Renewable energy and solar advances

The obvious motivation for the solar revolution is the climate-related weather patterns that have become commonplace. Droughts, floods, and destructive wildfires have become the norm throughout the world. But perhaps just as important to some, are the financial advantages of solar power. Renewable energy sources, like solar panels, can be one of the most effective ways to positively impact the environment. For more than a hundred years now, coal and natural gas-fired power plants have polluted the air around them. Coal ash and fracking have contaminated groundwater, and coal mining has destroyed mountains. Solar is already beginning to fix this toxic legacy, but project developers must be careful to avoid any negative impacts to the land. Solar energy eases this conundrum significantly. In fact, once they’re installed, solar panels are entirely neutral to their surrounding environment. Many solar panel manufacturers use specialized processes to recycle excess manufacturing materials to make sure that they never leave the factory, and some even include a recycling plan in the purchase of their panels.

Solar gardens gathering steam

 A community solar garden in Dover, MA was built on the top of a capped landfill. A tract of cleared forest can take many years to regain the social and economic value of lost biodiversity. Similarly, some farmers put great care into maintaining the health of their soil in order to bring you healthy and cost-competitive food. This same principle is why the solar industry must do its part to preserve rural land and contribute to the communities where these projects are located. 
Experts suggest that solar farms and gardens should be built where you can’t build anything else. On capped landfills and Superfund sites, worries about contamination make it illegal to use the land for other purposes. Where possible, these locations are optimal for solar gardens. Brownfields are sites that have previously been developed for human use and are considered ideal for solar farms. It doesn’t make environmental sense to destroy ecosystems and eliminate trees to build solar farms, so they should always be built on brownfields. Fortunately, states like Massachusetts have developed policies that give community solar projects extra compensation to build on brownfields and capped landfills.

Environmental advantages of solar

Solar is by far the most efficient renewable energy source and technological advances ensure that more efficient applications for solar are coming soon. Leaving land fallow is a great way to restore soil health. This means that solar plants can have a positive impact on soil health, and this restorative effect of solar facilities can be enhanced by putting in soil-restorative plants around the bases of the solar panels, and by allowing animals to graze around the periphery.

There has never been a better time to install a solar power 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.