“Solar Energy could power 13% of the World by 2030”- International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Every hour, the radiant light and heat
that sun beams onto Earth is more than enough to satisfy multiple global energy
needs. This renewable solar energy that has revolutionized the world today is a
result of harnessing sun’s energy and rendering it usable.
Many countries have started utilizing solar
energy extensively, but still there’s
a long way to go to fulfill their demands for energy, completely through it.
Here are few facts on solar energy that can help you assess its
potential to meet global requirements-
1. Solar Energy is the most abundant energy form on earth.
As
per wiki, our Earth continuously receives 174,000 terawatts of solar
energy, twice of all the Earth's non-renewable
resources of coal, oil, natural gas, and mined uranium combined in one year.
2. The solar energy
is made usable (heat/electricity) or converted into solar power by two main
methods-
•
Direct Photovoltaic
(PV) - Photovoltaic systems use solar
panels, to convert sunlight (generated power) into electricity.
•
Concentrated
solar power or Solar thermals – Concentrated solar power systems use
mirrors/lenses to generate electricity/heat.
3. The solar energy is a highly appealing source
of electricity. When you install
the solar panel (key player in the fast-growing renewable energy
sector), it absorbs the sun rays to generate
electricity. Solar panels use
N-type and P-type semiconductor material to convert sunlight into usable
energy.
4.
The U.S. is the
third-largest solar market in the world and is positioned to become the second.
As per U.S. Solar Market Insight report of
Green Tech Media (GTM) Research and the Solar Energy Industries
Association’s (SEIA) US solar market is
booming. “Growing 43 percent year over year, the U.S. saw 2,051
megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaic (PV) installed in the second quarter of
2016. This marks the eleventh consecutive quarter in which more
than a gigawatt (GW) of PV was installed”.
5. As per Solar Energies Industries Association (SEIA),
California dominates the U.S. solar market - with 44%
market share (2015). Other markets are also expanding as evident from the image
below.
The
largest solar power plant in the
world is located in California the Mojave Desert (spanning 1,000 acres).
6. Solar jobs in the U.S. have doubled in last five years. The US solar
industry added 35,000 jobs in 2015, which is 20% up from 2014, according to The
Solar Foundation, a nonprofit in Washington D.C.
7.
Solar Energy powers 4000 K-12 Schools around
the US and more than 2.7 million American students attend solar schools- Brighter Future, Solar foundation and Solar Energies
Industries Association (SEIA).
8. The growth
in solar industry is led by unprecedented low prices -more than 70% over the
last 10 years, leading the industry to new market expansion and deployment of
systems worldwide.
These dropped prices and benefits of solar energy have made it an economical energy choice for American homeowners and businesses, increasingly.
These dropped prices and benefits of solar energy have made it an economical energy choice for American homeowners and businesses, increasingly.
9. Installing solar panels reduces both global warming and urban heat. Solar energy emits
no carbon-dioxide and produces no other harmful emissions, while it is in use.
Moreover, solar power is greener than the conventional ways of
energy generation such as fossil fuels as their
combustion produce environmental toxins, but solar energy releases no toxins in
the environment.
10.Solar panels/ thermals have a
lifespan between 25 and 35 years and the maintenance requirement for the solar
energy systems is too low.
So, bring cleaner energy to your home, go solar!
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