Greenhouse emissions and solar energy

Solar energy has a positive impact not only on the American economy but on the world economy as well. The most obvious example is the decrease in the use of foreign imported oil as an energy source keeping that money in the United States. That decrease will have profound effects on our air quality. Solar power is on the rise and is becoming cheaper as technological improvements increase. By the end of 2016, the U.S. will be generating enough clean solar energy to power 8 million homes, helping to offset 45 million metric tons of damaging carbon emissions – the equivalent of removing 10 million cars off our roads and highways.

Solar industry adds a large number of jobs

The solar industry added 35,000 jobs in 2015, up nearly 20% from the previous year, according to the Solar Foundation, a nonprofit in Washington D.C., not funded by solar companies. Conversely, oil and gas firms eliminated nearly 17,000 extraction jobs in 2015 as energy prices continue to decline. Oil prices are down a stunning 70% in the last 18 months and hovering just over $30 a barrel, a 12-year low. There are approximately 209,000 solar energy employees in the U.S. They include solar panel installers, designers, engineers, salespeople, and managers. Today, the solar workforce is bigger than that of oil and gas construction, and nearly three times the size of the entire coal mining workforce.
These employees are primarily employed by small to middle-size companies in local communities. This huge growth has helped the creation of new jobs and provided employment for various companies involved in the renewable energy industry.

Keeping natural ecosystems in balance

There are many more ways solar energy benefits the economy, directly and indirectly. By using the sun’s power, you help keep natural ecosystems intact, reducing taxpayer-funded cleanups and potentially devastating oil spills and natural gas leaks. For many people, solar panels generate more energy than their home uses, so they can sell energy back to their local utility company. This is like having an extra paycheck every month!

There has never been a better time to install a solar energy system!

If you want to move into the future and join the solar revolution, or if you want to find out what solar panels are right for you, go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. You can see how much a system will cost, and how much you can save over the next 20 years. 

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