Greenhouse gases and the environment

There has been much discussion in recent years about greenhouse gases and their effect on humanity. Numerous studies show that burning fossil fuels is the prime cause of climate change, but some climate deniers are in positions of power, making our environment vulnerable to the oil industry and nuclear lobbyists. Many of these same individuals ignore the truth about solar energy, which has taken hold of the renewable energy market. Solar panels, which convert sunlight into electricity, are a key player in the fast-growing clean energy sector, which also includes water- and wind-generated electricity. The climate-friendly electricity produced by solar panels in the past 40 years has virtually canceled out the polluting energy used to produce them. By some calculations, the so-called "break-even point" between dirty energy input and clean output may already have come, researchers in the Netherlands reported.
"We show strong downward trends of environmental impact" of solar panel production, the team wrote in the journal Nature Communications.

Solar panels provide the solution to greenhouse gas emissions

The study addressed concerns that solar may be using fossil fuels in the panels' manufacture, and emitting greenhouse gases, faster than it was able to offset. Solar panels, which convert sunlight into electricity, are a major player in the fast-growing renewable energy sector, which also includes water- and wind-generated electricity. Unlike energy from fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas, the generation of electricity by so-called photovoltaic (PV) panels does not release damaging carbon dioxide. Solar panel capacity grew sharply, on average, by 45 percent per year from 1975 to reach 230 billion watts (Gigawatt or GW) in 2015. In 1975, there were less than 10,000 solar panels around the world, compared to about a billion today, study co-author Wilfried Van Sark of Utrecht University in the Netherlands told AFP. By the end of 2016, "we would have some 300 GW installed"—about 1-1.5 percent of global electricity demand.

Solar costs are falling dramatically

Over an average lifespan of 30-odd years, a solar system pays back the energy that was used in producing it multiple times. Looking at data since 1976, the researchers discovered that on a global scale, solar energy's debt was likely already repaid in 2011 for both energy input and greenhouse gases. Even on the least optimistic data, break-even point will be reached at the latest next year for net energy, and in 2018 for greenhouse gases.

To make your step into renewable energy, install a solar energy system!

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.