5 Environmental Benefits of Solar Energy
There are plenty of different reasons why solar energy is so great. But some of the best benefits of solar energy are environmental benefits. There are some financial benefits to solar, such as lowering your electric bill. There are some other benefits as well. Some people just like the idea of being more energy independent. They like that they don’t have to depend as much on the grid for their energy needs.
Here are five of the environmental benefits of solar energy:
Reduces Air Pollution
Fossil fuels create a lot of pollutants. We’re not even talking about carbon dioxide and climate change. If you’ve ever been to California, New York, China, or anyplace whose geography consists of mountains and valleys, you’ve seen what dirty air looks like.
Smog is bad for the environment, it’s bad for our health, and it’s bad for aesthetics. When pollutants get trapped in the air, everything just looks worse.
Solar panels help get rid of air pollution. Sure, a truck has to deliver the solar energy system to your house, but after that, your solar panels create clean energy that won’t contribute to air pollution.
Reduce Water Usage
If your energy source doesn’t use fossil fuels to power itself, it probably uses some sort of water. Hydropower and nuclear energy both use a lot of water to produce electricity. But that means that water can’t be used for something else. With dams, there’s the additional problem that damming water will have a significant impact on the local ecosystem.
Solar panels create energy without water. In fact, the US Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy believes that solar energy could help drop water consumption in at least 36 states. This would help solve our water scarcity issue.
Reduces Dependence On Nonrenewable Energy Sources
We already mentioned how some people enjoy solar energy because they like being energy independent. But solar can also help reduce our dependency on nonrenewable sources of energy in general. This is great for so many reasons.
First and foremost, those nonrenewable energy resources create a lot of the pollutants that are in our air. Second, nonrenewable resources are nonrenewable because they will, eventually, run out. The sooner and more fully we can make the transition to renewable energy, the better for both the Earth and our species.
Improves Humanity’s Health In The Long-run
We’ve already mentioned how the US Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy believes that solar energy can help us reduce water scarcity, but in that same report, the office also estimates that cleaner air could have a positive effect on mankind’s health. In fact, they estimate that we could save more than 25,000 lives.
That’s because with cleaner air comes cleaner lungs.
Helps Fight Climate Change
Last but not least, there’s the issue of climate change. As we continue to dump pollutants and additional CO2 into the air, our planet will continue having a harder and harder time cleaning the air. As the carbon count continues to increase, so will our retention of heat from the sun. These changing air conditions will continue to have an effect on different climates, causing some to warm, others to cool, and causing weather patterns everywhere to become more sudden and volatile.
Scientists and climatologists have created a large enough body of work, which includes experiments, climate models, and research, that there is now a general consensus that we need to do something to stem the tide of climate change.
Solar is one of the ways we can try to prevent the effects of climate change. By reducing our CO2 emissions, and releasing fewer pollutants in the air, we can all do our part to slow down climate change.
Reap The Environmental Benefits of Solar With Solar Max
We love solar power here at Solar Max. And the environmental benefits of solar power is a big part of that. Whether you’re looking to do your part in making the world a better place or you simply want to save money on your utility bills, Solar Max can help you.
Contact one of our Solar Reps today to find out whether going solar is the right choice for you!
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