Solar could affect the earth’s climate

The burning of fossil fuels continues to place the world in peril. It won’t be long before climate change’s dramatic events motivate us to act in dramatic fashion. Pollution is a problem that must be solved, or else we will suffer even more dire consequences than we already have. That is truly saying a lot since the earth has taken a terrible beating from the unchecked burning of fossil fuels.  Soon we are all going to have to make the switch to renewable energy because fossil fuels are nearly depleted. Unfortunately, not everyone accepts the reality of man-made global climate change. But even sustainable energy technologies may have a beneficial effect on global climate.

Studies show the many benefits of solar power

In a recent study, researchers used computerized climate models to research what would happen if the world’s entire energy source were changed to solar. The assumption was that solar panels would be introduced in most of the desert regions of the world, where the supply of sunlight is greatest, and in urban areas, where the demand for power is greatest. In locations covered by solar panels, less solar radiation becomes absorbed by the earth, because it gets absorbed by the solar panels (and converted to electricity) instead. Large-scale installation of solar panels would decrease absorption of solar radiation by up to 18% in desert areas, the researchers found. In turn, this has a kind of cascading effect on the climate. On a global level, the changes from solar panel installation are small compared to those predicted to occur due to greenhouse gases. But at a regional level, some of these climatic shifts could be important, the researchers say.

Temperatures will decrease gradually

The average temperature in desert regions would decrease by about two degrees. Desert rainfall could also decrease by over 20%, mostly because the presence of solar panels also lessens cloud cover. Researcher models suggest this desert cooling would lead to changes in wind patterns, a shift in the jet stream, and altered precipitation levels for many locations.  The study presents an extreme scenario: the researchers assumed that 100 percent of the land area in cities and deserts would be covered with solar panels, which isn’t realistic. Those solar panels would generate almost 800 terawatts of power, much more than the world’s current projected energy requirements. 

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.