For many people, saving the planet or helping the environment sounds like a good thing, they just don’t know where to start. Even if you aren’t sure that “going green” is something you really want to do, consider this: helping the environment doesn’t just save the planet, it helps save your quality of life. Since you are daily breathing in the air from your environment, wouldn’t you want to keep it as clean and “green” as possible? Solar energy has numerous benefits, including the ability to help decrease respiratory and cardio health problems. That alone should be motivation enough for homeowners to go solar – and then you add in the cost-saving perks and things start to sound too good to be true (trust us, it’s the real deal).
Check out some of the environmental benefits of installing solar panels below!
How Solar Energy Is Paving the Way for a Better Tomorrow
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Better Air Quality
Nothing like being able to breathe easy, especially in Southern California. Wouldn’t it be nice if we didn’t have to worry about the quality of air we breathe every day, but could just know it was clean and pure? Solar energy moves us towards a green source of energy, putting a stop to so many of the harmful air pollutants we are subject to when we step outside our homes. According to an analysis done by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, if solar become the major energy provider, it would create a major reduction of sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, and other harmful emissions that lead to health concerns.
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Reduced Pollution & Consumption of Water Sources
Did you know that natural gas and coal energy plants are reliant on large amounts of water to create their energy sources? In comparison, solar panel manufacturing only requires a minimal amount of water. After that, they don’t require any valuable local water sources to provide electricity to homes. Switching to solar would cut back on the water-sucking cooling requirements of biomass and geothermal power plants, eliminating competition with drinking water, agriculture resources, and more. Especially in California, we know that water is a precious resource that can’t be taken for granted – especially in times of drought. Solar energy can help eliminate the large usage of water simply to create power resources.
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Cuts Back on Emissions of Greenhouse Gas
We all hear about how bad greenhouse gas emissions are, but what can we do to fix it? By opting for solar power to generate our electricity instead of harmful fossil fuels, we can cut back on the emission of gases like CO2, which can lead to rising temperatures on the planet, creating a more drastic climate change. The U.S. Energy Information Administration found that a household that switches to solar power instead of fossil fuels can have a similar impact as planting 150+ trees (depending on the region). For example, an average home in New York uses around 7,092 kWh of electricity on a yearly basis – that would require roughly 5,250 pounds of coal to be burned per year to produce just that single home’s energy. Imagine if all the homes in New York switched to solar and were able to cut back that much on greenhouse gas emissions? More than that, solar energy is a renewable source of energy, rather than a finite one. The sun’s energy can be used repeatedly without any fear that it will run out like fossil fuels. The sooner we become dependent on infinite solar energy rather than finite alternatives, the better.
Don’t wait any longer to start doing your part for the environment. Go solar today and go green. Contact Semper Solaris if you have questions about switching to solar.
