All beemoreyou items are made using mostly solar energy, which is captured by a 15-panel solar array located on the roof. This is more than enough to power the machinery, lighting and heating for our workshop with battery storage for use when the sun goes down.
Solar energy can help you become more sustainable at home, use less carbon while also cutting your electricity bills. Powering your home with solar panels is better for the environment than using fossil fuels and can reduce your reliance on the grid
There’s no denying the importance of solar energy. The return on investment of going solar is highly valuable, not just financially, but for the sake of public health and environmental sustainability. With every passing year, solar energy becomes more popular for home and business owners as people learn its many benefits, and as installation costs decrease. If you’re curious about the importance of solar energy, we have more than a few reasons why solar is the way to go.
The Evolution of Solar Energy
The use of solar energy has steadily grown over the last couple of decades, with more and more people realizing the tremendous value of utilizing solar panels. In the US, the demand for solar panel installation has grown from 0.34 gigawatts in 2008 to 97.2 today, which is enough to power the equivalent of 18 million average American homes. The good news is that this increased demand helps to drive down costs. Since 2014, the cost of solar PV panels has dropped nearly 70%. The US Department of Energy estimates that, by 2030, at least one in seven American homes will have a rooftop solar PV system.
What Exactly Is Solar Energy?
Solar energy is energy derived from sunlight. Whether you realize it or not, the sun already powers our planet, providing the necessary energy to keep our environment and population growth. The amount of sunlight that reaches the earth’s atmosphere is enough to power all of our needs, and then some. According to the US Department of Energy, 173,000 terawatts of solar energy strike the earth continuously, which is more than 10,000 times the world’s total energy use! The sun is a free, sustainable, clean resource we can leverage in place of conventional electricity to power our lives. Solar energy can be used to provide heat, light, and other electricity-dependent needs in homes and buildings.
5 Reasons to Show the Importance of Solar
There’s a reason why so many homeowners and businesses are turning to solar power. The benefits are undeniable, and not just for individuals, but for the planet as a whole. Here are just a few of the many reasons that support the importance of solar energy.
1. It’s Good for the Environment
The difference between solar energy and conventional electricity is that solar energy does not rely on the use of fossil fuels, does not pollute air or water, and does not contribute to global warming, making it the preferable option for many. Solar energy works with the earth’s natural resources, whereas conventional electricity depletes or harms them.
2. It’s a Reliable, Cost-Effective Energy Source
The sun is a renewable energy source. Fossil fuels will eventually run out, but sunlight won’t. For that reason, solar energy is highly reliable. And unlike fossil fuels which are expensive to mine and utilize, it doesn’t cost anything to receive sunlight. A one-time installation of solar equipment is all that’s needed to reap the benefits.
3. It Saves You Money in the Long Run
Though the cost of installing solar panels or a solar electric system has decreased in recent years, some may still find the initial investment in solar energy to be intimidating. However, the key is remembering that an installation is a one-time event, whereas paying for conventional electricity is a frequent, ongoing, and expensive obligation, especially as electric rates continue to rise. Making the investment in running your home or building off of solar energy will save you considerably more money over time.
4. It Creates Jobs and Spurs Economic Growth
Did you know that the solar energy industry creates more jobs than any other US sector? According to the most recent National Solar Jobs Census report by The Solar Foundation, solar energy adds jobs 17 times faster than the overall US economy. As of 2019, there were approximately 250,000 solar energy workers nationwide.
5. It Promotes Energy Independence
Energy independence means not having to rely on the power grid. Not only does this method make you vulnerable to price spikes, but it’s also prone to outages, particularly on Long Island and in NYC. With no other means of powering your home, you could run into a variety of issues in the event of bad weather or damage to power lines. Using solar energy, especially when paired with a backup battery system, allows you to not be tied to unreliable power grids when you need energy most.
Pros and Cons of Solar Energy
What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages? Did you know that the energy sun provides to the earth for one hour could meet the global energy needs for one year? Undoubtedly, the sun is a powerful energy source, and even though we are not able to collect a fraction of this energy, harnessing this power by installing solar panels can make a significant difference to the planet. While it has been widely criticised for being expensive or inefficient, solar energy has now proved to be extremely beneficial - not only for the environment but also for the private economy.
Thanks to available solar panel grants, as well as, the increasingly competitive prices in the market, solar energy have become the main source of energy for more and more families. The technology has been drastically improved in the last years and has been complemented by solar battery storage systems, turning solar into a significantly more efficient source of clean energy. However, there are always downsides no matter the energy source you choose to analyse. GreenMatch has outlined the key advantages and disadvantages of solar power in the following points:
Advantages of Solar Energy
1. Renewable Energy Source
Among all the benefits of solar panels, the most important thing is that solar energy is a truly renewable energy source. It can be harnessed in all areas of the world and is available every day. We cannot run out of solar energy, unlike some of the other sources of energy.
Solar energy will be accessible as long as we have the sun, therefore sunlight will be available to us for at least 5 billion years when according to scientists the sun is going to die.
2. Reduces Electricity Bills
Since you will be meeting some of your energy needs with the electricity your solar system has generated, your energy bills will drop. How much you save on your bill will be dependent on the size of the solar system and your electricity or heat usage.
For example, if you are a business using commercial solar panels this switch can have huge benefits because the large system size can cover large chunks of your energy bills.
Moreover, not only will you be saving on the electricity bill, but there is also a possibility to receive payments for the surplus energy that you export back to the grid through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). If you generate more electricity than you use (considering that your solar panel system is connected to the grid).
3. Diverse Applications
Solar energy can be used for diverse purposes. You can generate electricity (photovoltaics) or heat (solar thermal). Solar energy can be used to produce electricity in areas without access to the energy grid, to distil water in regions with limited clean water supplies and to power satellites in space.
Solar energy can also be integrated into the materials used for buildings. Not long ago Sharp introduced transparent solar energy windows.
What Is the Cost of Solar Panels in the UK?
How Much Do Solar Panels Cost per kW System? A single solar panel costs £350-£500, but can vary depending on the size and type of system. One of the most common domestic sizes is a 4kW solar panel system, which costs around £6,000 and will cover around 29 square metres of your roof.
With advancements in solar energy technology, the cost of solar panels has fallen drastically over the last few years. In the table below, you can see the breakdown of average prices of solar panels, the roof space they require, the average savings on your electricity bills, and the savings you can expect after 20 years.
Generally, the more electricity your system can generate, the higher the initial installation cost will be. However, the savings will also be higher in the long run. For example, a 3kW solar panel system will be cheaper to install, but you will not be able to earn as much as you could with a 6kW system over the course of 25 years.
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