are substantial) it can be favorably considered.

The period it takes to return the investment on solar panels will probably be shorter in the future, so keep watching (I’ll also watch for you…). It is dependent on future cost and on the new administration policies.

Cost Reduction of Solar Panels

Cost of solar cells and solar panels will eventually drop as a bigger volume of panels is produced (we’ve seen the trend in LCD TV and PC displays) and when cheaper materials will be used (polymers thin sheets versus silicon panels).
Policy wise higher tax incentives will help as well as higher prices the utilities will be ready to pay for electricity your home is selling to them.

Niche Applications of Solar Power

There are niche applications for solar panels with battery storage. Street lighting, traffic lights, water pumps, etc.

A common belief is that “electricity is clean energy”. True, it is clean where you use it. However, the lion portion of electricity produced in the US is by power plants burning fossils (coal is number one). Nuclear power is used, but let’s not forget the hazards and the difficulty to safely store the radioactive left over waste.

Utilities Solar Power

Utilities are building solar powered Power Plants, especially in the sunny South West states, Germany, Spain and China.

Few generations from now, discussing the advantages of solar energy will not be necessary, it will be self evident. Fossils will be depleted and the awareness to fossil burning adverse effects is increasing daily

For Solar Energy Facts click here.

For renewable energy facts click here

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