It Is A Cleaner Energy Source
By installing solar panels on your home, you have a green energy source that does not contaminate the environment with pollutants. Considering the alternative, where the electric power sector contributes up to 28% of all emissions nationwide, having solar energy leads to a much lower carbon footprint.
Decrease Economic Dependence Of A Country
Going solar will lead to more companies going into the business of installation of this will lead to a chain of events that will lead to a source of gainful employment.
Switching to solar power will also reduce the dependence of a country on other oil exporting countries, this gives a country energy dependence as this country wouldnt have to neglect their values and laid down laws that might not support the bad practices or hazardous practice of their suppliers.
Solar Panels Are A Source Of Employment
With the increased growth rate of the manufacture and installation of a solar panel by many solar panel dealers, there has been a great challenge on skilled and experienced laborers.
As a result, many individuals have been employed in this manufacturing and installing companies.
Since the rate of using solar panels is also rising every single day, more people will get a .
To add to this, the salaries of the people who are working in the solar panel manufacturers and installation companies are always very high.
The wages have played a significant role in improving their living standards and thereby improving the economic growth rate of their country.
Solar panels create employment in both rural and urban areas unlike other sources of power like electricity where you find that its only the people who live in the rural areas have to access to electricity, and the people from those rural areas can neither access power nor be part of the employees in the electricity companies.
When people export solar panels, the exporters also earn income from their exports while their country earns taxes from the exportation fees.
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Production Of Solar Panels Has A Carbon Footprint
Although environmental concerns tied to the production of solar panels are currently being addressedwith signs of progress in the coming yearsthe amount of harmful greenhouse gases released while manufacturing solar panels is notable. Similarly, there are not widespread methods for recycling solar panels.
According to a report from the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, the average energy payback time for solar panels is between one and four years, depending on the type of system. That means that the energy expended while making solar panels will be made up for within four years of use. Considering solar panels can last between 30 and 40 years, that still leaves a long lifespan that does much more good than harm.
Solar Power For The Home: Costs
Solar power is capital intensive, and the main cost of owning a system comes upfront when buying the equipment. The solar module will almost certainly represent the largest single component of the overall expense.
Other equipment necessary for installation includes an inverter , metering equipment , and various housing components along with cables and wiring gear.
Some homeowners also consider battery storage. Historically, batteries have been prohibitively expensive and unnecessary if the utility pays for excess electricity that is fed into the grid . The installation labor cost must also be factored in.
In addition to installation costs, there are some further costs associated with operating and maintaining a PV solar array. Aside from cleaning the panels regularly, inverters and batteries generally need replacement after several years of use.
While the above costs are relatively straightforwardoften a solar installation company can quote a price for these for a homeownerdetermining subsidies available from the government and/or your local utility can prove more of a challenge. Government incentives change often, but historically, the U.S. government has allowed a tax credit of up to 30% of the system’s cost.
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Solar Panel Carbon Print
Greenhouse gas emission is responsible for over 72 grams of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to a kWh of electricity generated.
Any solar power plant also has an average environmental footprint of about 20gm of CO2 for every kilowatt-hour of electricity generated on top of consuming large water amounts. This is way low than the carbon print effect by regular electricity production.
During the production of solar panels, manufacturers handle toxic chemicals. However, once the panels are complete, they emit no toxins into the atmosphere.
Gismo Labs Innovative Plan To Make Electricity Cheaper Greener And More Reliable
The impacts of local weather change are pushing electrical grids all over the world to their limits. Final yr, an unprecedented polar vortex triggered customers in Texas to crank up their thermostats and overwhelm the ability grid, leading to days-long energy outages. And in California, energy is preemptively shut off throughout excessive fire-risk climate situations.
To fight the electric grids vulnerabilities whereas additionally decreasing reliance on non-renewable sources of energy, researchers on the Division of Energys SLAC Nationwide Accelerator Laboratory have developed expertise that robotically adjusts a houses energy dissipate or down in response to fluctuating costs which are established by real-time market demand.
The expertise, referred to as the Transactive Energy Service System or TESS, additionally distributes energy throughout the grid to the areas the place it is wanted most, rising the resiliency of the grid whereas saving each the buyer and the electrical firm cash.
TESS was put in in 4 houses final month for the systems first residential check, and it is scheduled to be deployed in a whole bunch of houses within the northeastern U.S. over the subsequent two years. All the test-site houses are in economically deprived areas, to exhibit how TESS is an inexpensive, environment friendly manner to supply energy fairness.
