Solar and personal responsibility

This summer, the weather news has been dominated by reports of climate-related events all over the globe. Floods, hurricanes, wildfires, droughts and more are inundating various regions and making it clear global warming is here to stay. News reports of multiple fatalities related to overheating are becoming more common every day. Japan reports the highest temperatures since the country began keeping meteorological records. Heat waves in Canada and Europe have claimed the lives of many vulnerable people mostly the very old and the very young. But there are many reasons to install a solar energy system in your home. Wise home and business owners utilize solar not just for its financial benefits, but because it’s the right thing to do. Switching to solar energy improves local and global environmental conditions in many ways and it makes you less vulnerable to the power outages caused by weather.

Here are some environmental benefits of solar energy:

Zero mercury emissions. Many bodies of water carry enough mercury to cause safety concerns. Did you know that the primary source of mercury pollution is coal-fired power plants? Solar panels don’t cause this type of pollution.

No acid rain. Fossil fuels contain small quantities of sulfur. When burned, these can travel significant distances before reacting in the atmosphere to form sulfuric acid — harming forests, cropland, lakes, and rivers. Solar panels have no discharges and don’t contribute to this problem. Are you seeing a pattern yet?

No smog. Coal burning power plants emit gases that lead to the formation of unhealthy smog. Not so with solar. Solar panels have no emissions and produce their electricity with no noise or toxic effects whatsoever.

No local airborne particulates. Because solar panels generate energy without burning anything, they do not release harmful particulates into the atmosphere. Fossil fuel combustion is not a sustainable practice in any sense of the word.

Reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Manufacturing and transporting any product creates emissions. Solar panels are one of the few that mitigate their own impact. Studies have shown that at least 89 percent of damaging emissions from electricity generation are eliminated by transitioning to solar.

No thermal pollution. Many traditional power plants are cooled by water from nearby lakes and streams. When this heated water is returned, it can raise the temperature of the water enough to disrupt aquatic ecosystems.

No radioactive waste. Some claim that nuclear power is “clean energy” because its operation does not produce carbon emissions. However, it generates hazardous radioactive nuclear waste that stays toxic for millennia. Solar energy doesn’t cause this problem.

Minimal impact on the landscape. Unlike power plants, solar panels can be installed unobtrusively on already existing structures. They can also be installed next to a dwelling if there's an obstruction in another part of the property.

Safe for wildlife. Because solar panels have no moving parts and no emissions once installed, they pose no harm to birds or other wildlife. Windmills have been reported to be hazardous to bird populations.

Reduces need for additional fossil fuel power plants. Growth in demand for electricity is predicted to continue to rise through 2040 and probably beyond due to population growth. The more power generated locally by solar panels, the less new conventional plants will need to be built.

Encourages wise energy use. To get the most from their solar electric systems and minimize the use of conventional electricity, many solar homeowners install energy-saving appliances and other devices.

Now is the time to install a solar energy system!

For more information relating to going solar, don't forget to visit our solar blog section for more handy guides and articles

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