EspañolThese days, solar panels are getting more and more popular. My point of view is that it is always worth it to have solar panels.
Most of our energy comes from non-renewable sources. There is a limit on fossil fuels, coal, nuclear, and natural gas, and the world is demanding more energy than ever before. What is going to happen when we run out of these energy sources? Are we not thinking about our future generations? Why is so hard to see that one day we will run out of oil and that all this non-renewable energy generation is killing us with its pollution? We could have solar for all of us.
What we have left of our natural resources
MetGroup estimates the world’s non-renewable resources will exhaust very soon.
Oil: 50 years
Natural gas: 51 years
Coal: 114 years
Source: https://ourworldindata.org/fossil-fuels
50 years is around the corner, some of us may not see that coming but I’m sure my kid and his kids will live that era.
We can help our planet
Why it’s so hard to be “OFF THE GRID”. Solar for all of us.
It’s my belief that governments are holding us back. Let’s face it, if we do not depend on non-renewable resources of energy, we could be off the grid. Probably 100% off the grid. This is very scary for the government, all governments. The main reason is that when we depend on the grid, we are renting our energy. Our natural gas, our electricity, and our gasoline are all rented. Landlords love their tenants unless the renter trashes the premises. In this case, there is nothing to destroy, all is consumed. The governments want us in debt, they will always win.
Think about this, if we have our own source of energy, in this case, solar panels plus battery storage, and we have electric vehicles, our home is 100% electric, meaning, no need for natural gas, then why do we need to be attached to the grid? What would happen to the government if we all go off the grid? ABC NEWS aired this article that states; Federal, state, and local governments receive an estimated $138 billion a year from the fossil fuel industry, according to a study from the Washington-based nonpartisan economics group Resources for the Future, which does not advocate for energy policies.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/us-states-struggle-replace-fossil-fuel-tax-revenue-84750142
In a like manner, I can’t see how governments will balance that income after the non-renewable resources run out. Perhaps, more taxes…
There are many other ways to power our homes and our lives.
Renewable resources include solar energy, wind, falling water, the heat of the earth (geothermal), plant materials (biomass), waves, ocean currents, temperature differences in the oceans, and the energy of the tides. Can you imagine having a wind turbine in your backyard? Not everyone lives close to the sea or a creek to collect energy from the tide or running water. Biomass requires a lot of wood; it’s not cost-effective and still contributes to air pollution.
Now, if we really want to be 100% off the grid, solar panels will be the only option.
As of today, solar technology can produce most home energy demands individually. In many cases, there is enough roof to exceed that specific house. In very few cases, the roof size, orientation of the house, and landscape limit the sunshine of the rooftop and may not reach that specific house’s energy needs.
It is possible to electrify the whole country with solar panels and leave fossil fuels for other things. Of course, this will take a ton of space and investment. However, if we all do what we can do and see the cost-benefit from all this, there is no reason why to think that going solar is not worth it.
Indeed, it would take 21,913 square miles of solar to power America. 10 billion 350W solar panels
Thinking more realistic about going solar
Indeed, most solar companies design a solar system with enough energy production to be 100% offset. This means that there will be practically no use for the grid to supply electricity to that specific house. If there is an excess of solar energy produced, the electricity supplier will get those extra kilowatts and count them as credits for whenever the house will need it. Now, what happens to those credits or kilowatts? The electric company will not store them for you, of course not, they will sell them to your neighbor.
When you own your home, and you ask for a solar panel proposal, make sure you get at least 100 – 105 % solar energy production. Make the solar loan payments the same as your average spending on electricity. This way you are off-setting your electricity budget. In the case you want to sell your home, add the value of the solar system to the house value plus 1-2%. The new owner will be thrilled because he or she will not have to deal with an electricity bill.
We all could be off the grid
If you are a landlord and rent a family property, add the solar panels to the house, and add the solar loan payments to the rent, which will be the same as your renter will be paying for electricity.
So, if we ALL go solar, we could even help foreign countries to get the electricity they can’t afford. Why do we still want to rent our power?
The reality is that for the government is not a cost-benefit to lower the demand for non-renewable energy.
Sustainable natural resources management is as much a question of sustainable economic development as it is of environmental protection.
There are many other ways to save electricity, follow our Power Blog.