Is climate change affected by solar?

Rational people the world over are asking what they can do to diminish their carbon footprint. Even climate scientists are shocked at the speed of the Arctic ice melt and the associated sea level surge is a huge concern for coastal cities around the world. Global warming is possibly the most critical difficulty the world faces today. The alarmingly brisk pace of climate change events makes the selection of renewable energy of greatest concern. Solar energy generation is simply the most effective long-term solution to greenhouse gas emissions and the worrisome warming of the planet. Other renewable energy sources are less encouraging, but technological advancements assure better environmental balance in the future.

Solar and wind making fossil fuels archaic

Rooftop solar panels are a tremendous aid to our clean energy future. Currently, to surpass clean air targets, we must install a lot more solar power systems on a lot more rooftops and we need to do it quick.  But larger solar installations are going to become increasingly more important in the future. Manufacturing solar, wind or nuclear plants generate insignificant carbon emissions compared to fossil fuels, a new study suggests. This continued to be true after considering emissions during manufacture and construction.

“There was a concern that it is a lot harder than suggested by energy scenario models to achieve climate targets, because of the energy required to produce wind turbines and solar panels and associated emissions,” explains project leader Dr Gunnar Luderer, who is an energy system analyst at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impacts Research (PIK).

Luderer tells Carbon Brief: “The most important finding [of our research] was that the expansion of wind and solar power…comes with life-cycle emissions that are much smaller than the remaining emissions from existing fossil power plants before they can finally be decommissioned.”

Carbon emissions and the solar power revolution

Some people think that nuclear, wind or solar power have a secret carbon footprint, due to their manufacture and construction. This large “carbon debt”, and the related liability of energy, must be paid off if they are to subdue emissions over their lifetime. Nuclear plants deliver large volumes of extremely toxic waste that must be disposed of and there are no safe ways to manage this toxic waste. Ask the Japanese how they feel about nuclear energy after the failures at Fukushima. Yes, many Japanese politicians are facing pressure from nuclear and fossil fuel lobbyists to fire up their inoperative nuclear power plants. Wind turbines and nuclear plants demand large quantities of steel and concrete. In addition, the centrifuges that separate nuclear fuel also tend to produce a large electricity bill. Still, zero-carbon sources of energy are not the only ones to have an indirect carbon and energy footprint. For gas and coal, secretions come from extraction machines and fuel transport. They also come from methane leaks at pipelines, wellheads or coal mines. These emissions continue, even if coal or gas plants add CCS, which also may not intercept 100% of emissions at the power plant.

Solar is the only sane solution to our energy woes

After investigating the energy landscape, it is plain that solar power is by far the renewable energy method that is about ready to serve the needs of power-hungry humanity for the foreseeable future. The cost of solar panels is coming down and many home and business owners see the wisdom of a solar energy investment. Generating your own energy is a pleasant feeling that is contagious. Be the first on your block to add a solar energy system to your home!

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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