Benefits of Residential Solar Power

When people think about renewable energy, theyoften means going overseas and purchasing it, it
often think of solar panels and wind mills, andmeans we need to import less. People often talk
hydroelectric power plants. However, most peopleabout ceasing our dependence on foreign oil... Yet,
fall short of taking more action to really utilizehow many people do you know that drive hybrid
these energy sources. Wind and solar power areor electric cars or have an array of solar panels
virtually limitless in their potential, and as aattached to their house? Importing less fuel
population, we can make a monumental impact onmeans that the demand for fuel would drop...
fighting global warming.Hence, the price would also go down.
That is the largest benefit of any that I can listOkay, so we've covered the environmental and
here, but preaching the merits of preserving thefinancial benefits of creating your own electricity.
environment is beating a dead horse at this point.What else is there? Well, have you ever thought
Yes, everyone cares about the environment; yes,about the practical applications of being able to
we are taking some great strides in turning ourgenerate your own electricity? Almost everything
carbon emissions around. You may think that justwe do involves dependence on electricity. You
one household doing this is just a drop in thecould not be reading this article without it, your
bucket, and you'd be right. However, think aboutfood would not stay fresh without it, and you
this: the average household produces about 12wouldn't be able to charge your cell phone without
tons of carbon emissions just from theirit. Food production and distribution, our
household operations every year. One householdcommunications network, our hospitals and even
reducing their electric need by 60% (the low endour sources of entertainment all have an essential
average of the reduction in energy use by usingneed for electricity. What would happen if,
solar panels) would cut their household carbonsuddenly, the electric power plant shut down?
emissions by over 7 tons!! There are well overGoing back down to the household viewpoint,
115 million households in the United States. What ifwouldn't it be nice to know that when disaster
just half of them began to utilize solar power?strikes, your house would still be operational?
Just asking. Getting people to jump on board withMany people suffered extensively after hurricane
solar power has so many more benefits than justKatrina because they had no access to electricity.
saving the environment, though.No air conditioning, no communication, and food
One of those other benefits is the financial impacthad to be either canned goods or dry, and
that solar energy can have. Installing a number ofcountless other things needed electricity to
solar panels on your home can drastically reduce,operate. If even some of those houses had the
or completely eliminate, your need to purchasecapability to produce electricity, it would have
electricity from the local power company. Soundshelped in the neighborhoods immensely.
lucrative, doesn't it? Well, even beyond lining yourIt is a matter of preparedness, actually. The
wallet with a little extra cash every month, utilizingphrase "energy independence" can mean a lot of
solar power has an economic impact far beyondthings. On the national scale, it could mean no
individual profit. If we purchase less electricitylonger depending on foreign countries to supply
from the power company, then the electricthe fuel we need. On the household scale, it could
company does not need to burn as much fuel.mean being prepared; prepared to meet the
Burning less fuel, on top of emitting less carbon,challenges ahead of us in the forms of high
means that the power company needs toenergy costs, failures in the power supply and
purchase less fuel. Since purchasing fossil fuelsnatural disasters.