Energy Independence with Solar Energy Panels
With the threat of rising oil costs and global warming, many people are beginning to look to alternative and renewable energy to provide a stable, clean, limitless supply of electricity to fulfill our growing energy needs. Dams utilize water with hydroelectric turbines, and huge wind farms generate electricity from the wind. Both are very clean with no leftover waste to dispose of. Another type of technology that holds promise for the future is solar energy. At the heart of this technology are solar energy panels, which turn the sun's energy into usable electricity.
Clean, Versatile Energy
Solar energy panels can easily blend in with your house's roof, aligning with all of the edges so that they appear to be part of the roof. Most are rectangular and fairly thin in design, allowing them to not stick out on a roof, perfect for your house. Depending on the size of your house and your particular energy needs, you could actually supply electricity back into the power grid - in some cases, even getting paid to do so! All of this without a bulky, ugly enclosure. However, solar energy panels require a converter and some other equipment to convert a DC current into usable AC to empower appliances around the house, but this is less bulky than a central air conditioning unit, and can generally be well hidden as to not detract from the aesthetics of the house.
Beyond being aesthetically pleasing, solar energy panels are getting improved efficiency every single day as scientists strive to optimize this technology. In the next few years, scientists expect to double or triple their efficiency, resulting in a like increase in electrical output. However, the benefits extend beyond the cost advantage, and environmentalists love solar energy for exactly this reason: it is quite simply the cleanest energy that we have available. Nuclear plants generate radioactive cores that still present a problem of disposal for governments. Dams present some hydrological problems such as silt build up and interference with migratory fish, and wind turbines need to cover a large area to generate a modest amount of electricity. Solar energy panels, on the other hand, can generate more than enough electricity for a house using no more room than its roof, and there is absolutely no waste material or damage to the environment whatsoever.
Ultimately, solar energy panels will be the future for millions of people in America and around the world. Adoption of this technology has been quickest in sunny landscapes like Australia, Italy, and Spain, but as efficiency increases, people in temperate and moderately Northern areas will find this a viable alternative to natural gas or the power grid. To become energy independent today, look into solar energy panels!
