Health benefits of solar energy 
 

The increased use of solar panels provides multiple health benefits to people all over our planet. Solar energy is the power provided by the sun, harnessed through technology called photovoltaic (PV) cells, which turn sunlight directly into electricity. A basic description of the “photovoltaic effect,” when sunshine hits the PV cell, the photons of light excite the electrons in the cell, causing them to flow and generate electricity.
Homeowners around the country and cities around the world are installing solar panel systems on their roofs to take advantage of this clean, renewable way to generate power.
So why should you go solar? How does it benefit you?
Here are some of the top motivations for homeowners and business owners–and even some renters–to make the switch from traditional electricity to solar power.
 
It’s good for the environment.

In contrast to conventional power, solar produces no harmful emissions that damage the environment. It’s a clean, renewable process that uses the most natural of all resources: the sun. Even the energy used to produce the PV cells is paid back soon after. Depending on the type, Energy Pay-Back Time (EPBT) for PV and CPV systems is estimated to be between 0.5 and 1.4 years. After that point, it’s all renewable, all the time.
In the U.S., fossil fuels are used to generate 68% of the electricity we consume, and the resulting emissions from the combustion of those fuels aren’t good, including:
 
Carbon dioxide (CO2) – a greenhouse gas which contributes to global warming
Carbon monoxide (CO) –
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) – causes acid rain, which is harmful to plants and to animals that live in water, also exacerbating respiratory illnesses and heart diseases
Nitrogen oxides (NOx) – contributes to ground-level ozone, which irritates and damages lungs
Particulate matter (PM) – causes hazy conditions in cities and scenic areas. Coupled with ozone it contributes to asthma and chronic bronchitis
Mercury and other heavy metals – hazardous to human and animal health
Compare all that with the emission-free technology of solar energy and solar becomes the obvious solution. 

It’s a solid home investment.

For most homeowners, the home improvements that you will make won’t add quite the equal value to your house as the money that you put into them.  Solar energy, on the other hand, will save you money from your energy bill each month.  
In addition, the investment that you make in solar, will add its exact property value–or more–to your home, should you decide to sell it later on.

A recent study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California showed buyers were willing to pay $15,000 extra for a home with an average-sized solar panel system. Not only is this likely to amount to more than your original investment, it’s a return on investment that is in addition to the money you have saved on energy all the while that you owned the house. In a challenging market, solar panels can even be the difference in selling your house or not, an added bonus that gives potential buyers a reason to consider your house over others as their next long-term home.

If you want to move into the future and join the solar revolution, or if you want to find out what solar panels are right for you, go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. You can see how much a system will cost, and how much you can save over the next 20 years. 

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