Solar power's environmental advantages

Environmental destruction remains one of the main motivations for solar power. The financial and practical benefits of installing a solar energy system are becoming more apparent as solar costs fall.  Solar panels can cover as much as 100% of your electric usage depending on the amount of roof space available, roof pitch, and other factors. For many businesses and homeowners, this is a very appealing solution to their energy needs. However, if you’re not sure about whether to get a solar system or wondering if it’s really worth the time, effort and investment, you may want to consider some other benefits of solar energy.

Not only is solar energy an incredibly beneficial financial decision for your home or business, but it can also contribute substantially to the wellness of the environment and even to public health as a whole.  To help you better understand why solar energy is good for the environment, we’ve detailed the differences between solar and traditional energy, the drawbacks of traditional fossil fuels and why solar panels are better for the environment.

Solar energy has many benefits

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Estimates state that 67 percent of the electricity generated in the United States originates from fossil fuels — 33 percent from coal, 33 percent from natural gas and another one percent from petroleum. When burned, these traditional energy sources can be used to produce electricity. However, they also produce a considerable amount of greenhouse gases. These gases get released into the atmosphere, polluting the air and trapping heat within the earth’s atmosphere. The most dangerous of these gases is carbon dioxide.

Between manufacturing, installation, operation, maintenance, and dismantling, natural gas emits between 0.6 and two pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt-hour, and coal emits between 1.4 and 3.6 pounds per kilowatt-hour. Though it may just seem like harmless smoke, these gasses can build up in the atmosphere, causing serious harm to the environment and public health.

Solar energy offers a solution

Solar energy, on the other hand, uses light collected from the sun to produce electricity. The process typically involves sunlight hitting a solar panel, where the photons of light are converted into electrons, creating electricity. This electricity can then be converted into a form useable within the building, at which point it can be immediately used. This process is quick, direct and produces little to no carbon emissions. Considering manufacturing, installation, operation, maintenance and dismantling, solar energy produces a total of 0.07 to 0.2 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt-hour, a fraction of the amount produced by fossil fuels.

The many drawbacks of traditional energy sources

While traditional energy sources have served the United States for decades, the environmental and public health problems associated with this energy source have become more pronounced as people educate themselves on solar power. Many of these issues are a result of the byproducts of the fossil fuel burning process, known as “greenhouse gases.” These issues have become more known across the globe, causing several countries to pursue alternative energy production,  in an effort to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases.

Some of the negative aspects of fossil fuel-based energy

The extraction of fossil fuels from the earth can be devastating for the local environment. Strip mining, drilling, and fracking can all have destructive impacts on the surrounding environment. Strip mining leaves ecosystems more vulnerable to catastrophic flooding, while drilling can reveal toxic minerals, contaminating groundwater.

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