Solar Energy Doesn’t Negatively Impact the Enviroment

Climate change is evident and it’s changing the world as we know it. It’s impact can be seen worldwide. Severe droughts, flooding, storms – everywhere you turn, the news is talking about extreme weather patterns that wreak havoc on the environment, economy, and society. The season to decrease carbon emissions is now. Use this guide to find out how solar decreases a person’s carbon footprint. That is why we are listing out reasons why solar is the cleaner and greener energy choice.
 

Retrieving Coal is Dangerous

Coal is mined by two methods depending on where the deposit sits: opencast (surface) or deep (underground). Oil and natural gas are taken by drilling wells into underground reservoirs. To get as much fuel out of the ground as possible steam, gasses, or chemicals are injected to oil flow more freely.
 

Producing solar energy is relatively easy. With enough space, solar panels can be erected just about anywhere – on a parcel of land, carports, rooftops, the wings of a plane, cars and with advances in technology, they will even replace window panes. Where there is sunlight solar energy is accessible.
 

Majority of our energy comes from burning fossil fuels, a process that emits carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas (GHG). GHGs trap and add extra heat to the global system in ways that change the climate. Once CO2 reaches the atmosphere, it stays there for thousands of years. The decisions people make today will have ramifications well into the future.

Fortunately, solar panels do not release any emissions as they produce electricity. However, emissions are released during the manufacturing, materials transportation, installation, maintenance, decommissioning and dismantling of the solar energy systems. Nevertheless, the amount of these associated emissions pale in comparison to emissions created by natural gas, oil, and coal.
 

Cleaner than Hydroelectric Power

Accordint to the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that on a national level, 41 percent of all freshwater withdrawals in 2005 were for thermoelectric power operations, primarily for cooling needs. According to the NREL, depending on the various types of cooling systems used by thermoelectric coal, natural gas, or oil power plants, cooling can require different amounts of water, ranging anywhere from 150 to 50,000 gallons of water during a plant’s operational phase.

PV panels do not require the use of water to generate electricity. However, when calculating the amount of water used to clean solar panels, the number comes out to 2/3 cup of water per megawatt-hour. According to a report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), utility-scale PV entails between 1 and 5 gallons consumed per MWh.
 

One year the gas prices could be $2 a gallon, and the next they could be $4 a gallon. The price of oil per barrel is almost impossible to control. the US is the number two oil producer in the world, and that is still not enough influence to keep oil prices from rising.

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the cost to install solar has dropped by more than 70 percent over the past 10 years. Currently, the cost per watt to install solar is around $3 and dropping. In addition, solar panel users can often lock-in electricity prices and once panels are paid for, it’s almost free to use. 

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