5 Facts on Solar Energy

Article Submitted by Top Solar Energy Companies

Ralph Nader once quoted, “The use of solar energy has not been opened up because the oil industry does not own the sun.”

It raises the question why we cannot make progress with solar energy in an age where technology dominates, but whether or not this is true, there’s no reason to doubt why solar energy is an excellent alternative for fossil fuels in the long run.

Here are 5 facts that support why solar energy is the next big thing:

#1: Environmentally speaking, for every kilowatt of solar energy, you won’t have to burn 170 pounds of coal. This would translate to 300 pounds of carbon-di-oxide not being released into the atmosphere for each kilowatt of energy.

#2: Almost 2 billion people in the world do not have electricity, thanks to the inability of their leaders to create infrastructure for the same. Solar power can change all that if a standalone device is built and is inexpensive too.

#3: Australia’s current power requirements are but a fraction of the amount of solar energy falling on the country. Even if photo-voltaic cells only tap 15 % of this energy, we’ll still have more than 2000 times the annual requirement.

#4: Israel, the United States and Germany, known for their inventions, are the first few countries to begin the transition between fossil fuels and solar energy. With the former now building a 100 Mw plant, the latter boasts of having the largest solar energy electric system at the 10 Mw Bavaria SolarPark.

#5: With the annual global consumption being at 14 Terawatts, which includes the consumption of fossil fuels, this could easily be compensated for as Africa’s Sahara Desert could produce upto 450 TW per year.