Is solar energy renewable?
Solar energy is a renewable and green energy source. Electricity from the sun is a clean and consistent source of power. Humans began harnessing solar energy as early as the third century and invented the first solar cell technology in the 1800s.
If you are interested in the financial or environmental benefits of solar energy, you have likely considered home solar panels. It’s important to understand what makes solar energy renewable and how electricity from solar panels differs from other non-renewable power sources. This page will explain why solar is renewable, the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy, and how solar power impacts the environment.
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Is solar energy renewable or non-renewable?
Solar energy is a renewable resource because the sun consistently provides energy on its own. Renewable energy comes from natural resources that replenish or “renew” themselves. Wind, sunlight, and water are renewable resources we can use to create electricity.
Non-renewable resources will not replenish on their own, and we can only use them once. Oil is an example of a non-renewable resource because there is a limited amount of it. Once the oil supply is gone, it cannot be created naturally again.
Solar energy is also a green energy source. The terms renewable energy and green energy are often used interchangeably, but they actually mean slightly different things. Renewable energy can replenish itself, while green energy is power that does not result in carbon emissions when produced. Every form of green energy is renewable, but some types of renewable energy are not green. Solar energy is renewable because the sun will always produce power. It is also green because solar power generation does not emit greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.
Why is solar energy renewable?
Solar panels use sunlight to provide thermal and electrical power for residential, commercial, and industrial locations. The amount of energy a solar system generates will depend on how much sunlight it gathers each day.
Many consumers invest in home solar panels for environmental reasons. Non-renewable fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas release carbon dioxide and other harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere when burned to create electricity. However, solar power has a much smaller environmental footprint.
According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a solar system only produces about 40 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in its lifetime. For comparison, a coal power plant emits more than 1,000 grams of carbon equivalent per kWh in a lifetime.
Powering your home with solar energy can lead to a much lower carbon footprint, which reduces your home’s environmental impact. Shifting to renewable and green power sources can decrease the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and help slow the effects of global warming.
Are solar panels bad for the environment?
Like most other energy sources, generating solar power does impact the environment, although it is relatively minor. Solar panel parts are manufactured in factories that often rely on non-renewable power sources like coal. These factories also impact the plants, wildlife, and ecosystems where they are built.
However, once solar panels are manufactured and installed, they no longer emit carbon dioxide and only produce clean, green energy. Solar panels can last up to 25 years and have a very small impact on the environment over their lifetime.
The bottom line: Solar energy is renewable
Solar energy is a renewable resource and a green power source because the sun produces energy naturally, and solar power does not emit carbon dioxide. If you want to learn more about solar energy in your area, visit your state’s solar page below.