Benefits of Solar Power

By: Coleen Smith

There are many benefits to the use of solar panels to generate electricity. The recent improvements in solar panel technology are inspiring people to re-think the way they use energy. This will allow us all to conserve finite natural resources and help our environment. Read on to learn more about the benefits of using of solar panels.

If you are one of those early adopters who has already invested in solar energy, you already know about the many benefits of solar. You’ve seen a big change in your electric bill already. If you bought your solar panels more than 10 years ago, you’ve probably already broken even and are now just reaping the benefits of free electricity. Solar panels can be installed any place that the sun can reach them. Because they take up a lot of space, installing them on roofs of homes, carports and commercial buildings has become the most popular plan. This location has the added benefit of receiving full sun without obstruction from other things like trees, fences and other buildings. The pitch of the roof, the direction it faces and the freedom from obstruction all contribute to the efficiency of solar panels.

Obviously you’ll get more sun on some days than on others. On sunny summer days, your solar panels will be operating at peak performance and will generate a lot of electricity. On cloudy or rainy days, and at night-time, they will not generate nearly as much electricity. You may need to buy electricity from the power company during those times. Even so, your reliance on energy from coal and other non-renewable sources will decrease dramatically after your solar panel system is installed. If you have an energy storage system installed along with your solar panels, you will increase the amount of time that you’ll be able to use the energy collected by your panels.

One of the best things about solar panels is that they make use of sunlight, which is a renewable resource. No matter how much you use, there will be more sunlight available tomorrow. This is not the case with coal and petroleum and many other resources which will eventually disappear.

Unlike many of these finite resources, the conversion of sunlight into electricity does not pollute the environment. Solar panels do not produce greenhouse gasses. Sunlight can’t leak into the ocean causing unimaginable damage precious ecosystems. Sunlight is free for the taking. When you’ve paid for the equipment necessary to convert sunlight to electricity, you will get electricity with the minimal cost of maintenance of your solar panel system.

The versatility of solar power is amazing. Energy collected from the sun can be fed into your regular power system. It can heat and cool your home, run your computer and your refrigerator, and even light your home in the evenings. A few energy saving measures, like switching to led lights will make the electricity go even further.

No matter where you live, you can access and harness the power of the sun. If you have a home far away from the city, where it would be costly to connect to the grid, a solar energy system is ideal. If you live in a highly populated area, you can have panels installed and be hooked into the power company as a backup. In new construction, for both commercial and residential buildings, the need for power lines and other equipment can be greatly reduced because solar panels are normally connected right to the building where the electricity will be used.

Today’s solar panels are built to last many years. They are able to withstand intense weather conditions. Maintenance costs for these systems has decreased dramatically as the technology has improved.

Solar energy is finally within economic reach of the average homeowner or business owner. This is the time to get a quote and see how much it would cost – and how much you could save!