Solar Power

Solar power is one of the cleanest, greenest sources of power on the planet. It's the ultimate renewable-every morning the sun rises and electricity starts flowing through your solar array and into your home.

A renewable energy source is one that won't run out. Okay, the sun will eventually run out-in approximately 5 billion years-yes, that's billion, with a "B". So for all practical purposes, solar energy is a truly renewable resource.

Solar energy has been used in low-tech applications like drying clothes and food for centuries. Today solar cells are commonly used to power calculators, wristwatches, and pathway lights. Solar energy is free, and it produces no pollution or waste.

More and more large applications are being installed on houses and commercial buildings. That's because, once installed, a solar array provides shade for the building, reducing cooling costs, and also produces energy to help power everything inside the building. Depending on the size of the array and the energy requirements, it can even produce more power than is consumed.

For remote locations, there is really no better source of energy than solar. In fact, it helps power the space shuttle while it orbits Earth. If it's good enough for NASA, doesn't it seem like it's worth at least a look for us?

Solar power is silent, produces no emissions, and doesn't drain the planet's resources. The only thing it really takes is space, and even that isn't much of an issue. PV cells can be mounted on rooftops, or even form a sunshade if mounted on poles above the ground. We get the advantage of the shade on a sunny day, while the solar array above us provides power.

Solar power has a variety of applications. Besides PV cells, solar water heating is in use in thousands of homes. Water passes through pipes above a black background. The water in the pipes then heats up and is returned to the water heater. Little or no grid power is then required to supply hot water to your house.

Renewable solar power also helps reduce America's dependence on other types of energy like coal and hydropower. According to a report by Greenpeace and the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC), investing in renewable energy sources will save the United States $180 billion annually, and cut greenhouse emissions in half by 2030.

That's another "renewable" benefit to solar. The earth can renew itself, rather than slowly strangle on the effects of coal, CO2, and other emissions. Humans can live within the normal cycles of the planet, rather than using ever more artificial means to offset the abnormal highs and lows that come with climate change.

Renewable and sustainable go hand in hand. Fossil fuels are not a renewable resource, and therefore they cannot be sustained indefinitely. At some point they will run out, but even before that date they will become so scarce that the costs will rise above the point where employing them makes economic sense.

On the other hand, technological improvements have already made solar power generation much more efficient, and therefore more cost-effective. Similar subsidies and rebates are now being applied to solar power that have been given to "big oil" and other non-sustainable power generation methods. Tax incentives, credits, and rebates all combine to make solar a very attractive option these days. With continued improvement, we may soon see clean, renewable power as cheap or cheaper than the "dirty" power we've, unfortunately, grown accustomed to.