Solar Energy And The Environment

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Solar energy is the radiant light and sun's heat. This free accessible energy has been harnessed by humans for thousands of years using a selection of ever-evolving technologies. Still today, only an infinitesimal fraction of the available solar energy is used. Solar power provides electrical generation with heat engines or photovoltaic. Solar applications includes space cooling and heating through solar architecture, potable water via distillation and disinfection, day lighting, hot water, thermal energy for cooking, and high temperature process heat for industrial purposes.

Energy obtained from solar energy is clean. Clean the sun's energy can replace power sources that pollute the environment. The few emissions of greenhouse gases or air pollutants generated by solar energy technologies occur mostly during the manufacturing process. A 100-megawatt solar thermal electric power plant, over its 20-year life, will avoid more than 3 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in comparison with the cleanest conventional fossil fuel-powered electric plants available today.

Many countries through several national and international institutes and agencies have started taking actions to reduce (or eliminate) the pollutant emissions and to attain a sustainable supply of energy. One method to achieve this is to apply solar energy whenever you can. This is in compliance with the agreement signed in the December 1997 in International Kyoto Conference on climate change, where a directory of fifteen concrete proposals emerged for the reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions. The list includes, among others, using solar energy.

Energy is considered a prime agent in the generation of wealth and a significant factor in economic development. The significance of energy in economic development is recognized universally, and historical data verify that you've a strong relationship between the availability of energy and economic activity. Increase in economic activity also increases environmental problems. The growing evidence of environmental problems is because of combining several factors, since the environmental impact of human activities has grown dramatically. This is a result of the increase worldwide population, energy consumption and industrial activities.

The main benefit of renewable energy systems is the decrease of environmental pollution, clean energy with no emissions or noise pollution, low operating and maintenance costs, emissions from manufacturing and construction are quickly offset, reliable systems, useful for grid connected and remote applications, modular systems that could be constructed to any size, and creation of new jobs.

The negative environmental impact of solar energy systems includes land displacement and possible air and water pollution resulting from manufacturing, normal maintenance operations and demolition of the systems. However, land use is no hassle when collectors are mounted on top of a building, the maintenance required is minimal and the pollution caused by demolition is not greater than the pollution caused from demolition of a conventional system of the identical capacity.

It can, therefore, be concluded that solar energy systems are friendlier to the environment and offer significant protection of the environment. The reduction of greenhouse gases pollution is generally considerably utilizing solar energy. Therefore, solar energy systems should be employed whenever possible to experience a sustainable future, thus applying the slogan ''THINK GLOBALLY- ACT LOCALLY''.

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