Solar panels can save you money by decreasing the utility bill since the home will be taking less energy from the power grid. So, what else can solar panel installations do? How about helping to save the environment? That might sound pretentious, but solar panels can benefit the environment in a big way. In fact, some of the reasons why they can save you money are the same reasons why they can help the environment.
One of those reasons being that solar panels do not draw any energy from the grid, and since the grid’s energy comes from sources that are harmful to the environment, the panels do not contribute to the release of any toxic substances. So, can a solar panel installation in Los Angeles help to save the world? Probably not, but it’s a good thing anyway.
The Environmental Benefits of Solar Panels
Most of America’s electricity comes from fossil fuels like coal, oil, or natural gas; just the extraction of these fuels can cause harmful environmental effects, an example being the fracking process that can contaminate the surrounding water supply. Since the sun is a renewable energy source that does not need any high energy, high polluting extraction techniques, it is not at all harmful to the environment.
The use of fossil fuels also releases pollutants into the atmosphere that can have a deleterious effect on air quality; this can result in respiratory problems for anyone unfortunate enough to live in a polluted environment. The gases released by fossil fuels also contribute to the enhanced Greenhouse Effect which contributes to global warming. Solar panels do not release any gases into the atmosphere, so they don’t contribute to global warming and don’t have any adverse effects on air quality.
Fossil fuel plants require vast amounts of water to keep their facilities cool as well as for various other reasons. Coal-fired power plants, for example, need a lot of water to extract, wash and occasionally transport the coal. The mining and extraction of coal can pollute the groundwater supply, which can cause detrimental health and environmental effects; it can also cause acid rain, which results in further negative health effects.
Solar energy does not cause any water pollution since there is no need to cool or purify anything. Since solar energy systems do not use any water, they also do not strain the water supply; this means that water can be employed for more useful and vital needs, like agricultural and residential usage.
In addition to polluting the air and water, fossil fuels are a finite resource; they will run out eventually. Before that happens, they will become ever scarcer, resulting in more harmful and desperate attempts to extract what little of these resources are left. The environmental toll of that effort could be catastrophic and could lead to economic instability and volatility.
The sun provides constant, renewable energy without causing irreparable harm to the environment. Since solar energy is renewable, it is a stable resource that is unlikely to cause any market fluctuations.
Choose Solar Power and Help the Environment
From saving money to helping the environment, there are many benefits —and practically no disadvantages— to using solar power. It is a safe, clean, renewable resource that does not harm the environment. Solar energy systems can help the environment since using solar panels reduces the carbon footprint of the home or business on which they are installed, which reduces the carbon footprint in general. Solar panels may not necessarily save the world, but they certainly make it a better place.