Solar power and the environment

Scientists who specialize in climate have reported about the devastating consequences of global warming. There is an ongoing debate between solar energy and fossil fuels. It’s clear that fossil fuels are a finite resource slated to last another 50 years at current projections. Fossil fuels need to be phased out gradually since the world is still dependent upon these dirty sources of energy. In reality, these resources still power most of the planet,  while renewable resources like solar and wind only contribute a small percentage of global energy capacity. 

Solar energy vs fossil fuels

In terms of environmental impact, solar power is a dramatically cleaner and more efficient resource than fossil fuels. Coal and natural gas have the edge in current availability. The most accurate way to compare solar energy to fossil fuels is by cost, where solar has quickly caught up with its filthy counterparts.

Is solar power cheaper than coal and other fossil fuels?

Comparing the cost of various energy sources is not a simple exercise. Government subsidies play a major role in shaping the growth potential for a new power source. This means that making a direct comparison of the costs of solar energy vs. fossil fuels side-by-side is a complicated task. When we compare the cost of solar energy vs. fossil fuels, we have to factor in the subsidies that drive renewable investment in the United States. In the case of solar power, the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) covers nearly a third of any U.S. solar installation and will do so until 2021 for the residential sector. The commercial sector will retain a permanent 10 percent tax credit for solar. Renewable energy skeptics have criticized the ITC for being a costly taxpayer-funded stimulus. The reality is that this short-lived subsidy represents only a small amount of the money that U.S. taxpayers are spending each year to subsidize fossil fuels. Without any subsidies, solar is likely the cheapest energy source in the world, as demonstrated by record-low power purchase agreements in countries like the United Arab Emirates and Chile. Solar’s trend toward low cost is likely to continue: unlike oil, gas, and coal, solar PV is a technology, not a fuel – meaning that its costs will continue to drop every year as research continues and technology improves.

Best way to compare solar and fossil fuels

The best way to compare solar energy and fossil fuels without subsidies is to examine global energy prices. Global coal prices have averaged $0.06 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Until the past decade, no alternative energy resource came close to rivaling that price. Fossil fuel steam averages around $0.05 cents/kWh and small-scale natural gas can go as low as $0.03 cents/kWh. It’s no wonder that the world was shocked in 2016 when a major commercial solar installation bid the lowest price for PV to date at $0.029 cents per kWh – effectively leveling the playing field between solar and fossil fuels’ cheapest offerings.

Consequently, the discussion of whether solar is cheaper than coal has already become an outdated debate. Today, energy companies are developing solar PV projects that can deliver energy at fifty percent of the cost of coal. That’s a major factor in the costly negative impacts of coal – such as heavy carbon pollution, strip mining, and mountaintop removal.

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.