Environmental Impacts of solar power

Pollution is causing climate change and the world is waking up to the reality of a planet’s slow demise. The sun is an enormous source of energy which has only recently been tapped into. It provides immense resources which can generate clean, non-polluting and sustainable electricity, resulting in no greenhouse gas emissions. In recent years, it was discovered that the power of the sun can be collected and stored, to be used on a global scale with the purpose of eventually replacing the conventional sources of energy. As the world is turning its focus to cleaner power, solar energy has seen a significant rise in importance.

Solar energy systems offer significant environmental benefits in comparison to conventional energy sources, thus they greatly contribute to the sustainable development of human activities. However, at times, the wide-scale deployment of such systems has to face potential negative environmental implications. These possible problems may be a strong barrier for further advancement of these systems in some consumers.

The potential environmental impacts associated with solar power can be classified according to numerous categories, some of which are land use impacts, ecological impacts, impacts to water, air, and soil, and other impacts such as socioeconomic ones, and can vary greatly depending on the technology, which includes two broad categories:
Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells or
Concentrating solar thermal plants (CSP).

Land Use and Ecological Impacts 

In terms of generating electricity at a utility-scale, solar energy facilities require large areas for collection of energy. Consequently, the facilities may interfere with existing land uses and can impact areas such as wilderness or recreational management areas. As energy systems may impact land through materials exploration, extraction, manufacturing and disposal, energy footprints can become higher. Thus, some of the lands may be utilized for energy. 

Impacts to Soil, Water, and Air Resources

The construction of solar facilities on vast areas of land requires clearing and grading, resulting in soil compaction, alteration of drainage channels and increased erosion. Central tower systems require consuming water for cooling, which is a concern in arid settings, as an increase in water demand may strain available water resources as well as chemical spills from the facilities which may result in the contamination of groundwater or the ground surface.
As with the development of any large-scale industrial facility, the construction of solar energy power plants can pose hazards to air quality. Such threats include the release of soil-carried pathogens and results in an increase in air particulate matter which has the effect of contaminating water reservoirs.

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.