Solar Energy Benefits Our Health and Environment

Despite the many advancements we’ve made over the last 200 years, we’ve grown completely dependent on electricity.

What if a catastrophe destroyed the electrical grid and sent us back to the 1800s? We would be less capable of survival than folks who lived during that century. Ma and Pa Ingalls and their little house on the prairie would fare better than we would.

Now, pretty much everyone realizes solar energy is the key to efficiently gaining and storing electrical power. And we also know it saves money. Especially over time.

It just makes sense. The sun provides us with free power. Manmade structures that generate electricity cost money and time. What some of us are less aware of is that solar energy is also good for our health and our environment.

Large or Small, Solar Panels Do the Job

You don’t need a long lesson on what solar power is. Or how it’s converted into electricity. So I’ll just provide a very short lesson.

Rays coming from the sun provide heat we feel on our skin on a sunny day. But we need specific materials to convert that energy into electricity. Solar panels are made up of photovoltaic (PV) cells. These cells are typically made from silicon.

After absorbing the sun’s energy, PV cells convert it to DC electricity. The solar inverter then converts DC electricity to AC electricity. That’s what’s used by most home appliances and portable electronic devices

Large solar panels we see on rooftops are only part of the equation. Smaller solar panels can also be used to power specific electronic items. Including generators. They can be used individually or by daisy-chaining them.

Now, smaller solar panels generate less electricity. But they are sufficient for a number of tasks including powering small power banks. Assuming they receive the sunlight they need. And that the cells within them are efficient.

Solar Preserves Resources & Limits Pollution

The health and environmental benefits of solar energy are very closely related. For example, when we produce regular electricity, tons of water are required. That water is used during production to cool off generators. And to refine fuel and help transport the fuel in pipes.

This contributes to an already serious water shortage problem. But solar energy systems could help drop water consumption in at least 36 states. That’s what the U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy estimates. And we all know how important water is to our health.

Regular electricity also involves the burning of fossil fuels. Such as coal and natural gas. These become toxic gases including carbon dioxide and methane. Breathing in these toxins has been linked to serious respiratory health concerns.

Solar energy requires no water. And it emits no gases or by-products that contaminate the environment and our bodies.

Easing the Burden on the Grid

The more that people use solar energy, the less of a strain there is on the electrical grid. And that makes the vulnerable grid more capable of handling demands. Including those caused by extreme weather and other issues.

As mentioned, solar energy saves money. There are no energy production costs. And that’s money that can be spent on better ways to protect our health and the state of the environment.

Some people have actually claimed solar panels are bad for the environment. This myth comes from the fact that some solar panels get tossed in landfills once they stop working.

The reality is they are now built to be recycled. And if they reach a lifespan of 25 to 30 years, it’s going to be quite a while before you have to do that.

Solar power is a much cleaner form of energy than fossil fuels. What could happen over the lifetime of a rooftop system, for instance? Many thousands of pounds of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide emissions could be avoided.

Solar power reduces greenhouse gases. That’s one of the reasons so many businesses and homeowners are going solar. It’s the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy source available.

7 Days of Solar Continues

As you may know, 4Patriots is currently celebrating 7 Days of Solar. During this week, we want to communicate the benefits of solar-powered technology.

Including the fact that there is a never-ending supply. Scientists estimate our sun still has some 5 billion years before it burns out.

And the fact that solar energy is silent, safe and cost-effective. Gas-powered generators, for example, need gasoline and are loud and smelly.

The money savings are also significant with solar energy. Solar panels require a startup cost, of course, but before long you get that money back and then some.

And finally, as we discussed today, solar energy is great for your health and for the environment. Basically, it’s win-win-win-win.