With the world’s population hitting 7.9 billion and the demand for resources increasing, how can we save our planet and its inhabitants? One answer is through sustainable energy sources, and one of the most effective forms of sustainable energy is solar power.
What is solar power and how is it different from other types of energy?
Simply put, solar power is the production of electrical energy from sunlight. As its name would suggest, solar power is a form of renewable energy, which is good for the planet. The average human produces around 500 watts of energy daily. A solar power system can produce up to 100,000 watts, nearly enough to power an entire home. The amount of energy you need to power your home depends on the size of your family and the severity of the cold climates where you live.
Why should you consider switching to solar power?
Well, for one thing, you can save a lot of money. The cost of electricity is increasing every year, and the World Bank predicts that the cost of electricity will reach $16.76 per kilowatt-hour by 2022.
The cost of solar power has gone down significantly in the last decade. In 2019, one kilowatt hour of solar power was priced at $1.64, less than half of what it was in 2010.
If you want to save money, consider investing in solar power. Not only will you be able to cut your energy costs, but you will also prevent the planet from suffering from climate change. When the sun doesn’t shine, the Earth doesn’t receive the energy it needs to sustain life. One of the major drawbacks of non-solar forms of power is that they don’t produce when they are needed. You can’t store electricity produced by a windmill or a waterwheel, for example, so you are constantly reliant on the weather for power.
The Rise In Popularity
The popularity of solar power is rising because of its many advantages. If you’re interested in switching to a more sustainable energy source, consider the following:
It’s Good For The Environment
One of the biggest draws of solar power is that it’s good for the environment. When you use fossil fuels to generate power, you’re damaging the earth. However, solar power doesn’t pollute the environment, as it is created naturally by the sun. The sun provides all the power we need for our daily lives without any adverse effects on the planet. Additionally, solar power is abundant; the sun always shines somewhere, and it doesn’t cost much to produce.
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the solar market was valued at over $16 billion in 2019 and is expected to rise to $26 billion by 2024. The industry employs over 150,000 people in the U.S. alone and provides countless jobs to thousands more. When you consider the amount of energy we consume every day, the environmental benefits of going green are obvious.
Fewer Distractions
One of the significant advantages of solar power is that it doesn’t require much maintenance. You don’t need to check on the temperature every day or clean the machine once a week, as you would with a traditional power plant. Additionally, the initial costs of installing a solar power system are high, but they diminish significantly over time, due to energy savings.
The truth is that although we’ll always need energy and want our power to be reliable, we don’t often want to concentrate on the little things that go wrong with our electrical equipment. When your power goes out, you don’t want to be worrying about whether or not the power plant will start up again. With a solar power system, the less you have to think about, the better. Distractions mean delays which could lead to complete power outages, so you don’t want to have anything that could cause you mental stress when you’re trying to enjoy your life.
More Economical
The cost of electricity produced by a solar power system is less than that of other forms of energy because there is so much economic value in generating it. Due to falling prices and growing demand, the cost of solar power has been decreasing significantly in the past decade.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average household in America spends around $150 per year on electricity bills, which makes it the largest expenditure for most American families. If you can generate your own power and reduce your electricity bills, you’ll be able to save a significant amount of money which you can invest in more sustainable ways, such as housing and food security. With increased costs and environmental damage caused by traditional energy sources, more and more people are looking towards alternative, sustainable sources of power.
Although the cost of solar power has decreased significantly in recent years, it’s still considerably more expensive than traditional sources of energy. However, the payback on investment for a solar power system is often very quick, leading to it being described as an immediate payback investment. In some cases, you can generate more power than you need for your home and business, so you may not even break even on your initial investment in a short amount of time.
Increased Supply
The last thing anyone wants when they’re planning a major remodel is to run out of crucial supplies. With a solar power system, you don’t have to worry about whether or not you’ll have the necessary tools to complete your project. The truth is that you can’t make significant advancements in any field without first having the necessary equipment. The same goes for having the correct tools for the job.
If you want to install a pool deck, for example, you will need a skimmer, vacuum tank, nozzle, and pool cleaner. If you don’t have any of these items, you’ll have to find a pool store that offers loans on these items so you don’t have to break the bank. Most homeowners choose to install a solar power system in case of emergencies, as it provides them with some flexibility and the ability to generate their own power whenever they need it. They might also choose to generate power during the day when the sun is beaming and consume less electricity during the night when the sun goes down.
Although solar power is an effective source of sustainable energy, there are still many hurdles to overcome before we can truly see the industry flourish. One of the major barriers is the lack of awareness regarding the many advantages of solar power. If more people were aware of how beneficial solar power can be, they would certainly be more likely to install one at home. The more we are aware of our energy consumption habits, the more we are likely to reduce them and make better choices for the environment. If you’re interested in reducing your energy consumption, why not try out solar power? It might just be the key to a more sustainable tomorrow.