Global warming and solar energy

Climate scientists have made the findings clear: the earth is warming faster than the direst predictions. One of the principal advantages of solar energy is that it is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. While fossil fuels have an expiration date that is fast approaching, the sun is likely to exist for at least a few billion years. Additionally, 73,000 terawatts of solar energy shine down on the Earth’s surface every day, which is 10,000 times the daily global energy use. That’s an enormous supply waiting for the technology that can utilize it.

Low environmental impact of solar power

Sun energy has a substantially reduced impact on the environment compared to fossil fuels. Its greenhouse gas emissions are inconsequential as the technology does not require fuel combustion. Moreover, although concentrating solar thermal plants (CSP) are somewhat inefficient in their water usage depending on the type of technology being used, the right technology significantly helps efficiency while photovoltaic (PV) solar cells do not require any water when producing electricity.
The environmental downside to solar technology is that it contains many of the same hazardous materials as electronics. As solar becomes more popular, the problem of disposing of the hazardous waste becomes an additional problem. However, assuming the challenge of proper disposal is met, the reduced greenhouse gas emissions that solar energy offers make it an attractive alternative to fossil fuels.

Energy Independence from the sun

Fortunately, the sun shines across the globe, and it makes every country a potential energy producer, thus allowing for greater energy independence. Solar energy doesn’t only promise to bring security and independence at the national level; solar panels can be installed on individual homes, providing power that does not depend on being connected to a larger electrical grid.

The negative aspects of solar power

Some solar technologies require rare materials in their production. This is primarily a problem for PV technology rather than CSP technology. Moreover, it is not so much a lack of known reserves as much as it is the inability of current production to meet future demand: many of the rare materials are byproducts of other processes rather than the focus of mining efforts. Recycling PV material and advances in nanotechnology that increase solar cell efficiency could both help increase supply, but researchers believe that finding material substitutes that exist in greater abundance could play a role.

The bottom line: solar power is a technology that is happening now!

While solar energy technology has some disadvantages that make it expensive in certain markets, it is becoming an increasingly cost-competitive alternative to fossil fuels. The cons that add to the cost of solar, could be reduced by further technological advances that increase efficiency and storage capacity. Considering the enormous potential gains of harvesting the sun’s light, it may be worth increasing the incentives for furthering the development of solar energy.

Solar power is here to stay, and the sooner you explore how much you can save, the sooner you can enjoy the benefits of residential solar power. Go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. It tells you how much solar power you need, and how much you can save.

Please visit our solar blog to find out more about the benefits of going solar.