THIS IS HOW SOLAR IS TRULY RENEWABLE,
CLEAN AND GREEN
Solar power is seen by many as a clean source of renewable energy.
Yet (as with all things) solar technology has its detractors, who say that it's neither renewable nor clean.
Their concern is legitimate, and often well-intentioned. It shows that they actually care about the environment and human well-being.
And, to their credit, the proper meaning of the words "renewable" and "clean" isn't always made clear by solar energy advocates.
Thankfully, it is true: solar power is simultaneously renewable, clean, and also green.
Let's look at what each of these words means.
1. Renewable
Simply put, a "renewable" energy is an energy source that (a) always replenishes itself (b) but is limited in flow.
This means that it is pretty much infinite, and is only limited by the amount of energy available at any one time.
Imagine a water fountain that pours out a certain amount of water every day, practically forever. You can be sure that you'll get water from it every day, but you won't be able to use more water than the fountain can pour out on that day.
Based on this definition, solar power isn't just renewable: it's "super-renewable".
It's always being replenished, because the earth is always receiving light from the sun.
And, according to most astronomers, the sun will keep on shining for at least another 5 billion years.
That's a long time.
Even better: the amount of energy coming to us from the sun is so great that one hour's worth of the sun's energy is more than what the entire world consumes in a year.
So, not only is the flow of solar energy sufficient for us: it's actually way more abundant than we need.
Hence why we can call solar a "super renewable".
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2. Clean
An energy source is called "clean" if it does not pollute the atmosphere when used.
Clean energy does not release toxic products into the air around us. It is therefore called "zero emission", or "emission-free".
Solar power is completely clean because, when solar panels turn sunlight into electricity, nothing is sent out into the atmosphere. Everything happens inside the panels themselves, and the electricity is then sent into the home to be used.
This is different from fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas), which emit harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, leading to air pollution and environmental problems. Even natural gas, the "cleanest" of these three, is still quite polluting.
And the vast majority of power plants generate electricity from fossil fuels.
Which means that, when you use solar energy, you're not only contributing to the well-being and cleanliness of your own house and neighborhood, but also to that of the countryside as a whole (power plants are usually located out in the countryside).
Free Solar Texas' engineering team is comprised of experts in fields like solar energy, battery energy storage, EV charging and home efficiency.
If you want to get a free quote and design, from a certified Solar Consultant, click here.
3. Green
Finally, "green" energy is any energy generated from natural resources, like wind, water, or the sun.
Clearly, then, solar energy is green energy.
But it's actually "very green". I'll explain:
As we mentioned above, most power plants need fossil fuels to generate electricity.
For that to happen, these fossil fuels must be (1) extracted from the earth, (2) made ready to be used, and (3) transported to the power plant.
Then, obviously, that electricity must be sent into the grid and distributed through the grid into every household and building.
That's a lot of steps just for the fossil fuels to be put to use by each household.
And we need to spend natural resources to make each of those steps happen, from fuel for the cars that transport the fossil fuels, to materials for building and maintaining the grid.
With solar, however, it's much more direct (and, therefore, cheaper overall, and less resource-intensive).
When solar panels are installed, they instantly begin generating electricity for the home. That electricity is made instantly available, and the homeowner can then use it, send it back to the grid (for extra credits), or store it in his own solar battery.
Solar pretty much removes all the other steps we saw above, thus removing the need for all those natural resources and fossil fuels to be used.
Renewable, clean, and green have been used a lot as buzzwords these past few years. Most people have the idea that they're good things, but many are unaware of what they specifically refer to.
Their meaning is, clearly, very simple to understand. And, thankfully, solar power combines all three into one safe, natural, and efficient energy source.
Free Solar Texas' engineering team is comprised of experts in fields like solar energy, battery energy storage, EV charging and home efficiency.
If you want to get a free quote and design, from a certified Solar Consultant, click here.