Useful aspects of solar energy

Pollution is creating climate change and the world is waking up to the reality of a planet’s accelerated demise. Climate experts have long cautioned us about the dangers of burning fossil fuels but until recently renewable energy did not have adequate support. Now solar is trendy in a world where the extreme effects of global warming are being experienced in people's daily lives. Solar technology is available to go today and it will be the dominant energy form until humans have created a cleaner way to generate energy. The sun is an immense source of energy which has only recently been tapped into. It provides tremendous resources which can generate clean, non-polluting and sustainable electricity, resulting in no greenhouse gas emissions. Recently, it was determined that the energy of the sun can be obtained and stored, to be used on a global scale with the purpose of eventually replacing the conventional sources of energy. As the world turns its attention to cleaner more sustainable forms of power, solar energy has seen a significant rise in esteem and acceptance.

The many benefits of solar power

Solar energy systems offer demonstrable environmental gains in comparison to conventional energy sources.  Thus they greatly add to the sustainable development of human activities. However, at times, the wide-scale implementation of such systems must meet potential negative environmental associations. These potential problems may be a strong obstacle for further advancement of these methods for some consumers.

The potential environmental impacts associated with solar energy can be classified according to various kinds, some of which are land use impacts, ecological impacts, impacts to water, air, and soil, and other impacts such as socioeconomic effects, and can differ greatly depending on the technology, which includes two broad categories:

Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells or Concentrating solar thermal plants (CSP).

Land use and ecological impacts of utility-scale operations

Generating electricity at a utility-scale, solar energy facilities demand large areas for collection of energy. That means the plants may interfere with existing land uses and can affect areas such as wilderness or recreational management areas. As energy systems may impact land through materials exploration, extraction, manufacturing and disposal, carbon footprints can become important. Some of the lands may be utilized for energy production.

Solar impacts on the soil, water, and air

Construction of solar facilities on broad areas of land entails clearing and grading, resulting in soil compaction, disruption of drainage channels and increased erosion. Central tower systems need consuming water for cooling, which is a dilemma in arid settings, as an increase in water demand may enlarge available water resources as well as chemical spills from the facilities which may result in the contamination of groundwater or the ground surface. As with the construction of any large-scale industrial project, the development of solar energy power plants can pose hazards to air quality. Such threats include the discharge of soil-carried pathogens and results in a surge in air particulate matter which has the effect of contaminating water reservoirs. However, fossil fuel generating stations emit pollutants morning and night, while solar projects are only slightly polluting when they are being installed. After that, the solar panels generate clean secure energy for the life of the panels.

There has never been a better time to install a solar energy system! It is no longer just a question of climate change. Since solar panels are so affordable, installing a solar energy system is one of the better investments you are ever likely to make.

For more information relating to going solar, don't forget to visit our solar blog section for more handy guides and articles.

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