Clean energy and solar power

The climate science has proven conclusive once again and the researchers report to an apathetic world concerned only with the present time. What kind of world are we going to leave to the next generation? While climate scientists overwhelmingly promote the increased production of solar energy systems, the world resumes burning alarming amounts of fossil fuels. The scientific consensus is plainly obvious: our climate is changing at a deadly and unprecedented rate. Yearly, we see more harsh impacts, including further intense droughts, floods, and wildfires; lowered agricultural yields; rising sea levels; and acidifying oceans. Motivating these changes is a warming climate created by man-made pollutants in the atmosphere. This is happening from escalating greenhouse gas emissions originating from power plants, transportation, industry, and deforestation.

Economic impacts of climate change are truly staggering

If you live in a coastal area, climate change effects may be detected faster than other areas. The most vulnerable communities will bear the consequences of climate change, both around the world and here in the United States. However, the economic repercussions of rising seas, more extreme weather, and damaged ecosystems will affect everyone. In many locations, harsh impacts have already arrived: one need only look to the Arctic, which is warming faster than any place on earth, to see a precursor of the future. The rapid ice melt is uncovering undreamed of dangers below the permafrost.

Solar will help alleviate the most dramatic impacts of global warming

Climate scientists tell us if we want to bypass the worst impacts and major economic losses, we must lower our emissions significantly and as soon as possible. Consequently, all nations must act together to address this global conundrum. The world wants continued US leadership on climate change here at home and continued cooperation with our partners around the globe. But it's 2018 and we have a global warming denier in the White House. The mid-term elections are coming up soon and could help reverse the Neanderthal environmental policies enacted by Trump. The good news is that this huge challenge also presents a tremendous opportunity: by tackling this dilemma presently, we can help our economy and transform our nation into a clean energy superpower – creating millions of good paying jobs and increasing our energy security. The bad news is the Trump administration believes in fossil fuels. The transformation to alternative energy is already underway globally. The US can choose to continue to lead it or be left behind. Congress and the new administration must take action on climate change but real progress is unlikely for a while.

Solar scratches so many itches

For many different reasons, an increasing amount of households are choosing to install solar panels on their home to help lessen their energy costs. By using the power that you’ve generated on your own roof, you can save hundreds annually and become less reliant on the power grid. However, solar power is also a comprehensive sustainable, green energy choice. Solar energy doesn’t only have the benefit of subduing your electricity bills; it also has wide-ranging benefits for our planet. Some of the key benefits of solar energy in the environment comprising:

Using less water for many energy processes

Water is one of our most precious natural resources. People in the midwest and eastern parts of the United States might be surprised to learn that we live on one of the driest continents on the planet, and we run the risk of running out of fresh water in the future. Conventional electricity production can use thousands of gallons of water every year. Water is used for cooling generators, processing, and refining fuel and conveying fuel through pipes. Generating power through solar panels, however, uses no water whatsoever. The operation of solar photovoltaic cells doesn’t require water at all to generate electricity, overcoming the strain on this precious resource. The only water needed is rainwater to easily clean the panels periodically.

Reducing air pollution is the goal

The air we breathe can help or hamper our health and wellbeing. Electricity generation from fossil fuels can generate dangerous carbon dioxide and methane gases that lower the quality of the air we breathe. Breathing poor quality air on a daily basis can have terrible consequences for our health. Air pollution has been linked to asthma and allergies, bronchitis, pneumonia, headaches, anxiety, heart attacks and even some cancers. Using the sun to generate progressively more of our power means less and less harmful emissions from combusting fossil fuels. Generating electricity from solar panels produce no harmful emissions, and the more homes and businesses that depend on solar power means less toxic emissions from fossil fuels into our air

Subduing your household’s carbon footprint

Solar energy is one of the cleanest sources of energy, and it’s an extremely effective way of making your household more efficient and sustainable. Solar panels don’t use any water to produce electricity, they don’t issue harmful gases into the environment, and the source of their energy is plentiful and, best of all, free. Using solar energy instead of the grid also means you decrease the need for carbon dioxide emitting energy to be generated for the grid on your behalf.

Reducing our dependence on fossil fuels is now extremely important

Solar energy supplies are gargantuan. If we could harness all of the sunlight shining on the earth for just one hour, we could utilize that energy to power the entire world for a whole year. The sunshine used in solar energy production is free, and we have an unlimited supply. On the other hand, fossil fuels are running out, and fast. Reducing our reliance on these finite resources and taking advantage of an ample, free source of energy, such as sunlight, could mean lower energy prices, diminished greenhouse gas emissions and a stronger, more stable energy future. Solar power has wide-ranging advantages for our planet, especially when it comes to our environment. From reducing greenhouse gases, enhancing our air quality and conserving our precious water, solar energy can help to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and reduce energy prices for years to come.

