The growth of solar energy and wind energy has been the subject of many headlines lately. The cost of solar cells has decreased drastically recently, partly due to growing demand and China’s entrance into the manufacturing sector of solar cells. Their efficiency has improved, too, making the amount of electricity produced enough to completely power a household and, now, with the introduction of the Tesla home battery it appears as though excess energy will be storable so owners have electricity even on rainy days. Green energy provides more than just reduced energy costs though.
The electricity generated from coal and natural gas plants emits pollution which have been linked to heart attacks, cancer, breathing problems and other health issues. These dire effects on our health and environment are extremely costly. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists we are spending somewhere between $361.7 and $886.5 billion to deal with the “aggregate national economic impact”. This means 2.5%-6% of our GDP every year is spent on dealing with issues which are preventable. This type of economic loss is damaging to our society and the effect can cause ripples that grow as we go through time. One only has to look at China’s current situation with pollution to see how terrifying it can become.
In cities, like San Francisco where there is little in the way of shade blocking roofs, solar power is perfect for generating lots of clean electricity. Solar and wind energy also have the benefit of not causing water pollution which is becoming a growing problem across the entire world. California is suffering from a historic drought and the amount of drinkable water across the world is being consumed at an alarming rate. If we aren’t careful in how we manage our consumption of natural resources it will have serious economic consequences in the future.
Another benefit to the new green energy business is the creation of thousands of sustainable jobs. Unlike fossil fuel production which is more capital intensive and requires fewer laborers; renewable energy jobs are labor intensive and longer lasting. Wind energy employed 75,000 people full-time in 2011 alone. As solar and wind energy installations continue to grow they will produce more full time jobs that are reliable and stable. Something our economy and people in our country desperately need. So when you’re considering installing solar panels, realize that not only are you saving money, but you’re helping the economy as a whole and your environment.