Why Solar Energy is important?
What is the reason Solar Energy is important?
The potential of solar energy to tackle a variety of global problems is the primary source of renewable energy. There are many reasons for that solar energy source being a prominent factor in the energy sector. Because it’s flexible and provides many benefits for people and our environment, the energy source is growing in popularity.
What exactly is solar energy?
Sunlight is what gives rise in solar energy. The sun powers our planet. It provides the energy necessary to maintain our environment as well as grow our population, no matter whether you know it. Its solar energy will be enough to satisfy our every need. According to the US Department of Energy estimates that 173,000 terawatts sunlight energy are absorbed by the earth each second, which is greater than 10,000 times more than the total world energy consumption. The sun can be used to generate electricity that’s free clean, renewable, and sustainable. Solar energy can be used to provide heat, light, and other electricity-dependent needs in homes and buildings.
Environmental Protection is of paramount importance
According to the U.S. Department of Energy the amount of sunlight that Earth receives in one hour is more than the energy that is consumed by all of the planet’s inhabitants for one year. Bloomberg reports that solar power was the fastest-growing sector of energy in 2015 with the growth of 33. Promoting solar energy is due to its environmental advantages.
Solar energy is safe and clean.
The safest alternative to fossil fuels such as gas and coal is solar. Solar energy can generate electricity that produces air polluting soil, water and air. According to the World Wide Fund For Nature (also known as the WWF) notes that fossil fuels can result in air pollution and acid rain, cause damage to forest areas, and impact agricultural production and result in the loss of billions of USD worldwide. Fracking in the United States uses thousands of liters of water to extract water. It can also trigger earthquakes as well as contamination of nearby water bodies. The environmental catastrophes generated by nuclear energy have caused water and land pollution. These unclean and dangerous consequences of using fossil fuels will be eliminated by the use of solar energy.
Habitat destruction prevented
To extract the raw materials like nuclear or fossil fuels, the forests of the world are destroyed. To feed their families trees continuously draw carbon dioxide out of the air and store it within their forests. This carbon sink is gone when forests are cleared for the mining of essential raw materials to produce traditional energy sources. Also, it can contribute to the climate changes. According to WWF the majority of ten land-based animals live in forests. Loss of habitats for forests could lead to a decrease in the amount of wildlife they have. It is essential to convert to solar power to preserve these habitats for wildlife that inhabit them and to maintain clean air.
Climate Change Combated
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 2017 greenhouse gas emissions were 13% lower than 2005 levels. In reality greenhouse gas emissions actually decreased by.5 percent between 2016 and 2017. Global warming and changing weather patterns are all caused by emissions. Heat waves and an increase in disease-spreading insect species can cause serious health problems, especially for older people and children.
The alteration of weather patterns has resulted in the increase of floods as well as hurricanes as a result of climate changes. An increase of carbon dioxide is causing acidification of the oceans, and the corals are dying off along with marine life. Climate change is causing the extermination of species, from the Sub-Arctic Boreal forest and the tropical Amazon forests. The melting of the polar ice cap causes a decrease in the habitat for wildlife as well as an elevation of sea levels. People are forced to relocate due to the disappearance of the coasts. In the world, irregular rain or growing droughts can affect agriculture and the livelihoods of the poorer segments of society.
Because solar power doesn’t emit carbon dioxide, it could reduce the effects of climate changes. Based on Greenpeace myth 5, (report on myths about energy) solar panels are able to offset carbon footprints within as little as four years.
and Social Benefits. and Social Benefits
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the U.S. had an installed capacity at 69.1 gigawatts (GW) which is enough to power over 13 million homes in the second quarter of the year 2019.
Small and decentralized sources of electric power
The greatest appeal of solar energy is the capacity to be produced on a smaller scale by the consumer instead of traditional energy sources that are controlled centrally by big corporations.
Photo-voltaic cells mounted on the roofs of buildings can generate electricity and heat using solar energy. As per the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) the solar energy is a distributed source of energy that is utilized by households and businesses. Based on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, there are also passive solar designs for structures that cool or heat space and solar water heating.
These systems are getting more popular to generate power at the community levels. According to the Office for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s analysis, 13 states had the capacity of 100 megawatts in the year 2015. Residential units had 2 gigawatts. Between 2010 and 2015, 100 MW of solar power plants for community use were constructed. These are vital to allow communities to operate at less cost.
EIA also states that large-scale “Solar thermal or electric plant plants create electrical energy by condensing sunlight to heat the fluid, then producing steam to power a generator.”
Because solar power is decentralized, it can be used in remote areas without a connection to grid. This is crucial for farms with greenhouses, irrigation, crop and hay dryers. As per the Union of Concerned Scientists, this is what makes agriculture secure.
Energy source that is reliable and affordable.
