Solar power and the earth

The future of energy generation is in solar power. In fact, this is already true and more solar systems are coming online every day. As a replacement for fossil fuels, solar energy’s promise as an alternative has not been fulfilled yet, and it currently represents a small percentage of U.S. electricity generation. But major technological advances have spurred an upsurge in its usage, and researchers estimate that a solar-based system is installed in the U.S. every five minutes. In the wake of the Paris climate agreement, how are nonprofits making use of this energy for social good?

The sun is our best hope for the future

Solar energy is really nothing new. The sun has long been considered one of the most viable energy sources—and a path to independence from fossil fuels. However,  solar energy faces many obstacles: the sun doesn’t shine at night, clouds can block the sun, and solar cells have a low conversion efficiency. There is also a problem with pollution diminishing the effectiveness of solar panels. Fortunately, all the end user must do is keep the panels clean. 2015 has been an important year for solar because advances such as lower-cost storage batteries have shown the future of using the sun for energy. In the U.S., the California Solar Initiative has made this populous state a leader. Solar energy has made inroads around the world, particularly in the United Kingdom and Germany.

Clean energy initiatives around the globe

Solar and clean-energy initiatives in developing countries, however, face a number of infrastructure and policy barriers. USAID and President Obama’s Power Africa project has promoted a “beyond the grid” approach to defeat these barriers, but as reported by the New York Times, this project hasn’t done much to produce power. Others think that a focus on solar and other renewable energy sources in poor countries takes away from the more pressing issues of clean water or preventing deadly diseases. Preben Maegaard, Chairman of the World Council for Renewable Energy, has also warned that “the number of failed renewable energy projects in Africa over the last 20 years is unacceptable, and verging on the irresponsible. These failed projects have set back development by raising aspirations and then failing to deliver.”

We need alternative energy now

But fossil fuel burning is not an option any longer. The world will run out of fossil fuels sometime around the middle of this century. Solar is the path to energy independence and a particularly American path at that. This type of policy has huge potential for nonprofits, which could benefit from decreased overhead costs for investment in solar programs. Furthermore, community-based solar initiatives can have positive social impacts, from decreased heating bills for low-income individuals, decreased dependency on public utilities, an improved environment from reduced pollution, and “green” job creation. As Bill McKibben writes in The New Yorker, it’s not surprising that these benefits can make utility companies nervous: “Power utilities now face the uncertainty of a kind that traditional phone companies faced when cellular technology emerged. A few utilities welcome the challenge; others are resisting it, and the rest are waiting for someone to tell them what to do.”

Solar power is the only reliable option for the earth.

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.