Climate change and solar power

Humans have made a mess of things down here on earth. Future historians will marvel that a society could be so negligent in reacting with their home.  The latest predictions made by climate scientists that seemed so dire decades ago turned out to be too hopeful. The reports from the Arctic are particularly disturbing and the rapid melting of the ice is causing sea level rise with dire consequences around the world. Long-term damage has already poisoned much of the earth from fossil fuels and nuclear disasters. The overwhelming majority of climate scientists believe that we are in a global crisis. High prices for gasoline and home heating oil are here to stay and are subject to constant fluctuation. The two biggest polluters, China and India, are rapidly increasing their demand for fossil fuels and China has recently ordered more coal-fired power plants. That makes no sense at all given China's pollution problems but thankfully, those two countries are also two of the most heavily invested in solar energy. However, power plants that burn fossil fuels are still shooting immense amounts of harmful substances into the atmosphere every day. That’s to say nothing of vehicle emanations all over the planet. When will we wake up to the danger?

Solar is the solution and it's not that expensive

Scientists, engineers, and politicians have suggested various steps that could somewhat reduce fossil fuel use and emissions. These steps are not even close to sufficient. The U.S. needs a clear energy plan to free itself from the constant menace of fossil fuels. The current solar expansion is a step in the right direction that should have come a long time ago. Solar energy's potential is nearly unlimited. The energy contained in sunlight striking the earth for 40 minutes is equivalent to global energy production for a year. The U.S. is fortunate to be supplied with a vast resource; at least 250,000 square miles of land in the Southwest are suitable for constructing solar power plants, and that land absorbs more than 4,500 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) of solar energy a year. Converting only 2.5 percent of that radiation into electricity would equal the nation's total energy consumption in 2006. To convert the country to solar energy, immense tracts of land would have to be overlaid with photovoltaic panels and solar heating troughs. A direct-current (DC) transmission infrastructure would also have to be erected to share that energy efficiently across the nation.

Solar technology is shattering limitations

Solar technology has been ready to go for a long time. Industry insiders project that solar energy could be marketed to consumers at rates equivalent to today's rates for conventional power sources, about five cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). If wind, biomass, and geothermal sources were also utilized, renewable energy could produce nearly all of the nation's electricity and 90 percent of its energy by 2100. The federal government would have to invest more than $400 billion over the next 40 years to complete the 2050 project. Perhaps most importantly, solar power plants consume little or no fuel, saving billions of dollars every year. The infrastructure would displace 300 large coal-fired power plants and 300 natural gas plants and all the combustibles they consume. The plan would effectively cancel all imported oil, reducing U.S. trade deficits and easing political anxiety in the Middle East and other volatile places.

You can do your part by installing 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. Please visit our solar blog to find out more about the benefits of going solar.

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