How Are Solar Panels Good For The Environment — A Closer Look At The Most Reliable & Virtuous Power Source
Solar power is good for people, business, and the environment. Solar is one of the most virtuous energy sources out there. What makes solar panels good for the environment stems not from what they do, but rather that they don’t cause pollution. Solar power doesn't consume water, and they don’t need extensive infrastructure development.
Solar Panels Don’t Pollute to Produce
Solar panels convert light into electrical energy without creating any emissions or waste. This makes solar power much cleaner than traditional forms of energy generation. Burning coal or natural gas produces carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Pollutants from traditional power sources contaminate the air and water, causing environmental and human health issues. Additionally, creating power from nuclear energy creates a radioactive waste byproduct that lasts for millennia. Solar generates clean electricity from an available renewable resource: the sun.
Using solar energy to power our lives and business is savvy. Plants have been doing it for billions of years, and as long as the sun is shining, we can as well. Unlike fossil fuels, the sun provides renewable energy as it rises and shines down on us every day. We already know that we’ll run out of fossil fuels one day. So it makes sense to wean off of those energy sources in favor of clean, renewable ones. As more people install solar, we reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and advance our transition to a clean energy economy.
Solar Panels Don’t Need Water
Water is a vital resource for life. Although there is a lot of water on the planet, only a tiny fraction is available as clean drinking water. That means that water conservation is crucial and will continue to be a critical issue.
Solar panels do not use any water to generate electricity. Other forms of energy demand water for various activities, such as cooling, fuel transport, or steam production. In 2020, The Energy Information Administration (EIA) concluded that 2,793 gallons per Megawatt-hour (gal/MWh) is needed for natural gas production. The water intensity of natural gas is less than that of coal. Water needed for gas production is more intensive than the zero amounts of water needed for solar panels.
There are other ways that natural gas production can contaminate water systems. Hydraulic fracking for extracting natural gas can force toxins into groundwater systems, or leaks in wells can allow gases to seep into surrounding groundwater. Natural gas sites disturb the land and often lead to vegetation removal. This can cause higher levels of sediment runoff and river contamination. Since solar panels receive input from the sun, there is no chemical-induced fracking or gas leakage involved.
Solar Panels Optimize Land Use
Solar panels take advantage of available real estate to produce electricity. Putting panels atop roofs or other covered structures is smart and savvy. Rooftop solar adds to a distributed energy network that strengthens the grid, saves money, and conserves land.
With distributed energy, the power is produced close to where it’s used, reducing the need for the electricity to travel long distances. Increasing the amount of distributed energy sources decreases demand for centralized power stations and the buildout of transmission lines. There will be need for both distributed and centralized power. Adding more distributed energy reduces the need for centralized power, saving millions of dollars in development costs.
Power plants and transmission lines also alter the landscape. Construction of new power plants can disrupt animal migration or fragment wildlife habitats. Limiting the need for centralized power saves money as well as frees up the land for other uses.
Looking To An Even Cleaner Future
Solar provides the potential for reliable, clean power. Generating electricity from solar panels is a clean process. It is worth mentioning that manufacturing the solar panels does need mining for materials as well as energy for assembly. This leaves room to improve the sustainability of the solar industry.
It’s important the solar industry incorporates sustainability principles early on. Global standards are in the works. There is already an American National Standard that lays out best manufacturing and supply chain management practices to enhance the solar industry for people, the economy, and the environment.
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