5 Key Environmental Benefits of Solar Energy

As a homeowner, you may be tired of looking at excessive energy bills. You may also be interested in having a more green, sustainable home. For these reasons, more and more homeowners are investing in solar panels. However, solar energy isn’t just great for homeowners. It has a positive impact on the environment as a whole. Read on to see how the use of solar energy can greatly affect the environment.

1. Improving Air Quality

As more homeowners and businesses utilize the power of solar energy, it can improve the air quality all around. From the production of solar panels themselves to installing them on a roof, there is very little in the solar process that can negatively impact the air we breathe. However, have you ever stood on the side of the road as a diesel bus passed by? Have you ever accidentally inhaled gas or other exhaust fumes? Needless to say, these types of fuel can make the air harder to breathe. However, by using solar energy to power homes, businesses, and other things we use in our day-to-day lives, the air won’t be impacted by this level of pollution.

2. Conserving Water

As society gears more towards solar energy, that means less water will have to be used. Most electrical power plants use water as an energy source. Solar panels don’t need any water to function at all. However, the use of a solar bed can benefit a large body of water. When solar beds are installed on a body of water, that means the panels won’t take up space on a building, and the panels themselves can also protect the water from pollution and evaporation.

3. Providing More Space for Wildlife

The Earth does not have an infinite amount of land. As more utility services are installed, more outdoor space is being taken up by power lines and poles. When you invest in solar energy, you’re not taking up any space on land. Solar panels often go on a roof, so necessary space is provided by the buildings using it. When there’s more available land, again, that’s not only a good thing for humans. Natural wildlife needs space to flourish. Many wild animal habitats have often been disrupted by human development, and using solar energy can be a great step towards ending deforestation.

4. Reducing Emissions

Dirtier fuel sources worsen the air quality in terms of breathing, but they also pose a danger with harmful emissions. These carbon emissions have been responsible for climate change and played a major role in the rising amount of inclement weather. Such weather has produced larger storms and changes in weather patterns and seasons. In addition to climate change, the planet still has holes in its ozone layer due to carbon emissions.

However, when things shut down briefly during the COVID-19 crisis, it proved that when there are fewer emissions on the planet, the ozone layer can begin to heal itself. Imagine if the entire world were to rely on solar panels, not producing any harmful emissions. The more it becomes commonplace, the more likely the planet can truly start healing its ozone!

5. Lessening the Need for Fossil Fuel

Continuing to rely on gas or petrol means constantly having to dig into the earth. After all, these byproducts come from the fossil fuels buried deep in the crust, making stakeholders drill miles and miles to reach them. In addition to damaging the Earth’s surface with this constant drilling, it’s caused a reliance upon a resource that’s not infinite. Contrast that with the availability of solar energy. According to the United States Department of Energy, solar energy is the most abundant energy resource on earth. In fact, 173,000 terawatts of solar energy are striking the Earth continuously. That’s more than 10,000 times the world’s total energy use! In other words, as long as the sun is in the sky, people will always have access to solar energy. Just make sure your panels can catch the sun’s rays.

As you can see, using solar panels provides many benefits. They provide energy to homeowners and businesses, but they also help the planet as a whole. After all, solar energy is a clean energy source that is readily available, doesn’t create harmful emissions, and doesn’t take up an excessive amount of land. If you’re ready to do your part to help the environment, it may be time for you to consider where you can place your solar panels. Get the ball rolling on helping the planet by contacting our solar energy team at Solar Energy Solutions of America today.