We have approximately 11 years to take action to mitigate the negative effects of climate change before the earth faces the consequences of carbon emission (Source).
What can you do to help? Make sound and responsible choices, of course, one of which is choosing a renewable source of energy, e.g., solar panels, to power your house or office, in short, every premise. There are so many insignificant changes and minor compromises you can make around your life to help the earth, however, for now, I will explain how do solar panels help the environment as a renewable source of energy.
Solar Panel- A Carbon Free Path to Energy
It is such a source of energy that emits zero carbon-di-oxide while generating energy for your home. As mentioned before, solar panels are a renewable source of energy harnessing the power of the mighty sun. As long as this solar system exists, so will the sun as a massive energy powerhouse.
How solar panels work is that they are essentially plates of doped silicon that react when the sunlight hits the panel. Different angles and intensities of sunlight projection result in different levels of energy being produced, but the solar panels will generate energy as long as it gets sunlight, more or less. Then a solar inverter converts it into a usable form of energy, and you get to use it to power your home. This entire process happens without any greenhouse gas emissions; thus, your carbon footprint reduces.
Why is the greenhouse gas AKA co2 at a higher level deemed as dangerous? Because co2 absorbs and radiates heat. Don’t get the wrong idea; co2 is an essential gas for the earth because of its heat absorbing and radiating characteristics, which is what keeps us from freezing; however, the higher the amount of it, the higher the overall temperature rises of the earth thus we experience global warming.
The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Global Monitoring Lab found that in 2021, carbon dioxide accounted for nearly two-thirds of the total heating impact of all greenhouse gases created by humans. So, adopting to solar panels, a renewable source of energy, is one of the ways it helps the environment.
Save Water by Choosing Solar
As one of the horrific effects of global warming soon, we will experience a shortage of fresh water supply. Not only do the non-renewable sources contribute to the issue by emitting GHG (Green House Gas) but also, in order to keep them up and running, it takes a huge amount of water to cool down the system down, transport fuel, and refine it. This is a high price to pay for power indeed.
However, by choosing solar panels, you can help save water. Running the panels won’t require any water at all. You might need to do a yearly cleansing for your panels to boost up the power production but to keep the system going, you don’t need a constant supply of fresh water.
Cut Back on Fossil Fuels
Naturally, if you choose to go solar, you will seldom need to rely on the grid. The electricity we use regularly comes from burning fossil fuels, mostly coal, and what happens when you do that? You guessed it! It emits co2, and an increased level of co2 undoubtedly heats up our planet resulting in global warming.
That is not the only problem we face when we burn these natural resources to generate electricity. Sun is the only star of our planet, and it’s not going anywhere for millions of years to come; that is why it’s a ‘renewable’ source; however, fossil fuel is not. We have only so much to go through. It is also a matter of concern that we will not have enough fossil fuel to run essential projects in the future.
Solar Panels are Recyclable
Almost 3 million homes in Australia decided to go solar but solar panels have a lifespan of 25 to a maximum of 30 years. Wondering how will they be deposed off? Well, solar panels are one hundred percent recyclable. In fact, we have a solar panel recycling plant in Australia which started its journey in 2021.
But as each panel is assembled meticulously with different parts and materials at the time of manufacturing and is made to last a long time, it also is a problem when it comes to disassembling it properly. The process of taking apart different parts for recycling is tough, which makes recycling the panels expensive.
Reduces Air Pollution Risk
Coal handling and burning are known risk factors for hazards such as inhalation of carbon monoxide and heavy metals in coal ash. Both forms of exposure put utility and power plant workers at risk of developing interminable lung disease. If our dependency on electricity lessens over non-renewables and shifts to solar panel power generation, we can significantly tone down air pollution.
Not only the workers, the general quality of air decreases for coal burning to generate electricity. Solar panels pave the way for you and me to enjoy the power of the sun without risking our environment, and that too for free!
So, how do solar panels help the environment, you ask? Solar panels are the most accessible form of widely used source of renewable energy that has the potential to revolutionize our power needs. You can also embark on this journey just by clicking the get help button down below.
