Tag Archives: environmental impact of solar energy

how much do solar panels save

How much do solar panels save? Solar savings by state

Most solar shoppers can save between $20,000 and $97,000 on electricity over the lifetime of a solar panel system. Solar panels aren’t just good for the environment – you can benefit from serious savings which can vary based on a number of factors including your location, current energy usage trends, and the size of your solar panel system. Most importantly, solar savings are influenced by the price you pay for electricity.

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solar panel recycling

Solar panel recycling: what you need to know

Solar power is one of the fastest-growing clean energy sources, but what happens to old panels? Solar panels have a lifetime of about 30 years. With the increasing number of solar panels being sold and installed in the U.S. each year, it’s only a matter of time before high volumes of panels are at the end of their useful life and have to be disposed of. Solar panel recycling is still at an early stage, but as the renewable energy market continues to expand, recycling processes will play an increasingly important role.

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advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy

What are the pros and cons of renewable energy?

Wind power, geothermal energy, solar energy, hydropower, tidal energy, hydrogen, and other renewable technologies are a widely popular source of energy throughout the world today as we move toward a zero-carbon future. Countries, corporations, and individuals are adopting clean energy for a number of great benefits, from reduced air pollution to financial savings. In this article, we’ll dive into some of the advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy.

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electrification overview

What is electrification?

As more and more homeowners make the switch to both solar panels and electric vehicles in the US, the clean energy transition is now about more than just increasing clean energy. Increasingly, an important piece of the clean energy transition is electrification. Electrification is a vital piece of any carbon reduction plan, and could have some big implications for the appliances in your home–and your garage!  

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fight climate change

What you can do to fight climate change?

Climate change is no longer something in the distant future: from severe storms to wildfires to rising sea levels, we’re already experiencing the deadly side effects of a warming planet. While there’s nothing we can do to stop climate change in its tracks immediately, there are actions we can take to mitigate. 

So, as an individual, what can you do? Here are five ways that you can help fight climate change: 

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environmentally friendly solar scorecard

5 solar shopping tips for environmentalists

Generating electricity with your own rooftop solar panel system is one of the most effective ways to reduce your personal carbon footprint. In fact, the average solar panel system can help offset three to four tons of carbon emissions annually–for perspective, the impact of those carbon reductions is similar to planting more than 100 trees each year!

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trees shading solar panels

Should you cut down trees to go solar?

When we talk about the environmental benefits of solar power, we often compare the overall carbon offset of a solar panel system to the environmental impact of planting trees. Ironically, maximizing the benefits of solar power may mean cutting down a tree or two prior to installation.  It’s a difficult truth, but unfortunately, solar power and trees don’t really get along. Branches and leaves can block sunlight from hitting your roof, which means your solar panels aren’t generating as much clean electricity as they could otherwise be in a sunny area.

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using your stimulus check for olar

Thinking of investing your stimulus check? Consider solar.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) began sending out stimulus checks earlier this month, providing much-needed cash to a country hit hard by both the health and economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. If you’re fortunate enough to not need the cash right away, and are weighing your various options for what to do with the check, you may have encountered other articles telling you how you should spend this cash. We’re not going to do that: whether you use the money to buy something special, put it away for a rainy day, donate it to a worthy cause, or convert the check into twelve-hundred dollar bills to turn your room into a snow globe, we won’t judge! 

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