We are dependent upon dirty energy even after all the warnings

Modern society remains extremely dependent upon electricity generated by oil and coal, which add to greenhouse gas accumulation in our environment. Our homes, vehicles, and technologies require enormous amounts of energy, yet fossil fuel supplies are finite. Sunshine is the sustainable resource that can be counted on for as long as the earth is in existence. Solar energy is pervasive throughout many parts of the United States. In a single day, the amount of sunlight catching the United States is more than 2,500 times the entire country's daily power usage. From an energy security and sustainability perspective, it seems logical to utilize as much free solar energy as feasible.

Solar energy will be the wave of the future

Fortunately, there are many technologies used to produce electricity from solar energy. Many homes and businesses install photovoltaic panels, which receive sunlight and use semiconductors to create energy. Larger facilities use panels, too, but others deploy concentrated solar power, which uses lenses or mirrors focused to a small section, where the tremendous heat is turned into electricity. Both technologies help the environment because they lessen the need to burn fossil fuels. That means a correlating reduction in air pollution and greenhouse gases. Because they don't have many moving parts, they're quieter, too.

Despite the ultimate warming of the planet, many politicians continue to expand fossil fuel drilling in sensitive domains. Fossil fuel use is integrated into the daily lives of American culture. Natural gas, petroleum, and coal together accounted for more than 80 percent of energy use in the United States in 2012. Moreover,, more than 5 gigawatts of solar power capacity was scheduled to come online in 2013 -- about as much capacity as was added for coal factories over a nearly 20-year span. The characteristics of solar power and fossil fuels encourage the desire to adopt a particular energy source for a specific application, and they also limit the possible purposes of a specific energy source.

Energy Density

Energy density is a measure of how much energy you can extract from a particular source on each square meter. It's not a precise comparison, because energy sources are so different from each other that the calculations aren't directly comparable. Fossil fuels are far higher in energy mass than solar power. That's why you don't see solar panels powering too many cars: gasoline provides much more energy than could be furnished from solar panels on a car.

Availability of various resources

Coal, natural gas and petroleum are all cases of fossil fuels whose energy density is much greater than that of solar energy. Unfortunately, all three kinds of fossil fuels must be mined or extracted from under the ground -- an expensive, and sometimes risky, task. But once the fossil fuel is extricated and delivered, it can be used anytime. For example, you can drive your car in the afternoon or evening, or bake a cake at noon or midnight. Solar energy is only possible when the sun is shining. Short winter days, cloudy weather and the rising and setting of the sun all limit the availability of solar power. To make solar power accessible at other times you need to have some way of storing the energy -- which are currently available but at a high price. Storage batteries are becoming increasingly available and technological breakthroughs are possible in the near term.

More than twenty years have passed since diplomats from around the world appeared from a conference hall in Kyoto, Japan.  What came from this important meeting? The meeting produced the first deal ever to restrict carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases. All but one of the world’s nations — the United States — have enlisted in the cause, making imposing commitments to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.

Global carbon-dioxide emissions have finally quit rising. The use of coal in China may have peaked. The price of wind turbines and solar panels is dropping quickly, putting renewable energy within the reach of smaller budgets in countries of the developing world. But the Chinese have commissioned new coal and solar plants. To say that's indicative of a confused energy policy is an understatement.

Over the past ten years, governments and private investors have spent $2 trillion on infrastructure to collect electricity from the wind and the sun, according to estimates. Capacity from renewable sources has expanded by leaps and bounds, outpacing increases from all other sources — including coal, natural gas, and nuclear power — in recent years.

Analysis of carbon intensity

Environmental Progress performed an analysis of the evolution of the carbon intensity of energy in 67 countries since 1965. It found no correlation between the expanding of solar and wind power and the carbon intensity of energy: Despite additions of renewable capacity, carbon intensity stayed flat. Some nations have defeated the trend. Denmark has dramatically cut its carbon production with vast installations of wind turbines. But Germany’s experience seems to be more typical.

Nuclear power faces hurdles beyond popular mistrust. Notably, reactors require a lot of capital up front. Nuclear waste storage continues to be a political “hot potato” that nobody wants to solve.

Cost is a concern for renewables

The price of turbines and solar panels is falling, but the cost of integrating these intermittent sources of energy — on when the wind blows and the sun shines; off when they don’t — is not. This alone will somewhat curtail the climate benefits of renewable power. But the bottom line remains: climate experts continue to warn us of colossal consequences if we continue to burn fossil fuels at the rate we are currently going. The good news is that every solar installation helps to cut greenhouse emissions. The bad news is that we need millions of like-minded consumers to install solar to make a dent in the problem. Who is up for some solar?

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