Solar panels have grown in popularity in recent years. Some are attracted to solar panels because they have a high return on investment. Others use solar panels to power their homes and businesses in an environmentally friendly way. Solar panels use renewable energy sources.
What Is Renewable Energy?
Renewable energy comes from sources that can naturally replenish themselves. This includes wind, sun, and hydro energy.
Renewable energy can be contrasted with traditional energy sources. Traditional energy sources are finite sources of energy that will eventually be depleted. Examples of traditional energy sources include coal and oil. When these are burned, they release carbon dioxide and methane. These greenhouse gases speed up climate change.
Renewable energy does not emit carbon. It is carbon neutral. Carbon neutral means that it absorbs the same amount of carbon it creates.
Renewable Energy Will Never Run out
Have you ever worried that the sun would not shine or that the wind would not blow? Of course not. These phenomena have taken place for eons, and they will probably continue for eons.
Therefore, if a home or business purchases solar panels for sale today, they can be confident that the solar panels will still have access to the sun’s energy decades from now. Conversely, it is expected that fossil fuels will run out in between 40 to 60 years. There is already a crunch on the finite amount of fossil fuels available. One can only imagine how things will intensify once the amount of fossil fuel decreases even more.
Renewable Energy Protects the Environment
A second benefit of renewable energy is that it protects the planet. It is easy to take for granted the fact that humans live on a planet that can support life. It would seem that Earth is the only planet in the solar system that can support human life and will likely be only one of a handful of planets in the galaxy that can do so in the future.
Fossil fuels produce greenhouse gases. These pollutants are toxic. They damage the planet and are a major cause of respiratory and cardiac health issues. Greenhouse gases are also behind global warming. The health and environmental benefits of renewable energy are unquestionable.
Renewable Energy Saves Money
This is probably the primary reason people purchase solar panels. The money a family or business invests in solar panels is eventually covered by the money they save on utility bills. Renewable energy requires less maintenance. Renewable energy comes from sources that are universally available, making them accessible by most of the world’s population. The rising national fuel prices also sways homeowners towards switching to renewable energy sources
Countries that rely on renewable energy are not beholden to foreign powers for energy sources. They are truly energy-independent.
There are several obvious benefits to using renewable energy. However, one must admit that renewable energy also brings with it unique challenges. Migrating from fossil fuels to renewable energy will be challenging. But it can be done and can produce phenomenal results.
