How Solar Energy Shows Commitment to the Environment
One of the most common forms of renewable power is solar energy, where the sun's energy is collected and used, stored, or sent back into the grid in times of surplus. This form of energy collection is a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels and, in turn, reduces carbon emissions and greenhouse gasses. By adopting solar energy, you can make a long-term commitment to protect the environment for future generations.
It reduces air pollution.
Greenhouse gas emissions are released during the combustion of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas, which produce electricity. Greenhouse gases are leading contributors to climate change and decreased air quality. When power is generated with solar, no greenhouse gases produced. The 1.6 million solar installations in the U.S. are expected to offset as much as 16.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year. The solar industry has made tremendous strides, and projections indicate that it will continue to experience significant growth, looking to grow to over 2 million installations by 2019 and 4 million by 2023.
It reduces water pollution.
Solar photovoltaic cells do not require water to generate electricity. This is one of the greatest and least-talked-about benefits of solar. Natural gas facilities, coal-fired facilities, and geothermal power plants all require massive amounts of water to facilitate their cooling requirements. With solar energy, there is no pollution of local water resources and a decrease in water usage.
It reduces the need for finite resources.
The sun is the world’s most abundant energy source, producing 173,000 terawatts of solar energy per second. That is more than 10,000 times the world’s daily energy usage. The problem with the world relying on so much of its energy to come from fossil fuels is that they are non-renewable and will run out at some point. Even though that may seem far away now, it is important to look toward the future and help make the world a better place for generations to come.
It reduces hazardous waste.
Are you ready for an alarming statistic? More than 400 million tons of hazardous waste are produced every year, according to the United States Environmental Program. Not only does that amount of waste create problems, but when the waste is not properly disposed of, it can have a detrimental impact to human health and the environment. Since solar does not rely on fuel to generate electricity, it would eliminate the problem of radioactive waste.
We’re committed to helping our environment.
At IGS, we care about making a difference and want to create a meaningful energy future together. That is why we are so passionate about making it easy for our customers to get involved in solar and help them play a role in creating a cleaner energy future for us all.