The price of solar systems have been reduced through advances in technology, government subsidies and policy. According to Energy.gov the cost of solar panels has dropped by 60%, and the cost of solar energy systems by half. The solar energy market is more affordable than traditional energy sources.
According to Greenpeace that the operating costs are lower and your initial expenditure is recouped , leading to savings in energy costs. According to Greenpeace’s myth-busting report (myth 1) solar energy utilizes sunlight and is free. But fossil fuels must be extracted and transported over long distances. In accordance with the Greenpeace report in the United States, the costs for dealing with environmental concerns from using “dirty power resources” are twice or more than the cost of electricity generated from conventional sources such as coal. These extra costs are able to be offset or eliminated through solar energy.
Generation of Jobs
Guardian says that the United States was the fifth-largest solar panel manufacturer in the world in the year 2016. It has also generated thousands of jobs. According to Energy.gov, solar employment has grown by 123% in the last five years. In 2015 there were 209,000 solar-related workers. The majority of solar installations were performed by small businesses. The next step was salespeople, designers and service professionals. This industry grew at a 12% faster rate than the average American employment market keeping the economy going.
Solar Energy Industry Jobs
64 percent of U.S. electricity was generated from fossil fuels, like coal, petroleum natural gas, natural gas, and various other gas. Around 19% of electricity generated was produced using nuclear energy and 17% from renewable sources. These numbers are unchanged from the year 2015. According to a Solar Foundation report, the solar industry employed 242,000 workers in the year 2018.
Solar Workforce Increasing
U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER) 2017. U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER) The number of workers employed in the traditional Energy and Energy Efficiency sector are around 6.4 millions Americans. The number of jobs that were created in 2016 was five percent higher than in the previous year, which was 300,000. In 2016, 14% of the new jobs in the U.S. were created by this sector. The industries employ 55% of the energy workers. Moreover, around 374,000 employees work part-time or full time in the solar industry. About 260,000 workers work full-time in the solar sector. The number of solar employees increased by 25% in the year 2016.
and Innovation Funding and Innovation Funding
Since 1977, in 1977 the U.S. Department of Energy has been the principal financing agency. The year 2006 saw solar power received funding of more than 150million dollars. The research into the solar energy earned $310 million in 2013, and $65 million more added in 2016. It was designed to improve effectiveness of solar panel systems, develop new solar power collectors and storage capacities, and lower the cost of electricity generation so that it is more affordable for everyone through the [xfield_companycompany.
According to MIT the research team is working to develop new photovoltaic devices. This involves cutting down on how much silicon is utilized and experimenting with various designs and forms of the panels. They also experiment with biobased material and solar panels that are not panel-less, etc.
A different option would be to improve the capacity of batteries to store energy in order to conserve excess solar energy for future use. This can increase efficiency and ensure continuous supply. The combination of lithium-ion batteries with software, and new “polymer supercapacitors that are hybrid”, would help to lower costs.
Five Reasons to Support Solar Energy
Numerous businesses and homeowners are switching to solar power due to various reasons. There are numerous benefits for solar power, and not just for the individual, but for the whole planet. These are only some of the reasons why you should support solar power.
1. It’s great for the environment.
Solar energy is more environmentally friendly in comparison to traditional electricity. It doesn’t rely on fossil fuels and does not pollute the water or air. This makes solar energy a more suitable option for a lot of. Solar energy uses the earth’s natural resources while traditional electricity depletes or harms them.
2. It is a reliable and cost-effective energy source
The sun is a renewable energy source. While fossil fuels will eventually exhaust their energy but sunlight will not. Solar energy is therefore highly reliable. It’s also cheaper than fossil fuels, which are costly to extract and then use. For the best results only require an installation of solar panels once.
3. It can save you money in the long-term
The cost of installing solar panels and solar electric systems has slowed in recent years, some people are still hesitant to invest into solar power. It is important to keep in mind that installing solar panels is a once-off event. However, paying for electricity is an ongoing, expensive, and frequent expense, particularly in light of rising electricity rates. You will be able to reduce your expenses when you invest in solar electricity.
4. Solar Power creates jobs and boosts economic growth
Did you have the knowledge that US solar industry generates more jobs per average than any other industry? According to The Solar Foundation’s latest National Solar Jobs Census report solar energy is responsible for seventeen times the number of jobs as does all other industries in the US total economy. There were 250,000 workers within the solar energy sector as of 2019.
5. It helps to ensure energy independence.
Energy independence is the ability to not depend on the grid to get energy. This method leaves you vulnerable to price increases and can cause power interruptions on Long Island and New York City. There could be problems if there is no other way to provide power to your home. If you have backup batteries and solar pv panels, you’ll be able to avoid being tied to unstable power grids when you need it most.
