The United States still leads in solar innovation

Despite opposition from the Trump administration, solar power is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), it accounts for almost 66 percent of net new power capacity globally. In 2016, new solar capacity even overtook the net growth in coal, previously the largest new source of power generation. The estimated value of solar power in 2015 was $86 billion and is projected to hit $422 billion by 2022. Experts believe solar expansion to continue to grow rapidly.

Toxic fossil fuels still dominate energy production

Fossil fuels, including coal, oil and natural gas, are still the world's main energy source. However, they have very high costs in terms of damage to humans, animals, and plants.
These costs are growing rapidly and people are gradually becoming more aware of them. 
Indeed, the world has long been subject to the wars, threats of war and power plays that have accompanied oil dependency. But as renewable energy sources become more practical and affordable, more people are moving towards adopting them as a means to be more environmentally responsible while saving money.

Different types of renewable energy sources

There are several types of renewables - wind, hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal - but solar is by far the most effective. Generating wind power is more technically demanding than sola and can cause problems for native wildlife populations. Hydropower usually requires damming rivers, which cause other complications. 

Solar innovation is a major boon to mankind

It didn't take long for solar to become one of the primary energy generation methods in space. In 1964 NASA launched the first Nimbus spacecraft, a satellite able to run entirely on a 470-watt solar array. Two years later, it launched the world's first Orbiting Astronomical Observatory, powered entirely by a one-kilowatt array. To this day, US scientists and inventors are still leading the way in solar technological innovation. The most efficient solar cell technology so far, with a light-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 40.7 percent, was developed by the US Department of Energy and Spectrolab, a subsidiary of Boeing, in 2007. Today, seven of the world's top 11 solar panel manufacturers are now in mainland China. Canadian Solar, one of the remaining four, is named for where it's headquartered but it handles most of its manufacturing in China. Chinese companies account for around 60 percent of total annual solar cell manufacturing capacity globally.

Solar power is here to stay, and the sooner you explore how much you can save, the sooner you can enjoy the benefits of residential solar power. Go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. It tells you how much solar power you need, and how much you can save.

Please visit our solar blog to find out more about the benefits of going solar.