Why is solar so popular?

It surprises virtually nobody that solar energy is enjoying a tremendous surge in today's world. There is a tremendous need for a clean, renewable source of power. Pollution in many urban areas is extremely damaging to the environment and to overall health. The combustion of fossil fuels is causing the planet to warm at an alarming rate as well as causing untold health consequences. Solar energy is the best hope the planet currently has to combat the terrible results of burning fossil fuels.

What is solar energy anyway?

Solar power is the conversion of the sun's energy into electricity. With an estimated 173,000 terawatts of solar energy constantly hitting Earth's surface, there is more than sufficient energy to meet the world's current consumption levels of 15 terawatts per year. The main problem is utilizing all this solar energy properly and efficiently. Solar energy is normally collected in one of two ways: photovoltaic solar cells and solar thermal. A photovoltaic cell is basically a semiconductor connected to two electrical contacts. Photons from the sun are absorbed into the semiconductor and they knock loose a few electrons. The electrons then move through the semiconductor creating an electrical current. Solar thermal is a system of giant mirrors that reflect and concentrate the sun's rays to heat a fluid, which produces steam to spin a turbine that creates electricity.

Both methods require a gigantic amount of sunlight. Under optimal conditions, this solar radiation, or insolation, directly strikes a solar panel without any interference. In practice, the amount of solar radiation changes depending on the latitude, time of day and season (which affect the angle of the sun); and atmospheric conditions like clouds, water vapor, and pollution (which scatter the light). This is why arid areas in the mid-latitudes of the globe tend to have the greatest solar potential, as seen below.

Solar power’s advantages are many

Solar power is a renewable source of energy that can be gathered practically anywhere in the world. Solar power plants don't produce any air, water, or noise pollution and don't emit any greenhouse gases. Large-scale power plants can harm local plant and wildlife due to their size, but compared to fossil fuels, still, have a lower carbon footprint. Solar power plants also have fewer safety risks than fossil fuel plants. Once fully constructed, solar power plants have extremely low operating costs since their source of energy is free: the sun.

Future outlook for solar energy

In order for solar power to make meaningful gains, the efficiency of solar cells will have to go up, and the price of solar cells will have to go down. Industry experts expect nearly 100% increases in solar capacity in the U.S. in the next few years. This will almost certainly lead to a drop in prices as increased demand stimulates greater production. Meanwhile, there is a wide variety of research focusing on improving solar cell design and working with diverse materials to make solar cells cheaper and more efficient. Some of those innovations are making solar panels much more capable of absorbing the sun's energy and efficiently making into electricity we can use to power our homes and businesses. There are other technological advances such as solar roof tiles, solar windows and many other ideas that are revolutionizing the solar industry and propelling further innovations that will help us counter the devastating effects of climate change. For more information visit our blog

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