Major advantages of using solar energy.

Key 7 Advantages of Solar Energy

Planning to go solar in your home? Then it’s worth taking a few minutes to have a deeper look at the major benefits of going solar, which would help you to take the big step towards investment in a solar system for your home or business. In this post, I am going to describe the major 7 advantages of solar energy without the knowledge of which it’s difficult to decide if solar is the ideal energy source for homes and businesses.

While many Americans are increasingly switching to the Solar Residential System due to its substantial financial benefits, most of them are not aware of several other additional advantages of using solar energy, especially of the benefits of solar energy to the environment and health.

Let’s, therefore, take a closer look at the major benefits of using solar energy which is a non-polluting, renewable, and sustainable energy source. But before going into that let’s look into  – what is solar energy?

What Is Solar Energy?

Solar energy is an alternative energy source that is harnessed from the energy radiated from the sun and is converted into usable energy to power our homes and small businesses. If implemented correctly, the use of solar energy can greatly reduce our home’s dependency on fossil fuels like coal, gas, and oil.

Solar panels, which are typically installed on the roof of a house or in a field near the home, capture solar radiation and convert the sun’s energy into electricity. Solar panels are made up of many Photovoltaic or Solar Cells. Sunlight is composed of minuscule particles called photons or “packets” of energy, which radiate from the sun in the form of electromagnetic waves. As these light particles hit the silicon Photovoltaic cells, the energy from the photons is transferred to the loose electrons in the silicon atoms.

The energized electrons are then able to escape their bond with the atoms and move freely from one layer to the other layer of the cells resulting in the flow of usable electricity. Now that we know how solar power is produced let’s discuss the major benefits of going solar.

The major 7 advantages of solar energy

Find below the 7 advantages of using solar energy:

1. Reduces energy expenses

Among the major benefits of going solar the most attractive one is that by switching to solar, there is significant savings on your energy bill. Whether you are a homeowner or owner of a small business, electricity costs can make up a large portion of your monthly expenses. With a solar system, you’ll generate free power for your system’s entire lifecycle (25+ years). One of the advantages of solar power is that by going solar you are taking control of your future energy expenses meaning that you will be consuming less energy from the utility supplier and thereby make major savings on your utility bill. Almost all states and municipalities also offer incentives to homeowners and businesses for installing solar systems.

Your solar system not only helps to save on your electricity bill, but it can also generate passive income for you. You would be able to make money by selling the excess electricity from your system that’s not being used by you. When homes or businesses generate more electricity than their own requirements, the excess power from their solar systems is automatically fed back into the public grid, and credit is allowed for this contributed electricity.

2. Energy output maximizes during the peak demand time

Out of the 7 advantages of solar energy one of the biggest ones is that solar power reaches its maximum output during the peak demand time frame of the day (between 11:00-16:00 time frame and early in the evening) when the price of electricity maximizes. Electricity produced at that time has a higher value than if it was generated at night. Consequently, additional solar energy generation in peak hours eventually drives down your price of electricity to a level close to those of night off-peak hours.

3. Minimum negative impact on the environment 

Compared to any other energy source, the benefits of solar energy to the environment and health are also one of the major advantages of using solar energy.

Solar energy does not produce greenhouse gases like fossil fuels such as gas, coal, and oil, our traditional energy sources, which wreaks havoc on the environment. Burning of these types of fuels releases massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the air whereas solar energy emits zero carbon dioxide into the earth’s atmosphere.

A typical residential solar system eliminates three to four tons of carbon emissions each year which is equivalent to planting over 100 trees annually. In fact, the solar capacity currently installed across the United States is expected to offset as much as 16.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year.

Further, while extraction and production of fossil fuels require significant water resources causing water pollution, solar energy essentially requires no water to operate and thus does not pollute water resources or strain its supply.

Thus, by switching to solar energy one can play a vital role in making the environment cleaner and healthier for our future generation.

4. Significantly reduces air pollution 

The air and water pollution emitted by coal and natural gas plants is linked to several health problems. Therefore, one of the most important benefits of going solar is that it results in very few air pollutants.

A study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that extensive adoption of solar power by replacing fossil fuels would significantly reduce nitrous oxides, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter emissions, all of which can cause severe health problems. Among other health benefits of solar energy, the NREL study found that, switching to solar results in fewer cases of chronic bronchitis, and respiratory and cardiovascular problems. The adoption of solar power replacing fossil fuels has been found to reduce premature mortality and lost workdays related to health issues.

