Many influential personalities talk about the environmental benefits of solar energy but fall short of words when explaining their stance. In times like this, people often wonder about the pros of solar energy. For this reason, this article will look at the eco-friendliness of photovoltaic systems.
The Benefits
The primary benefit of adopting solar energy is that we can fully detach ourselves from relying on fossil fuels for energy needs. Other environmental benefits include:
- Global Health Is Improved:
The constant emission of carbon dioxide can have implications far beyond global warming. The emitted carbon can affect essential organs like the lungs and heart. This promotes asthma, heart disease, and premature deaths globally. Increased fossil fuel consumption is decreasing the human lifespan. This is why clean air is needed; the best way to do that is by adopting solar energy.
- Decreased Air Pollution:
In the U.S, in 2021, fossil fuels contributed to over 60% of the country's electricity production, while renewables contributed to only 20% of electricity generation. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has reported that a mixture of increased electricity in areas of need with solar energy adoption can significantly reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide, among other gases. This will give us more clean air while effectively solving our energy crisis.
- Resources Will Not Be Exhausted:
We often forget that fossil fuels will run out one day in our daily lives, and we must find an alternative for our future generations. Renewables are good alternatives that could make the need for fossil fuels non-existent in the future. Water is another resource to consider. Even though making solar panels utilises water, it doesn’t need as much water as traditional electricity sources.
- Fighting Global Warming:
Global temperatures rise due to two significant factors; greenhouse gases and carbon emissions. Solar panels eliminate both factors. However, there are some emissions during the transportation and manufacturing of the panels. But overall, generating electricity is emission-free.
Fewer emissions from every individual are bound to have a significant cumulative effect on the planet. Reducing our carbon footprint is always a wise choice since we don't have any other option than this planet.
Environmental Obstacles
Solar energy looks extremely attractive, especially after the points explained before. However, nothing is perfect, and solar power has shortcomings and limitations. However, the solar industry is handling these challenges head-on, so there is nothing to worry about.
- Toxic Chemical Waste:
Solar panels are created by converting quartz-rich sand into polysilicon. However, this process produces silicon tetrachloride, which is a harmful byproduct. Silicon tetrachloride has the capability to exude toxic fumes and cause soil acidification.
Thankfully, silicon tetrachloride is recyclable and can be converted back into polysilicon, effectively reducing leftover waste. China can easily recycle at least 98.5% of silicon tetrachloride waste. NREL is also researching production methods that eliminate silicon tetrachloride from the process.
- Water Use:
Recycling and manufacturing solar panels are not entirely free of water. They use water in small amounts. Even today, solar thermal plants (CSP) have wet-recirculating and hybrid technologies to decrease water usage. The best thing is that photovoltaic systems do not need water as a coolant. With better technologies, the need for water will be negligible.
- Land Utilization:
Solar panels need a lot of land space to generate adequate electricity. Unfortunately, this seems like a waste of space for many people since that space could be better utilised for agriculture or other purposes.
Furthermore, solar panels can only generate energy if there is sunlight, so researchers are looking into greater output in less area. Supporters of solar say that installing more solar panels on the roofs of buildings could solve the land problem.
A few states are leading the movement for innovative strategies. One example is California which is considering positioning solar panels over canals to manage lands sustainably while saving water and promoting renewable energy.
Solar Power Is Beneficial For The Environment
Making the switch will be hard for the entire planet, but slowly and surely, we will see the effects of reduced carbon emissions, better air quality, and low global temperatures. Not only this, but solar power has many implications, such as widespread electrification. Solar power can effectively be used as a sustainable power model to provide energy to homes and businesses, all with sunlight.