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Renewable energy vs. fossil fuels

Global warming is perhaps the greatest concern for energy policy officials. Renewable energy sources now compete well with fossil fuel burning energy sources. The sun is the ultimate source of energy for our planet. Its energy is found in fossil fuels as well as all living things. Harvesting its energy holds great promise for the world’s energy needs, and it will be heavily called upon as fossil fuels are depleted. There is a great deal of information and enthusiasm today about the development and increased production of our global energy needs from alternative energy sources. Solar energy, wind power, and moving water are all traditional sources of alternative energy that are making progress. 

Alternative energy sources

Alternative energy sources encompass energy that is produced from sources other than our primary energy supply: fossil fuels. Coal, oil and natural gas are the three kinds of fossil fuels that we have mostly depended on for our energy needs, from home heating and electricity to fuel for our automobiles and transportation.

Fossil fuel pollution

The problem is fossil fuels are not renewable. Fossil fuels are limited in supply and will one day be depleted. There is no escaping this conclusion. Fossil fuels formed from plants and animals that lived hundreds of millions of years ago and became buried way underneath the Earth’s surface where their remains transformed into the combustible materials we use for fuel. Despite the promise of alternative energy sources — more appropriately called renewable energy, collectively they provide only about seven percent of the world’s energy needs. This means that fossil fuels, along with nuclear energy — a controversial, non-renewable energy source — are supplying 93 percent of the world’s energy resources. Nuclear power is extremely dangerous and there is no safe way to dispose of the waste generated.

How do we eliminate the need for fossil fuels?

It is pointless to deny that fossil fuels exist, and they provide a valuable service.. Burning fossil fuels creates carbon dioxide, the number one greenhouse gas contributing to global warming. Combustion of these fossil fuels is the largest contributing factor to the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. In the 20th century, the average temperature of Earth rose 1 degree Fahrenheit (1°F). This period saw the most prolific population growth and industrial development — which was and remains totally dependent on the use of energy — in Earth’s history.

There has never been a better time to install a solar energy system!

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.