Greenhouse emissions and solar

What is driving the solar revolution? Why are so many households installing solar panels on their homes? The answers are simple. Solar power saves money for the homeowner by reducing their dependence on the electric company power, but it also helps reduce pollution from the burning of fossil fuels. This is a critical part of healing the environment by reducing CO2 emissions and conserving resources through renewable energy. What is a carbon footprint? The carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual or group.  Homeowners enlarge their carbon footprint by their living habits through irresponsible home usage (such as if they use natural gas to cook their food for example), their buying habits, and other means of consumption through lifestyle.  In this way, individuals influence greenhouse emissions both directly and indirectly.

Greenhouse gases and global warming

What is a Greenhouse gas and how does it affect the environment?  Greenhouse gases are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere.  Carbon dioxide is one of these Greenhouse gases.  Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and oil.  It’s also produced as a result of certain chemical reactions.  It is reduced naturally as it is absorbed by plants as part of their life cycle.  The Greenhouse gases in trapping the heat could lead to global warming.

Solar power to the rescue

Solar power can help reduce CO2 emissions mainly by being a clean and renewable source of energy.  Solar power is not dependent on burning fossil fuels or other products. Rather, it uses electrons captured from the sun’s energy for energy creation.  Therefore, solar energy does not create greenhouse gases with energy production at your house.  Studies have shown that compared to energy production methods including coal, gas, and oil, that renewable energy such as PV (photovoltaic) solar and wind energy have a far lesser carbon footprint.  The reason renewable sources have a footprint at all is due to the emissions created during the production of the equipment during manufacturing.  The number is extremely low considering that the emissions from the one-time production of the equipment are spread out over an estimated 30 to 40-year life of the panels (for PV solar). In summary, solar power has an affordable front-end cost, saves money weekly on energy bills, and reduces the CO2 emissions that affect our environment.  An investment in solar power makes sense all around.

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.