Solar Energy vs Fossil Fuels

9/8/2019 (Permalink)

Solar Energy vs Fossil Fuels

Fuel Sourcing

Fossil fuels must be located, excavated and transported before they can be used. These processes are invasive and detrimental to the land through side effects such as erosion as well as ecological and geologic instability. Then the deposit or well is depleted. Energy from the sun is infinite and free. It can be harnessed and turned into power anywhere a solar panel can be mounted.

Power Generation

Fossil fuels must be burned to produce electricity. Burning them creates unwanted byproducts that can create air and water pollution and release huge amounts of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. When in use, solar panels produce power without waste or emissions, and do so through a natural process called photovoltaics.

Cost of Consumer Electricity

Whether you buy a system and pay it back with electricity savings or you pay a low, fixed rate for your power, you’ll hit the point where your solar panels have paid for themselves. After that, it’s real savings for your bottom line, and with utility rates climbing regularly, each year you’ll save more with solar than the year before. 

The Human Element

Fossil fuel deposits are scattered and finite. Their economic worth and uncertainty are enough to cause disagreements that can lead to labor strikes, price volatility, and even war. Solar energy is available nearly everywhere, and will be for another 5 billion years.