Coordinating information throughout the cloud
Placing TESS to the check
Making clear energy obtainable to all
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Pros And Cons Of Solar Panels For Your Home
Like most things, solar power has its benefits and drawbacks. At the same time, some economic costs may be defrayed by the social benefits to the environment and lowering your carbon footprint, which exceeds pure monetary evaluation.
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Green energy that lowers your carbon footprint
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Net metering allows you to sell back excess energy produced
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You may be eligible for certain tax breaks
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Installation and maintenance costs still high
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Solar only works when the sun is out
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Parts of the system need to be replaced every few years
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Some tax breaks may have expired or will be expiring
Solar Energy Saves Money Long
After overcoming the initial installment costs for solar panels, they quickly work toward paying for themselves: Solar panels can last 25 years or longer. On average, homeowners who install solar panels will break even between six and 10 years due to utility bill savings. From there on out, those savings can go straight to the bank.
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Solar Energy Is Environmentally Friendly
According to the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, using solar energy minimizes the amount of carbon and pollutants generated. That translates to cleaner air, fresher water and more environmental stability for future generations. Better yet, unlike the widespread energy grid that is reliant on non-renewable resources like oil and gas, solar energy is renewablemeaning well never run out of it.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Solar Energy
Like everything else, solar energy has some minor disadvantages.
Yes, all the disadvantages of solar energy are minor if you already know that current energy sources that we use harm our environment.
The biggest issue with these disadvantages is the cost of the initial installation of solar panels.
If youre planning to install solar panels in your home, you should consider buying them from a government-based company.
Most countries are giving special discounts and installment plans if youre planning on moving into a solar-powered life.
If youre living in the UK, you can look into Empower Energy, Green power, or SOLARBLOC vendors who offer very reasonable prices on solar panel installation.
Weather dependency will be the second most affecting issue when youre using solar energy.
Since solar energy depends on sunlight, you may not be able to save sufficient energy during daylight if you have rainy or cloudy weather.
But in most cases, you can still save some energy, even with a slight amount of sunlight.
Space is going to be another highly significant fact that you should be looking into when youre planning to install solar panels.
If you can install large-capacity solar panels, you can save more energy to use for your day-to-day activities.
But the bigger the panels, the bigger the space that is required to install them.
This wont be a bigger issue since you will be installing solar panels on the roof most of the time.
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Solar Panels Are Durable
Any solar panel that you will purchase or you have purchased has been built in a way that it must last for a very long period.
Solar panels are irresistible to strong winds and also drop of rains when they are on the rooftops.
Most solar panels have several layers of silicon that are laminated in tempered and durable glass which makes the solar panels very tough and long lasting.
Although when purchasing a solar panel you are given a warranty of about 25 or 30 years, this does not mean that after that time the solar panel can have any issues.
The solar panel can last for a very long period without having any damage to it.
They might become old with time, but they do not wear out or even begin working poorly.
They still work as if they are still new.
However, your solar panel can have some problems, but once its repaired, it goes back to average performance.
You Can Use Your Solar Panels Even Without Sunlight
Many people think that solar panels only work when the sun is scorching during the day and fails to light or even do any powered job you want to do.
However, at night, there is no sunlight, but the solar panels can convert and store the little light to energy for use.
Since most solar panels have batteries which act as energy banks, they have enough light to be used at night or any other time when there is no sunlight.
The cells which stores solar energy converts the energy they have to electricity and can be stored for use when required later.
Most street lights use solar panels, and because they have power batteries they conserve the energy from the sun during the day, and then they transform it to electricity which is used for lighting at night when there is no sunlight at all.
Since the solar panels can be used even at night, it is possible for a consumer to use the solar energy as electricity to do any work they want at any time of the day or night without any worry of bills or the sun.
As a result, most people who use solar panels can switch their lights on anytime for use, whether its at night or daytime.
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Reduces Your Electric Bill
One of the biggest benefits of solar panels is that they can provide you substantial savings on your electric bill. Many states require utilities to offer net metering, which allows homeowners to offset their electric costs with the energy their solar panels produce.
They can then sell that excess energy to the utility. This will usually be added onto their electric bills as a credit that can then be used to offset future electricity costs.
In many states, adding solar panels to your home can bring in electric bill savings of well over $1,000 per year. Residents of California who go solar save an average of $99,181 over the lifetime of their solar system!
Make Human Health A Priority
Relating to human health since the environmental pollution is reduced greatly, the air we breathe will be cleaner and less toxic also ozone layer depletion which will have increased through natural resources emission will be reduced greatly.
