Why is Solar Power Important? 10 Simple Reasons

By hediu July 9, 2019 Knowledge

Unlike fossil fuels, which we use to generate energy on a daily basis, solar power can be used to generate renewable, clean energy that’s friendly for the environment.

Since fossil fuels aren’t renewable, they are bound to run out one day.

Therefore, humanity must combine its efforts in order to be prepared for the day when the world runs out of non-renewable energy sources – which will only happen if solar power is employed.

In this article, we will be talking about why solar power is important for individuals, nations and the whole ecosystem in general.

1. Generating Solar Power is Easy

Ever wondered what could happen to humanity if we were to run out of oil and natural gas?

How would everyone be able to function on a daily basis?

We would lose almost everything: from electricity to transportation, the internet, and other things.

This is where solar energy comes in – it can be generated from the sunlight.

Since we have sunlight in abundance, we can easily generate power.

This is done through solar panels, which harness the sun’s light and turn it into energy.

This energy can be used to generate electricity, etc.

Unlike other sources of energy, we will never run out of sunlight.

Therefore, solar power will be accessible and easy to use for a long period of time.

2. Solar Power is Clean and Safe

Fossil fuels and other energy sources can be a hassle to handle and sometimes result in fatal accidents that harm manpower.

In addition, fossil fuel related accidents can rack up millions of dollars in damage bills.

On the other hand, solar power is easy and accessible, as well as safe.

A small number of accidents (maybe even non-existent) are associated with solar power.

Since the sunlight is used to generate solar power, the source is natural and environment-friendly.

Reliance on fossil fuel for energy can be harming to the environment in the long run, as the gas emissions aid the greenhouse effect, which is a global concern for many countries.

The harmful emissions from fossil fuels also affect the quality of our water, air, and food. The more we burn, the more polluted these resources become, the more our health is at stake.

It has been estimated that our planet will continue losing species of animals and plants as pollution progresses further.

If pollution continues, we will have lost more species than we have in the past 60 million years combined.

3. Solar Power Will Cut Down on Your Bills

With the advance of technology and the ever-growing consuming culture, many people are suffering from paying electric and utility bills, on which the numerals are quite huge sometimes.

With solar power, individuals will be able to cut on the utility bills and save more money.

Many people might be skeptical and ask, “But what if it rains, or snows? What if there’s no sunshine?”

Nowadays, many solar panels are designed and categorized based on efficiency, size, and other factors.

Larger solar panels are capable of harnessing a bigger amount of sunlight, which will most likely result in a surplus of energy.

The solar panel will be able to generate more energy than what the individual’s house consumes, and the rest will be saved for those rainy, gloomy days.

With electricity, your utility bills will remain unpredictable, since it all depends on your rate of consumption.

However, with solar power and solar panels, not only will you be able to cut down on utility bills completely, but you also will be able to predict any bills that you might have to pay.

It’s time to combat utility bills with solar power.

4. Low Maintenance

Unlike electricity wiring and other things, solar power and solar panels need little to no maintenance. All you need to do is to clean them on a regular basis, and you’re good to go.

If you’re not a fan of cleaning, or you’re afraid that you might mess up your solar panel, you can contact a cleaning company.

Nowadays, the business of cleaning and housekeeping is growing faster than ever (since people are busy with their careers).

Therefore, it’s not exactly difficult to find someone to clean your solar panels for you, for a very small fee (ranging between 30 to 50 USD).

In addition to that, most solar panel companies offer a lifetime guarantee (20 to 30 years). You will not be required to replace any parts, so there’s little room for error.

Only one part may need to be changed (every 10 years or so, not a big deal). This part is the one responsible for converting energy into electricity.

The wiring on the solar panels might need replacing every once in a while. But other than that, there’s virtually nothing to be changed.

And again, it isn’t exactly difficult to find companies offering services for affordable prices.

5. Can be Used for a Variety of Tasks

Solar power and solar panels are known to be diverse multitaskers. You can generate electricity (using photovoltaic solar panels) or you can use thermal solar panels for heating your house or workplace.

Unlike electricity, you don’t need access to a power grid with solar panels. This can be beneficial to poor countries and rural areas, since solar power can help purify water, provide heat, etc.

With the help of the diverse applications of solar panels, a huge number of people who don’t have access to electricity or clean water can finally be helped.

Another surprising thing that solar power and panels can offer you is increasing your home value.

Initially, this might sound a little strange; but since solar-powered houses have little to no utility bills, it makes it attractive to buyers.

To buyers and leasing agents, solar-powered houses are similar to homes with low property taxes.

