How Do Homemade Solar Panels Benefit The Environment?

The financial benefits of self made solar panels are plain for all to see. Whilst the ones bought in shops often cost up to $2000 each, they can be made individually for about $40 each, which is obviously a huge saving. It is not only this initial outlay that will save a household money however, as over the year the installation of solar panels could save up to $200 on electricity bills – a significant figure in these tough economic times. Aside from the financial benefits, what are the environmental benefits of self made solar panels though, and why should every person in the United States care about protecting the world we live in?

There are two main benefits to the environment that can be gained through using solar power to produce electricity, both of which are equally important as one another. Although the use of solar power in one home alone won’t solve the world’s various environmental problems, if everyone in the United States starts to harness this infinite resource then the world would be a far cleaner and better equipped place.

The first way that solar power helps the environment is by preventing the use of the various fuels that are used in power stations to produce electricity. Although it may seem like it, these resources are not infinite and are quickly running out, which could prove catastrophic for future generations. To imagine a world without coal and other fuels would be to imagine a world that can’t function, therefore the protection of these resources is essential – through using solar panels these resources can be saved for when they are really needed. As solar power requires only one resource to function – the Sun – there is no need to worry about using up all of the electricity creating fuel.

The other important environmental factor that needs consideration is the amount of pollutants that a power plant emits when it is producing electricity from the fossil fuels used – most commonly coal. This pollution is most commonly in the form of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, all of which have devastating effects on the atmosphere. For instance, the hole in the ozone layer is being heavily contributed to by the use of coal burning power stations to create electricity. Solar power has absolutely no emissions however, meaning that there are no harmful gasses released that ensures the atmosphere stays clean and can begin to heal itself over a period of time.

One other point to make about electricity generation is that of nuclear power. This form of production is in fact very clean, but everyone is aware of the impacts it can have if it goes wrong. Chernobyl and Staten Island have shown just how dangerous this form of power plant can be and has many people concerned about its ever increasing use in society. Solar power is completely free from this type of risk, meaning that there is no chance that the earth will be rocked by a disaster caused by it.