Things Everyone Should Know About Solar Energy

At Renewable Solar Resources, a lot of misconceptions about solar energy have come to our attention, and we want to clear a few up today. 

Can we really switch our electricity sources to solar energy?

Solar power is so abundant, that if we could collect all of the sun’s rays that fall on the earth for just one hour, we would have enough energy to power the world’s electricity demand for a full year. For those of you narrowing your eyes in skepticism, that one hour of solar collection would be the equivalent of 430 quintillion Joules of energy.  All humans collectively use 410 quintillion Joules in a year, so there is even a surplus.  According to space.com, the sun won’t die for another 5 billion years, so the sun is a virtuously unlimited energy resource for as long as our planet can sustain life.

The more people that convert to solar power and leave fossil fuel generated energy resources, the more efficient solar panels can become.  We know the generation of electricity from fossil fuels creates air particulates that partially block the rays of the sun and that trap carbon gases in our atmosphere causing an acceleration of global warming.  When fewer people are using fossil fuels to generate power, less processing will be required, and less air pollution will be generated.  Cleaner air allows more sunlight to reach the solar panels and more power can be generated in less time.

There is another great thing about solar panels that people often overlook.  Solar panels convert sunlight to electricity very quietly.  While everything else makes noise as it produces power, including wind turbines, solar panels are incredibly quiet.  In a world full of noise pollution, air and water pollution, the quiet efficiency of solar panels is too often understated and underappreciated.  Shhh…listen.

What about winter?

In the north, it seems like cold, snow and ice will be a problem, but there are offsetting factors.  In the winter, solar panels collect sunlight directly from the sun and also from snow as it reflects the sun’s light.  It is true that panels covered in snow will not collect solar power, but because of the angle of the solar panels, the snow can usually slide off on its own.

If Solar energy is such a great resource, so, why aren’t we all using solar power? 

Initially, solar installations were pretty costly, and there was no good way to store the power for night use.  In the last decade solar power conversions cost about 89% less than they did in 2010, and improved battery capacity to store the surplus power generated during daylight are vastly improved.  It took 40 years to reach 1 million solar installations in the United States.  It took only 3 years to go from 1 million installations to 2 million solar installations.   In fact, the United States is expected to surpass 4 million installations by 2023.  People have discovered that becoming their own mini power plant can be a good experience when it is a home solar plant. 

The panels are sturdy, low maintenance, and no longer have to be located only on the south side of the home.  While it is true, solar panels in the northern hemisphere usually face south, often the readings on a west facing roof also gets enough sun to produce plenty of power for the home.  New construction may even use a community solar project that powers the whole development without one rooftop solar panel.

Renewable Solar Resources has been installing residential and commercial solar energy systems for years because we believe it is the energy of the future.  Curious?  Visit http://www.renewable-solar.com/v or call (888) 432-9024 to set up a free consultation for information on converting your home to solar power  Find out how it will actually save you money from ditching the electric bills, receiving tax rebates and more.  You’ll wonder why you didn’t do this sooner.