Going Green: Why Solar Energy is Good for the Earth
The sun is by far the most abundant, renewable, and eco-friendly source of energy available. There are copious amounts of benefits that are involved when switching to solar, but since Earth Day is right around the corner, we wanted to celebrate by sharing how going solar is a great way to go green.
Cleaner Air
Electricity production is the cause of a large portion of the total carbon emissions in the United States. Going solar dramatically cuts back on your household output of CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions. A modestly sized solar system can reduce your emissions of these toxic gases up to 80%, and in many cases even more.
Just how much of a difference does one household going solar make? A household of just 2 people can reduce their carbon emissions by 3 to 4 tons each year on average by switching to a solar power system*.
Less Water Usage
How much water is required on average to power a typical household per day? For a house powered by a nuclear power plant, it is over 600 gallons, for a coal-fired power plant around 200 gallons, and a natural gas power plant, it is around 114 gallons.
But what about solar? Zero gallons. Though minimal water is required to produce solar panels, the panels themselves do not rely on or require water to function and produce energy. This means once the system is installed, there is no water required for at least 25 years or more to produce energy through your solar system. There’s no need to compete with drinking systems, agriculture demand, and other water needs that are vital to your local environment.
Helps Fight Against Climate Change
Solar energy is the best replacement versus older energy technology to fight climate change. Human behavior has increasingly had negative impacts on the world around us.
Burning fuels to produce energy lets off chlorofluorocarbons that clog the atmosphere, we cut down trees that are what help produce clean air we need to breathe, and that only scratches the surface on the damage we’re doing. The negative effects of these actions are evident, winter has increasingly grown shorter, glaciers are melting rapidly, and we can see in day to day life that we are not treating our planet how we should in order to maintain its health.
Luckily, we have an endless supply of fuel and energy given to us by the sun, and with solar power we can properly harvest this energy and supply power that doesn’t require burning fuels, killing trees, or putting off any pollution. The world has supplied us with the most clean and abundant source of energy, we mind as well use it!
Better for Public Health
We’ve covered why going green through going solar is good for individual households and the planet as a whole, but how does it fare for public health? Its impact is much bigger than you may first think.
Solar panels help lower the amount of hazardous waste that many other forms of energy production cause. Respiratory issues, cancers, and cardiovascular problems are all serious issues caused by common pollutants that older energy productions emit. Solar energy does not emit any pollutants. Less toxic output in an area leads to healthier residents and a healthier you!
In Conclusion
Cleaner air, less water usage, a healthier planet, and people. That is what solar energy is all about. We’re proud to be part of an industry that helps make such a massive impact on our world. If you’re interested in hearing more about how you can help the world by going solar, contact us anytime at 727-300-1515 or sales@floridasolar.solar.
* The US Green Building Council