The sun is the center of the solar system and the hinge upon which the entire biosphere is dependent on. It\’s on-going fusion reaction, while still being replicated on earth, is the power which makes all life possible. Thus, one can view the sun as the ultimate power plant for us orbiting it, providing heat, light, radiation, and sometimes an electromagnetic shock. Thus, one can make better use of this resource by a simple transition; a transition to solar energy is environmentally responsible for society.
Everything we take for granted is more or less a product of the sun. Even the things we eat, or the things they eat, come directly or indirectly from sunlight. Making more efficient use of sunlight is ensuring that we have energy for future generations and for more utilization to come.
Fossil fuels are one of the main sources of power today. Whether it\’s coal, oil, or natural gas, you utilize here the remains of formerly living organisms, particularly plants and algae. These plants store their energy because they utilize the sun\’s energy through photosynthesis.
Thus, one may view these fossil fuels as a form of fossilized sunlight, concentrated there through millions of years worth of compacting into a rock. This therefore makes an absurdity when viewed this way: why spend the effort digging up these preserved specimens when you can get fresh sunlight everyday?
The answer is simple: concentration. The sun\’s radiation is very dispersed compared to other sources of energy. It basically casts half the planet in darkness while basking the other half in light. Today\’s technology, however, can already harness this power source more effectively and efficiently than other ways, allowing you to be able to utilize solar radiation in a more cost-effective manner to power our homes, businesses and industry.
New technology allows photovoltaic cells to be smaller than before. This creates an unprecedented application for portable devices, both big and small. From solar-powered phones to solar cars, boats, planes and even motorcycles, smaller solar panels are fit for everyone. One could even power up clothes using solar power. It was almost unimaginable just ten to twenty years ago, since panels at that time are big, bulky, and are expensive. They could also be only installed by specialists. Today, you can buy do-it-yourself power at the fraction of the cost and with more adaptability and variability.
It can also be argued that solar power is unreliable. This viewpoint may be more pronounced since it is it is obvious that there are only a few places on Earth that get 24 hours of sunlight (in those places which have that phenomenon, it only happens for 6 months, and they are in the poles, so the power you get is less). However, the advances in battery making allows us to have grid-level storage for our electricity, enabling us to literally save up for that rainy day. Fairbanks, Alaska is the first of such systems and it helps them power up the city quite reliably.
A transition to solar energy is environmentally responsible since it conserves our natural resources by using one which is not at all scarce. While it can be argued that solar power is finite, since the sun will blow up, it will inevitably take more time for us to be able to live (at around 10 billion years more, it\’s not too much of an issue), the sun is still the best source for heat, radiation and power to help us do our daily tasks.
Learn more about the worldwide passion for change with solar energy. You can get details about the advantages of solar power in our review on the best methods of harvesting solar energy