You probably know the sun generates more than 10,000 times the amount of energy the entire world consumes annually. Yet, this “free” energy has remained greatly untapped. Conversely, the environment is being degraded by our current energy choices. The positives for using solar panels are obvious, but what few know is how it also helps our environment.
First lets look at what we are using currently to meet our energy needs, coal and nuclear energy, and how ecologically damaging they are.
Is solar energy capable of providing so much power that to offset the need for use of fossil fuels?
We want to look at the needs of energy of the United States and the world and compare with the practical size installations of solar power stations needed to replace that.
The question of completely replacing all fossil fuel or all other sources of electricity and other energy is much more complex than just looking at the numbers. Probably replacing the other sources in just electricity production is simpler but still in addition to simply adding capacity, changes of large scale are needed in the national grid configuration.
Solar power is becoming increasingly popular in homes and businesses. Solar how to books, websites and workshops are attracting huge audiences. The people interested in solar power are not just die-hard environmentalists. They are homeowners, business people and even government agencies.
Since at least the 1970s, people around the country have been concerned with the future of fossil fuels. These non-renewable resources are used extensively in every one of our daily activities. From eating breakfast to the morning commute to even taking a walk in the woods, fossil fuels have been involved. But because these resources are non-renewable, they will eventually run out.