A survey carried out in the US has shown that fossil fuels generate more than 60% of the electricity consumed, combustion of these fuels leads to the release of the following gases:
- Carbon monoxide- can cause nausea, headache, vomiting.
- Oxides of Nitrogen- causes damage to the lungs which is caused by an increase in ground-level ozone
- Mercury and other heavy metals- dangerous to human and animals
- Carbon dioxide- This gas is a greenhouse gas that is capable of depleting the existing ozone layer leading to exposure to harmful rays from the sun.
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Reasons Why Solar Panels Need To Be Cleaned Regularly
Many solar panel owners ignore the importance of the cleaning their panels regularly. If you dont do this often enough, the performance of your system will be decreased because of the repelling layer of grime on them. For this reason, periodical cleaning is extremely important if you want maximum results.
Following are 7 reasons why you should clean your solar panels regularly:
It Can Reduce Your Energy Bills
Solar energy has the potential to reduce or even eliminate your energy bills. This is the key reason why many homeowners have opted to install solar energy systems. Whether you are using the sun for power generation or for heating water, it can significantly reduce how much you pay to your utility company.
This is one of the key benefits of solar and has transformed the lives of many people all over the world.
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Reap The Environmental Benefits Of Solar With Vivint Solar
We love solar power here at Vivint Solar. And the environmental benefits of solar power are a big part of that. And hopefully weve helped you learn a thing or two about the benefits of solar energy.
Whether youre looking to do your part in making the world a greener, place or you simply want to save money on your utility bills, Vivint Solar can help you.
Contact one of our solar reps today to find out whether a solar energy system is the right choice for you!
Get Free Quotes On Solar Power
We are here to help you and best match your needs! Whether youre interested in solar energy or solar thermal or simply not sure which option is the best for you. Let us know your needs and preferences on the top of this page. We will then contact you to ask some further questions and connect you with our professional suppliers. You will get up to 4 non-binding quotes for free!
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Improves Humanitys Health In The Long
Weve already mentioned how the US Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy believes that a solar energy system can help us reduce water scarcity, but in that same report, the office also estimates that cleaner air could have a positive effect on mankinds health. In fact, they estimate that we could save more than 25,000 lives.
Thats because with cleaner air comes cleaner lungs.
Disposal Of Old Solar Panels Can Be Harmful To The Environment
Unfortunately, when we dispose of old solar panels it requires them to be melted down which can produce some harmful chemicals in the process.
Not only this, but it can be harmful to the local area that this occurs in. Mostly you will see solar panels back at landfill sites which is better than burning.
One good thing is that usually solar panels will last around 15-25 years so there isnt an abundance of old panels causing issues.
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The Sun Has Many Other Natural Benefits
Last in our list is the natural benefits the sun has on our planet. We often overlook this aspect, but the importance of solar energy on the earth is a vital area we should consider.
The sun supports life on earth in many different ways. It helps to grow our crops in order to provide food, supports the habitats of many living creatures and also provides light and warmth, helping us to see and stay warm.
To sum up, solar energy is essential in helping to support life on earth.
Benefits Of Residential Solar Electricity
Solar energy is sustainable, renewable, and plentiful. As the cost of using solar to produce electricity goes down each year, many Americans are increasingly switching to solar. Now, there are over a million solar installations across the country. Below are additional benefits of switching to solar electricity.
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Disadvantages Of Solar Energy
There are not many disadvantages to solar energy that we can come up with.
As mentioned above, this specific form of energy is beneficial in almost every way.
The one thing which we can say can be counted as a disadvantage is that the sun does not shine 24 hours a day.
There are times when the weather turns cloudy, or its rays get heavily blocked, which leads them not to be able to reach the earths surface, and due to that very reason, the solar panels stop producing electricity.
In other words, we can say that a user of these solar panels cannot be dependent on then all the time.
Solar panels being large, they consume a lot of space for their efficiency.
The sun doesnt shine in the night, of course, which leads to the user being forced to purchase a large battery bank to store power for later use.
Coming towards the use of solar panels in cars and other automobiles, solar energy is not that efficient as that of a vehicle using petrol or other fossils as they dont have the same speed and power as a typical fossil or gas-powered car does.
Solar panels are no doubt an excellent invention of the century and have provided many ease.
Still, due to the lack of technology, its very costly and is not affordable by everyone.
To draw to your attention, there is a thousand time more solar power that comes in contact with the earths surface than the amount that is being used by the worlds population.
