Solar power saves lives

We now have enough experience with solar power to state that the evidence is clear: the earth and all its creatures benefit from the reduction of burning fossil fuels. Scientific research is proving just how valuable solar power is. The truth is, solar is saving lives. By avoiding fossil fuels for our power needs, solar is preventing deaths from circulatory and respiratory ailments, reducing sick days and much more.

Solar energy’s health benefits

Solar power is extremely appealing for many reasons. Solar creates jobs, helps countries to develop economically, and lowers the cost of power over time. However, perhaps its greatest benefit is that it renders fossil fuel generated electricity almost unnecessary. Burning fossil fuels has a deadly cost, so solar power does and will save lives—but how can we quantify this benefit?  A 2016 study, as part of the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Sunshot Initiative, attempted to answer this question. The Sunshot Initiative’s goal is to drive down the costs of solar power to 6 cents a kilowatt and, in turn, expand solar power use to comprise greater shares of the US electricity supply: 14 percent by 2030 and 27 percent by 2050. The benefits are already beginning to be charted. Domestic air quality benefits include everything from fewer sick days from work to fewer childhood asthma attacks and fewer deaths from circulatory and respiratory ailments. If we actually achieve these Sunshot goals, the benefits will continue to grow. From 2015 to 2050, that’s a cumulative savings of ten percent of emissions from the power sector, which adds up to about $259 billion in global climate benefit. The total pollution and climate benefits will add up to at least $400 billion over that 35-year span, based on the 2016 dollar value.

The time for solar is long past here…

These massive health and environmental benefits are highly significant on their own. However, these are only a piece of solar power’s glowing record of environmental performance. The world doubled its solar capacity in 2016, mostly due to falling costs. More Americans now work in the solar industry than for Apple, Facebook, and Google combined. Elon Musk and Tesla are taking the Supercharger network off the electrical grid and going almost completely solar. There is no question that solar will soon be cheaper than coal, no matter where you live.

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.