In conclusion, your house may increase in cost if you have solar panels installed in.

According to the NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory), houses with solar panels are more likely to sell faster and sell for a higher price than their counterparts with no solar panels installed.

6. Solar Power is Cheaper Nowadays

Back when it started, solar power was extremely expensive. But now, the cost of solar panels and solar energy has dropped considerably due to its popularity.

It’s been estimated that solar panel installing costs have fallen by 70 percent, and will continue to do so.

As mentioned above, since there are barely any parts to replace, costs will be kept to a minimum.

In addition to the low costs of purchasing solar panels, solar battery prices have also become affordable and within reach for the average wage worker.

Lithium battery costs have decreased by a whopping 35 percent since 2018, according to online resources and research.

Photovoltaic solar panels (PTV) have also decreased by 99 percent. What stimulated this growth is governments and government policies.

With the aid of research, some governments were able to identify the most important elements in a solar panel.

With this, the market cost was lowered, and it is predicted that will keep decreasing in the future.

Not only will the cost decrease, but the quality will also increase.

The reason behind that is that governments and nations are willing to put more funds into researching solar power, which has been beneficial to the industry.

7. Solar Energy Production Coincides with the Period of Highest Demand

Another reason why everyone should invest in a solar panel is simple: solar energy production happens to be at the same time of high energy demands.

Since human beings aren’t nocturnal creatures, most of us function throughout the day.

This period of time (8:00 AM until 7 PM) is where most individuals consume electricity and energy.

Therefore, electricity suppliers take advantage of the peak hour and raise the toll for electricity. Since demand is higher during that period of time, it enables them to make more money.

On the other hand, generating power through solar panels during peak time is incredibly easy, since it also happens to be the time when the sun is highest in the sky.

By using solar panels to make solar energy, individuals will be able to generate more than they need to cover their demand, and they will also be saving a lot of money on those utility bills.

To summarize this, solar energy production happens to reach its highest when demand is also at its highest.

This might be a message for all of us to start using solar power in our daily lives.

8. No More Pollution

As mentioned in the first point, solar power is clean and safe. But is this all?

If we were to think about a little, fossil fuels not only contribute to air and water pollution but in fact other types of pollution, such as food pollution and noise pollution.

Since other sources of energy require more manpower and more equipment, it can get a little noisy, especially in residential areas.

A benefit of solar power is that it’s silent. They don’t contribute to noise pollution whatsoever, so it’s possible to plant them everywhere.

And even if solar panels are planted in huge numbers, they still won’t cause any impracticalities. Therefore, it is possible to put a huge number of panels in areas with a higher population or more houses.

This can also serve as a benefit for those who want to install solar panels next to or on the roofs of their houses.

In addition, solar power can help reduce food pollution, reduce the greenhouse effect (since the burning of fossil fuels releases methane and other harmful gases in the air).

Solar power is emission-free. By using it, we can save the nonrenewable sources for when we really need them.

9. Energy Security

Perhaps the best thing about solar power is that it provides security for both individuals or nations.

Since the sun’s light is abundant, no one can actually buy it or monopolize it.

On the other hand, fossil fuels may be bought or sold, and lots of them can fall in the hands of wrong people.

The monopoly of non-renewable energy sources has caused many issues throughout the past years.

Many use fossil fuels as a way to threaten or manipulate others. And because energy is needed on a daily basis, everyone has to comply.

With solar power, this issue can be finally eradicated. This is the reason why governments and nations are putting a lot of money into researching solar power and panels.

The more solar power become popular, the more energy security we’ll have.

Also, those who use solar power consistently are less likely to suffer from energy blackouts in times of human or natural caused disasters.

10. Land Occupation

About 11 percent of the land on earth is used for agriculture and livestock. 35 percent of it is somewhat suitable for agriculture.

The rest isn’t.

Since the land that isn’t occupied is mostly the desert, it could be easier to install large amounts of solar panels to generate energy.

Many countries have large, unoccupied stretches of land that will most likely not be used ever.

If solar panels are installed there, then many nations will easily be able to meet the quota of energy production with minimal costs and minimal effort.

11. Solar Power Creates More Jobs

Since solar power is a fairly new sector, it is only natural that workers are needed in the field.

The more the solar power sector grows, the more jobs it creates, which will open opportunities for a large number of people, which will also help the economy grow faster.

Not only that, but it will also assess the socio-economic growth of both nations and people.

In fact, many countries (such as the UK) have largest solar power markets.

The UK was able to become the second largest solar employer, with more than 30,000 people working in the field.