According to a report, the aggregate national economic impact associated with health problems due to the use of fossil fuels is between $361.7 and $886.5 billion, or between 2.5 percent and 6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

5. Job creation from solar panel installations 

Employment creation is one of the major benefits of the solar energy industry. Compared to fossil fuel technologies, which are typically mechanized and capital-intensive, the solar energy industry is more labor-intensive. This means that, on average, more jobs are created for each unit of electricity generated from the solar system than from fossil fuels. This is mainly because of the fact that a large part of the cost associated with solar systems comes from the installation of solar panels.

According to a study by the Solar Foundation’s National Solar Jobs Census 2016, solar employment in the USA increased by over 51,000 workers, a 25 percent increase over 2015. The study also found that the number of solar workers in the United States totaled around 260,000. Over the past 12 months, more than one in 50 jobs in the United States was created by the solar industry.

6. Offers several benefits to small businesses

In the past few years, there has been a significant decrease in the cost of production of solar panels, making the cost of solar systems much more affordable. Solar panels are getting cheaper day by day. Due to this substantial decrease in solar equipment costs switching to solar energy has been a sound investment and a good financial decision for public agencies and businesses.

Besides this fall in solar equipment cost, there are a few more advantages of solar power that are compelling reasons for going solar for small businesses today.

i. Tax Incentives

One of the key 7 advantages of solar energy is that switching to solar could save you a significant amount of money because of the available federal corporate tax credit. If you switched to solar energy before December 31, 2019, your business would be eligible to receive a rebate of 30% of the cost of making the transition to the solar system including labour, assembly, installation, and more.

In addition to this federal tax credit, you are also eligible for a deduction of up to 85% of the value of your solar system from your businesses’ taxes. Additionally, some utility companies also offer rebates to cover a portion of your solar power system cost. With these benefits alone, your business can significantly reduce the upfront costs of a system.

ii. Reduction in Business Operating Costs

Solar power systems essentially pay for themselves over time with reduced utility bills. Depending on the system you choose, you can considerably reduce, if not eliminate entirely, the monthly electricity bills of your business. In fact, in some states, you can even get a rebate for going solar if your solar power system produces more energy than you use. Such reductions in your monthly electricity bill can significantly reduce your business operating costs and improve your bottom line.

iii. Business Commitment to Sustainability

Sustainability and corporate social responsibility are important components of an organization’s culture and values.  Installing a solar power system shows that your business is committed to sustainability. Essentially, today’s customers are more likely to support businesses that are environmentally responsible and committed to sustainable, eco-friendly business practices. Creating a more sustainable business can have a significant positive impact on sales and customer experience. Thus, one of the major advantages of switching to solar power is, a great way to improve your company’s image and promote your business to attract new customers and increase revenue

7. Significantly increases property value

Increasing property value is also one of the solar advantages. Multiple studies show that one of the major advantages of solar energy is that, the buildings equipped with solar power systems have significantly higher property value and sell faster than non-solar homes. This is especially because the system is already in place and the home buyers won’t have to make the initial investment and take the trouble for installation of solar panels to get free energy. Moreover, despite increasing your property value, a solar power system won’t increase your property taxes as other additions or building improvements would do.

You may also like to read this related post: Are solar panels worth it?

Frequently asked questions

Now that I have explained the key 7 advantages of solar energy let me also reply to some of the related queries often made by the people.

What are the advantages and limitations of solar energy?

The main advantages of solar energy are, it is a renewable source of energy and it does not cause pollution. Its limitations are,

i. The cost of solar panels which produces electricity, is quite high;

ii. Solar panels require more space for installation;

iii. The production of electricity from solar panels is less during cloudy days and the winter season;

What are the cons of solar panels?

The major cons or disadvantages of solar panels are,

i. Solar panels are expensive;

ii. Due to the high cost of panels its payback period is long;

iii. Solar panels are not workable for all roofs or homes;

iii. There will be fewer saving due to panels’ high cost when electricity costs are low;

Is solar a good choice?

Going for solar is a good choice because it is not only good for the environment, but you can also earn money by selling excess power to the grid.

Is solar good for the environment?

Solar energy is a renewable source of power, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and mitigates climate change, which is critical for protecting ecosystems and wildlife. Solar energy can also improve air quality and reduce water usage for energy generation.

Conclusion

Solar energy is the future of a clean, safe, and sustainable source of energy. The only major disadvantage of solar energy is that the solar panels occupy large space and the up-front costs of solar panels can be quite high. However, as would be evident from the description above, the 7 advantages of solar energy systems far outweigh their high installation costs and other limitations.

With innovative ideas from various scientists being developed to combat the limitations, solar energy could likely be the future of global clean energy sources especially due to the benefits of solar energy to the environment. The use of solar power is already expanding rapidly across the United States due to many solar advantages and thereby hedging against volatile electricity prices. Scientists have also predicted that due to several benefits of going solar, solar energy is going to contribute to a quarter of the world’s energy in the not-too-distant future.