Is Solar Power Really Better Than Fossil Fuel?

Solar power is definitely a practical solution that can solve our energy dilemmas today. The world still hangs on to fossil fuel simply because it is cheaper. What they do not know is fossil fuel such as coal is slowly destroying the environment. Their widespread use has also put our future generations at risk of losing a safe habitat to live in.

Even though we are aware of this, there is nothing much we can do as individuals. Here are some facts to demonstrate how dependent we are on using fossil fuel in our nation alone:

1. The United States do not have enough fossil fuel of our own. We need to import more than half of our supply from beyond our shores. And this trend is on the rise. We are expected to import more than 60% of our fossil fuel in the future. Everybody talks about using renewable energy, but almost nobody wants to spend the money to install solar panels.

2. Of all the energy we consume as a nation, only about 1% are generated from renewable sources such as solar power. We depend heavily on oil, gas and coal. Why do we not all switch to solar energy? The reason is the same — cost.

Perhaps we are all too short-sighted, being concerned about issues that immediately concerns us while neglecting future (important) issues that can threaten our basic needs such as air and water.

The fact is solar power is indeed much better than fossil fuel.

First, solar energy is clean and is everlasting. It does not aggravate the balance of nature. It requires no human intervention whatsoever to mitigate any ill effects as a result of its use. Thus it is environmentally friendly to use solar panels on a massive scale.

Second, even though solar panels are expensive to install, their price is paid for in the form of savings in your monthly energy bills. Sooner or later, your solar power hardware will be completely paid for and all you have are pure monetary returns.

Third, installing solar panels at your home helps your property to appreciate in value. The value, of course, depends on the size of your solar panels, their age and the type of solar panels you use. This alone can help to defray your cost of owning solar panels. Other than this, there are rebates that you may be qualified for. Thus your solar panels can essentially be totally paid for sooner than you think.

If every household is convinced about the benefits of using solar power rather than fossil fuel, we have a good chance of living in a clean environment. This is true not just for our generation, but also for many generations to come.