The transition to solar power

It is certainly not a mystery why we are seeing a solar energy revolution around the earth. The need for clean energy has never been bigger in light of the climate-related weather events that have scourged the world in recent years. Climate scientists understand that many global weather disasters are caused by the prolonged warming of the planet. While policymakers in some countries (including the United States) refuse to admit the facts, others are trumping Trump by investing heavily in renewable energy sources.

Fossil fuels are the cause of global climate change
 

Currently, the world depends massively on coal, oil, and natural gas to meet its energy needs. However, the overuse of these energy sources has a severe impact on our environment, which has been carefully documented. As their supplies diminish, they will become too expensive, tough to extract, and will also have a devastating impact on the environment.

Eco-friendly sources of energy, also known as “green energy”  or renewable energy sources, have drawn tremendous attention and acceptance in the last few years as governments, organizations and people globally are embracing their environmental obligations.

Renewable energy sources include solar, wind, water, snow, and rain. In addition to not harming the environment, these energy sources will never be exhausted as they are constantly replenished.

Projected global market for energy

With a few exceptions, fossil fuels command the power sector and will continue to do so in the near future. But solar is growing cheaper and more efficient and many nations are seeing the wisdom of adopting solar and other renewable energy options. Within the European Union, renewable energy had a 24.3 percent share of the total energy produced from all sources. The amount of renewable energy produced in Europe increased by 84.4 percent between 2003 and 2013. Germany remains the leader in solar power. The renewable energy sector is almost evenly divided between modern and traditional renewable sources. Modern renewables include solar, wind, hydropower, and geothermal. Traditional renewable energy sources include biomass, which is usually employed in rural regions of developing countries. Of the global energy market share, renewables contributed an estimated 8.2 percent while traditional renewables accounted for about 8.5 percent.

The time for solar is now

Every day it seems there is another news account about the earth warming, which causes a multitude of significant issues that must be addressed as soon as possible. These problems will not be solved by the current Trump administration because this administration is dominated by climate change deniers who are intent on reversing the progressive environmental policies established by the Obama administration. But there are ways to circumvent these misguided and dangerous policies. Individual participation in clean energy is already creating momentum that is making solar energy a trendy response to climate change challenges. Now there are several important reasons to consider installing solar for your home.

Solar panels have become quite affordable

Previously, home and business owners needed a lot of money to pay the substantial initial price of solar panels, which could cost tens of thousands of dollars. Besides the considerable drop in price in recent years, a number of rebate and financing programs have put solar in reach for far more people. The US federal rebate of 30% was extended through 2019, after which it will decrease by four percent per year and then get phased out in 2022. If lawmakers have any regard for the earth, they will extend this deadline. In addition, most states and some utilities have rebate programs available, which further adds motivation for homes and businesses to invest in solar. Installers in your location can help you ascertain which programs have the greatest return for your specific situation.

Fossil fuel energy costs tend to be very volatile

Prices for fossil fuels have surged sharply in many areas, and increases are expected to continue in coming years. When making calculations about the affordability of solar, it’s important to examine how much more you might be paying for electricity 10-20 years from now. If you can install a system to cover all your energy requirements, your savings will be significant and you may be able to sell some of the surplus electricity back to the power company.

Solar technology has improved considerably over the years Technological improvements that excite people in the solar industry are the same ones that have lowered the cost of solar energy so dramatically. Derek Meyers, a solar consultant for All Energy Solar in Saint Paul, Minnesota, reports that innovations in the supporting tools used for installing solar panels have simplified the installation process, greatly decreasing installation cost. Incremental gains in panel efficiency also mean that today’s systems are better at converting solar energy into electricity. Clean energy rose at a record pace as the United States added 22GW of capacity — the equivalent of 11 Hoover Dams — to the power grid from renewable sources last year,  trumping new fossil fuel additions, according to a new report. The cost of building large utility-scale solar photovoltaic power plants has been falling by nearly fifty percent in just five years.

Renewables benefit from the slump in coal power

Renewable energy companies have also benefited from the speedy decline in coal power that has resulted from a combination of factors including stiff competition from cheap natural gas and environmental regulation. Coal-fired power plants now render only about a third of the country’s electricity compared with nearly half of the supply in 2008.

“The contributions of sustainable energy to the country’s economic competitiveness are direct, dramatic and dynamic,” says Lisa Jacobson, president of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, a non-profit that promotes market solutions to environmental issues, in a press release.

Cheap natural gas prices and expanded use of low-cost renewables has been advantageous for consumers, according to the report. Electricity costs have dropped more than two percent in real terms between 2015 and 2016 and American consumers spent less than four percent of their household spending on energy for the first time in history.

