Setting a good example by reducing air pollution and reducing water pollution all at the same time should be all of our priorities. And since solar energy reduces pollution – both air and water, consider installing your own solar system.
Believe it or not, using solar energy makes great financial sense along with reducing pollution. And, there’s a peace-of-mind that comes from using your own solar system. As such, continue reading to learn how solar energy reduces pollution. Then, uncover the other great benefits of solar.
Three major types of pollution
Clean air and clean water are two things we Americans take for granted. Although…perhaps we shouldn’t. That’s because, in many cities around the nation, the air is highly polluted and the tap water is full of contaminants. As such, let’s take a look at the pollution numbers some major cities are ashamed of.
There are three primary factors most organizations use to measure pollution. First is air pollution, which refers to the release of pollutants into the air. In the US, the Clean Air Act, established in 1970, authorizes the EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) to regulate the emissions of these harmful air pollutants.
Pollution generated by power plants
Causing air pollution, power plants emit harmful air pollutants, including mercury, non-mercury metallic toxics, acid gases, and organic air toxics such as dioxin. As such, they’re currently the dominant emitters of mercury, acid gases, and many toxic metals in the United States, as presented by the EPA.
Next is the ozone layer. According to the EPA, the ozone layer protects life from the sun’s harmful radiation. Also, most atmospheric ozone is concentrated in a layer in the stratosphere, about nine to 18 miles above the Earth’s surface. Power plants have caused damage to this ozone layer shield above us.
Finally are the tap water contaminants. Steam electric plants use fossil fuels or nuclear reactions to heat water in boilers to generate steam and to drive turbines connected to electric generators. They generate wastewater with chemical pollutants, coal piles, yard and floor drainage, and other miscellaneous wastes.
Polluted cities all around the nation
The most air-polluted city in the US is Las Cruces, NM, according to the EPA. While it has the worst air pollution, cities with high ozone also have their grade. As such, the worst city for ozone is Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA. It has a high EPA ozone design value, a statistic showing air quality of a location.
Ironically, the city boasting the motto “Water Wealth Contentment Health” contains some of the worst water in America. That city is Modesto, CA. It has 16 contaminants detected in the water that are above health guidelines. This comes from the largest water provider in that region.
When you Google other cities using these parameters, you’ll find that yours probably ranks pretty low too. As such, it’s time to start setting a good example in your community. Solar energy reduces pollution, so let’s take a look at what types of solar systems exist. Additionally, uncover the great benefits of owning a home solar system for yourself.
How solar energy reduces pollution REVEALED
In the following short video, Eric Martineau, the founder and owner of Just Get Solar reveals detailed insight about How solar energy reduces pollution. There, uncover exactly how to set a good example by reducing air pollution and reducing water pollution all at the same time, presented by Eric. Check it out!
In the video, see actual data showing and a personal story about how solar energy reduces pollution, presented by Eric. As you’ll see, he really knows his stuff!
Solar can provide electrical autonomy
Since the peace of mind that comes from electrical independence and unbroken electrical assurance is undeniable, let’s look deeper. To begin, electrical autonomy normally comes from off-grid solar systems. But if your home is connected to the power grid, a hybrid solar system is your best option.
The center of both a hybrid solar system and an off-grid solar system is a multi-mode inverter. First, this converts DC or direct current from your solar panel array and battery bank to 120V AC or Alternating Current to your house. Then, it charges and manages your battery bank to prolong battery life.
A solar panel contains photo-voltaic cells mounted together in a framework. To generate electricity, solar panels use energy from sunlight called photons to generate DC electricity.
For a brief history, Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel first discovered the ability of some materials to create an electrical charge from light exposure back in 1839. Then in 1939, Russell Ohl created the solar cell design now used in many modern solar panels. He patented his design in 1941.
Brief explanation of off-grid solar systems
Starting with off-grid solar systems, over 300,000 homes use them for their energy needs around the world. They know that when connected to the grid, they’re dependent on an external supplier, the utility company, for all their power. And when that power grid goes down, so does their power supply.
There’s a balance between your off-grid solar system size and your electrical needs. In order to provide true unbroken electrical assurance, your battery bank must be quite large to get you through long periods of little to no sunlight. Also, a backup generator may be needed depending on your region.
Check out this informative article to learn exactly how to calculate what must go into your solar system:
OFF-GRID SOLAR CALCULATOR: How to calculate an off-grid solar system size
hybrid solar provides great financial benefits
Wonderful financial benefits come to you in two parts. To start, financial savings is provided from the free electricity you get from sunshine. In other words, hybrid solar delivers free electricity that powers your home and keeps your battery bank charged. Then, your battery bank provides electricity all night long.
Now check out the income you receive from excess electricity your system generates. Sell that extra power right back to your utility company through the grid. Your smart meter net-metering fully manages that for you – just watch the credits come in every month!
Amazing financial benefits will offset your upfront hybrid solar system costs. Also, uncover various tax credits that are available from the US Government. Then, there may be tax credits and subsidies available from your state. Just perform some online research from your state government website to learn more.
When referring hybrid solar assets, you’re talking about a self-sustaining household electrical system that is also connected to your local electrical grid. That means, this system provides three sources of electricity: solar power, battery bank power, and power from your local electrical grid.
Keeping your connection to your power grid allows you to receive unlimited electricity. That means, if you use big equipment or appliances, your electrical system will support it without fault. And if the summer heat steeply rises, use air conditioning to your heart’s content and stay cool throughout the day.
Small lifestyle changes ensure continuous power
Your knowledge of what uses more power in your household becomes very intimate. For example, water pumps eat power fast. That means, showers, toilet flushing, and washing dishes drain power quickly. The steps to take are small, but mindful. When you understand these factors, small changes make all the difference in conserving power properly.
Running out of power leaves you in quite a bind. You’ll either have to wait for the sun to come out again or generate power using a backup generator, if you have one. The first option is very inconvenient, while the second is very costly. Therefore, you’ll make those small lifestyle changes quickly and they’ll become your new norm throughout your life.
Install your custom solar system
I’ll start by saying never attempt to install your own solar system unless properly trained, experienced, and correctly certified to do so. In other words, this type of installation is not a DIY project. To explain, solar component installation and wiring requires an electrician and a construction contractor to do it right.
For a comparison, installing a complete solar system is like installing a circuit breaker unit along with other major electrical systems. One primary component of a solar system is the solar power inverter, which powers your entire home. That means, safety and reliability is no different between the two.
Construction skills are also necessary to install a solar system. To elaborate, solar panel arrays are typically secured on top of existing structures. As such, the physical connections must be strong and reliable. Sometimes, structures are built from the ground up to carry the load of your solar panel arrays sufficiently.
