1. The energy from the Sun is the most abundant form of energy available. I read somewhere that in one hour, enough sunlight falls on the earth to produce energy for the entire year for the world.
2. There is a reason why its called 'renewable' or 'sustainable' energy and it is that the Sun's energy is there to stay and its not diminishing like the reserves of fossil fuel. The Sun is the star of our solar system and its suppose to meet the energy needs of all planets. Sun is source of infinite energy for our planet.
3. Production of electricity or heat from Solar energy does not lead to harmful emissions to the environment such as toxins or green-house gases that lead to global warming and other ill-effects. In fact there are almost Zero emissions during the use of Solar energy for meeting our energy needs. There is also no consumption of precious water.
4. There is no noise pollution when producing energy from the Sun (Solar PV or Solar thermal technologies). In fact there is no noise at all. No other form of renewable or non-renewable energy options can do this!
5. Production and use of Solar energy poses very little process hazards. Risks of explosion, fire and chemicals are almost non-existent. Solar energy is hence the safest and healthiest ways to produce energy.
6. Solar energy systems have very low level of maintenance requirements. As there are no moving parts, there is significantly less wear and tear and hence solar panels or heaters are long-lasting (20-30 years).
7. Solar energy production has very low running costs. Once installed, production of energy is almost 'free' for the lifetime of the system.
8. Solar energy systems can be independently installed in remote locations. There are more than 1 billion people in the world without electricity connection and just imagine the wonders possible with an independent system in a very remote location where the Sun always shines.
9. The costs, emissions, safety, security and dependency over the entire supply-chain of energy production and use are very low. Compare that to transporting conventional source of fuel from one place to another. Also independent installation means that the high voltage electrical transmission cables can be avoided to a great extent.
10. There is a tremendous scope for research, development and implementation of Solar Energy in the world, especially in countries that are in the so-called sunny belt. This also has social implications such as job creation and socio-economic development and awakening to a very sustainable energy future. Take the example of China, where Solar energy adoption has grown by leaps and bounds over just few years.
With these solid benefits, Solar energy does definitely seem like the best form of energy to be pursued for meeting future energy needs. But of course there are challenges, which we will look at in the next forthcoming article in this blog post.
- Nilesh Jadhav
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