Greenhouse gases declining

Greenhouse gas emissions that create climate change declined to their lowest level in 25 years even as the economy continued to grow, according to the report. The finding is the latest testimony addressing the question policymakers long-debated about whether business growth can be disassociated from carbon dioxide emissions. Developing renewable energy technologies that employ the sun, the wind, and geothermal energy is critical to battling climate change. However, using renewable energy sources will not erase all environmental concerns. Although renewable energy sources produce tiny levels of GHG emissions and conventional air pollution, manufacturing and transporting them will produce some emissions. The production of photovoltaic (PV) cells, for instance, generates toxic materials that may contaminate water resources. Renewable energy plants can also have a disruptive effect on land use and wildlife habitat, and some technologies use significant quantities of water.

To develop sound ecological policies, legislators must understand the environmental impacts of alternative energy sources, including how the consequences of renewable energy technologies compare to those of fossil-fuel technologies and to opportunities for improvements in energy efficiency. Understanding the possible environmental impacts of renewable energy technologies is also necessary for identifying and pursuing designs, manufacturing methods, project siting, utility operations, and so on to mitigate or offset these results.

Environmental impacts of energy sources are generally graded on two scales. The first scale is the regional or national scale, which is an endeavor to characterize the impact of a typical facility for the purposes of specific comparisons and planning. Life cycle assessment (LCA), for instance, is an attempt to account for the full array of impacts correlated with all stages of an energy project, from the extraction of raw materials to the decommissioning of a facility and the disposal of plants. The second scale is on the local level, where site-specific impacts, such as impressions on wildlife and local water supplies, can be assessed. The technology currently exists to dependably produce almost half of our electricity from renewable energy sources within the next 20 years, and 80 percent by 2050.

Government incentives encourage the solar revolution

Government incentives can be an important means to speed deployment and lessen costs for clean energy technologies. Recently, there has been modest federal support for renewables like wind and solar power, but it pales in relation to the large government subsidies that continue to prop up coal, natural gas, and nuclear power. We need a fair and stable federal tax policy for renewable energy that will attract new investments and maintain the strong growth that renewables have experienced in recent years.

Production tax credit gives  support for renewables

The Production Tax Credit (PTC)—a federal incentive that gives crucial financial support for the first decade of a renewable energy facility's operation—offers a great example of the benefits of establishing smart government policies for renewable energy. The power lines, transformers, and control stations that constitute our current energy grid are old, increasingly unstable, and not sufficient to handle a significant increase in renewable energy. We must fix our nation’s electrical grid, as well as construct the transmission infrastructure needed to connect renewable energy facilities to cities and regions with large power demand. As a planet, we no longer have the luxury of disregard of environmental issues. We must learn what activities pollute and how to become a more environmentally conscious consumer. A carbon footprint is a measurement of the number of greenhouse gases produced by the activities in your daily life. The principal source of greenhouse gas is burning fossil fuels. That includes the gas in your car and the coal burned at your power manufactory. Scientists long ago learned that humans are producing more greenhouse gases than ever before. These gases trap heat in our atmosphere, causing the planet to warm up and improving our overall climate. Your carbon footprint measures the amount of potential impact your daily life has on the environment. By decreasing the amount of greenhouse gases produced by your lifestyle, you can lessen your footprint and help slow climate change on Earth.

What are sustainable resources?

The earth provides various sustainable sources of power. Accessing that energy can be problematic. Solar energy is the most popular sustainable source of energy. These resources can be used continually without ever running out. For instance, wood can be used to build structures or burned for fuel, and trees can be replanted to replace the supply of wood. Sunlight does not need to be replaced --- as long as the sun shines, we can make use of solar energy. Solar, wind, water and geothermal energy do not shoot any greenhouse gases and provide steady sources of energy, which make them vital to reduce greenhouse emissions.  Materials such as wood or ethanol are sustainable resources as well, however they spew greenhouse gases when burned.

How to manage renewables

Most of our daily ventures depend on electricity, and most of our electricity is produced by burning fossil fuels. Most power plants create electricity by burning coal or natural gas. Switching to renewable energy can be a challenge for some consumers, but it is more possible than ever before due to the declining cost of solar panels. Contact your utility company to ask about buying green power. Many utilities can sell you energy generated using sustainable methods, including solar and wind energy, through your existing power lines. When preparing to buy or build a new home, consider one built with sustainable substances including recycled wood or other "green" technologies. Decking, floors and even insulation can be formed from recycled wood and plastics. Some new homes include solar panels for lighting, heat, and cooling.

Solar energy diminishes our carbon footprint

Sustainable resources reduce your carbon footprint, but you can also help by altering some of your lifestyle choices. For instance, you might sell your gasoline-powered car and purchase an electric hybrid --- or you could save gas by carpooling to work and telecommuting when feasible. However, by far the most powerful way to lessen your carbon footprint is to install solar panels on your roof. Weatherproofing your house and changing the light bulbs and appliances to energy efficient versions lessen the amount of energy your household needs. In the final analysis, the best way to reduce your carbon footprint is with a combination of energy consciousness and sustainable resources.

These days, solar energy is the only way we will be able to fully address the climate change dilemma. There are no other renewable energy forms that are as ready to perform today. For more information, see our informative blog.

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