The advantages of solar power are far-reaching. Although solar power is an energy source that we have only recently tapped into, it may easily become the most important energy source of the future. This is because of the many advantages of solar power.
What are the advantages of solar power?
· It is a renewable resource. We do not have to worry about the sun ever going away (after all, if it did, we would be dead). Although it may disappear behind a few clouds for a few minutes, disappear completely at night, or for hours during the winter, we can always expect it to come back in full force.
· Solar power is non-polluting. Unlike oil, solar power does not emit any greenhouse gases or carcinogens into the air. Solar power is good for the environment (at least, it certainly is not harmful like other sources of power!)
· The light and energy from the sun is free. In other words, once you have your solar lights or solar panels set up, etc., you are not going to have to pay to run them.
· Solar cells require very little maintenance, greatly because there are no moving parts that must be maintained.
· Solar cells can last a lifetime.
· Solar power is silent powered. The methods used to find and extract oil can be very noisy. Even wind power can create a lot of noise. Solar power, on the other hand, is completely silent.
There are so many advantages of solar power that it is amazing that it is not yet more common. Perhaps the main reason for this is that at the onset, solar power can be expensive. Solar cells are not cheap. Of course, technology for this is improving, and it will continue to improve as the cost of other forms of power increase.
The band, They Might Be Giants know about the power of the sun. In their song, “Why Does the Sun Shine?” they highlight the great power that is the sun:
The sun is a mass of incandescent gas /
A gigantic nuclear furnace /
Where hydrogen is built into helium /
At a temperature of millions of degrees… //
We need its light /
We need its heat /
We need its energy /
Without the sun, without a doubt /
There'd be no you and me /
More than ever now, “We need its energy.” With costs of other types of energy on the rise and the depletion of many types of fuels, etc., we really need the energy from the sun. “Without the sun, without a doubt, there would be no you and me.”
Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, the enviornment, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on solar power, please visit Solar Home.
Written By: Anne Clarke
