Solar power and fossil fuels

The solar industry is growing substantially every year, while fossil fuels continue to be phased out. This is why it can be disheartening to hear people say that renewable energy is not ready to compete with fossil fuels as a means to power our country. Here are some reasons why solar is already winning. 

Solar jobs are being created at a rapid rate

There are more people in the U.S. employed in the solar energy marketplace than coal mining. The specious argument that transitioning to a clean energy economy will cost us employment opportunities is completely false. Solar is growing more than 10 times faster than the American economy. Solar already employs more than the coal industry, and that gap is widening. In 2012, solar added 14,000 new jobs, up 36 percent from 2010 and the industry will add another 20,000 jobs this year. The fossil fuels industry cut 4,000 jobs last year. So when it comes to employing Americans, solar is a winning strategy.

Price of solar panels keeps dwindling

The price of solar panels has been dropping consistently over the last three decades, and in the last few years, that drop has been meteoric. In the last 35 years, prices have gone from $75/watt to around $.75/watt. Since 2008, the cost of coal has risen 13 percent. Lower prices for solar panels means more homeowners are seeing the wisdom of installing a solar energy system for their homes.

The prohibitive costs of fossil fuels on our environment

Burning fossil fuels impose many problems on the rest of society, that aren’t paid by fossil fuel companies (called externalities by economists). The Harvard Medical School estimates that burning coal in the U.S. costs $500 billion in environmental and health damage. If those costs were passed on as taxes on coal plants, the price of coal would more than double. Clearly, solar power is the only responsible method of tackling the global warming threat for the long term.

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.