How Solar Panels Help the Environment
Unlimited Power’s August blog articles explores how Solar panels help the environment.
Enjoy a short read that tells you all about it.
Meaning of Renewable Energy:
An energy from a source that is not depleted when used.
They use a renewable energy source
Fossil fuels are finite resources, such as gas or coal, created from fossils or sections of dead plants and animals compressed underground. Once we mine all the available coal, oil and gas, there will be no more of that resource. Sunlight is a renewable resource because we can harvest sunlight, and there will always be more. Anyone who uses solar power is actively contributing to the environment by reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.
Every type of energy source for electricity production negatively impacts the environment. The only negative impact on the climate is during the manufacturing process of the panels. Once manufactured, solar panels do not release chemicals into the air or create any pollutants while creating electricity from the sun. Notably, the solar panel can produce the equivalent amount of energy it takes to manufacture in the first place within the first one to four years. If recycled at the end of their lifecycle, solar panels have a minimal negative environmental impact.
Reduces your carbon footprint
Reducing greenhouse gases and using carbon-based fossil fuels by using the renewable resource of sunlight means that you effectively reduce your carbon footprint when using solar panels. Every year you have a solar panel creating electricity; you make the same environmental impact as planting 150 trees.
We can use Solar Panels for many years
Like all manufactured products, solar panels have a life cycle, but solar panels function effectively for many years. Most solar panels will last between 10 and 30 years, usually dropping just 10% capacity at 25 years of use. Once installed, the ongoing benefits of using solar panels to create electricity are huge, with little cost of maintenance and no continuous purchases of consumable parts. You will be able to use your solar panels to effectively generate electricity for at least a quarter of a century.
Solar Panels are 100% Recyclable
Once a solar panel reaches the end of its life cycle, it can be 100% recycled. The components are glass, wiring, metal, and plastic – all of which are extensively recycled worldwide. The tricky part in recycling a solar panel is breaking the components apart. Reclaim PV in Adelaide will recycle solar panels for $10 a panel. In some European countries, the manufacturer is legally responsible for ensuring the recycling of solar panels at the end of their life cycle. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (AREA) funds a $15 million solar panel recycling project. In a 2016 study on solar panel recycling, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IREA) estimated that recovered materials from solar panels could be worth $450 million by 2032, with Australia alone being able to recycle $100 million of materials by 2032. People are now advocating for the state and federal governments to offer incentives to businesses and householders who recycle solar panels.
What the professionals say about Solar Energy
Professionals from different paths of life and career fields still agree.
There is nothing better then Solar power!
“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power!
I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run our before we tacle that.”
“Solar power, wind power, the way forward is to collaborate with nature – it’s the only way we are going to get to the other end of the 21st century.”.
“Solar power is going to be absolutely essential to meeting growing energy demands while staving off climate change.”
Solar panels are good for the environment.
Installing and using solar panels to create your home electricity is not only a wise financial decision, saving you money on electricity bills, but it is also a wise decision for the environment. Looking after the environment by using renewable resources and reducing air pollution and your carbon footprint are worthwhile goals that make a real difference to the environment. By ensuring you recycle the solar panels at the end of their life cycle, you are contributing positively to the environment by reducing the number of new plastics, glass, metals, and other products that must be manufactured and produced.
Want to know more about us?
Unlimited Power Solutions is a Solar specialist company located in Nowra, NSW.
Servicing all over NSW and ACT.
Offering a wide range of skills, experience and services.
We are here for all of your Solar and electrical needs.
