Environmental benefits of solar energy
One of the environmental benefits of solar energy is not using fossil fuel in the process of generating electricity in solar panels. The sun’s energy is a free and inexhaustible blessing. Of course, it cannot be claimed that the production of solar panels is completely and 100% free of environmental pollution. Previously, the amount of this pollution was much higher. In the past, most of the pollution caused by the manufacture of solar panels was related to the process of adding chemical impurities to the molten crystal of the semiconducting material (silicon) during the manufacture of small parts of the panels.
Fortunately, with the advancement of technology and reforms in this field, the amount of these pollutants has decreased in an unprecedented way. By installing a solar power system and considering the electricity produced in a period of 2 to 5 years, the adverse effects of this small pollution are compensated. In this way and considering that a solar power system is completely self-sufficient and independent It works, the resulting environmental pollution is very small and negligible. In the following, we mention some of the environmental benefits of solar energy.
Decreasing air pollution
Undoubtedly, the reduction of air pollution can be mentioned as one of the environmental benefits of solar energy. Moving towards solar energy and other environmentally friendly green energy can dramatically reduce carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and particulate matter emissions. In an analysis conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a combination of solar energy development and widespread electrification is a proven and feasible path to significantly improve air quality.
Reducing global warming
You can’t talk about the environmental benefits of solar energy and not mention solar energy’s role in reducing global warming. Emission of carbon and other greenhouse gasses are the main causes of global warming. Although some greenhouse gas emissions may exist in manufacturing or transportation industries, solar photovoltaic panels do not produce any greenhouse gasses while generating electricity, making them a good source of clean energy.
Knowing this, every kilowatt hour of electricity produced by a solar panel, instead of a fossil fuel such as natural gas, can reduce the consumer’s carbon footprint. With the international acceptance of solar energy, less greenhouse gasses are created in the atmosphere, which helps to curb the effects of climate change caused by global warming.
Overcoming problems caused by lack of resources
It’s easy to forget that there are only a limited amount of fossil fuels available, and once they’re gone, we can’t get them back (at least not for millions of years). This means that switching to renewable energy is not only better for the environment, but also necessary to provide energy for future generations.
Along with the limited amount of fossil fuels as an energy source, water is another critical resource that must be considered for the long-term health of the planet. While the production of solar panels uses some water (especially in the extraction and processing of minerals), less water is consumed in this process than in the process of producing electricity by traditional methods.
Improving global health
It may seem strange at first, but the improvement of the global health level can also be considered as one of the environmental benefits of solar energy. Apart from its effects on global warming, carbon emissions can have a serious impact on human health and vital organs. such as the heart and lungs have a negative effect. By reducing the amount of carbon and other pollutants entering the atmosphere, cleaner air from solar energy can reduce the risk of heart disease, asthma attacks, and premature death, which are important global health issues.
Factors affecting the performance of solar panels
The environmental benefits of solar energy and its disadvantages can be different according to the geographical region because the performance of solar panels usually depends on the following factors:
1-How is the electricity produced by local companies obtained (gas, nuclear, hydro, wind, solar power plants and using coal to move the rotors of the generators)?
2-Does your electricity generation match the peak demand times of other local consumers or not?( such as the hours of using air conditioning systems in tropical areas or periods of time when factories and nearby industries are at their peak hours).
According to the factors mentioned above, we can conclude that a general statement about the environmental benefits of solar energy or its disadvantages is not correct because the performance of solar panels depends to a large extent on the geographical region.
Performance of solar panels in different weather conditions
In cold areas, most hours of electricity consumption are limited to the night. In this case, if your home is equipped with such a system, but you sell most of your provided electricity to local companies during the day, and after sunset and in the early hours of the night, you buy it again from the aforementioned companies.You can not claim that you and your house have no role in polluting the environment. In fact, in the early hours of the day and with the increase in the power of the panels, the surplus electricity produced is sold to local companies and at night, the entire area With the cooling of the air, the demand for electricity consumption will increase, you will buy electricity and encourage the said institutions to force their power plants to produce the necessary energy with all their capacity.
In tropical regions, the situation has changed and the energy of the sun appears in a different way. In these areas, the highest demand for electricity consumption occurs during the daytime hours to provide cooling of buildings and start air conditioners. In this way, the peak hours or peak hours of consumption with the times of maximum production of electricity from solar power systems connected to The network is adapted and shows its significant and 100% useful effect.
Of course, this does not mean that if you live in a cold area, there is no benefit in installing a solar power system connected to the grid, but it means that in such cases, how and when you use electricity should be examined more carefully.
