How Do Solar Panels Prevent Climate Change: A Brief Guide

Although Americans only constitute 4% of the global population, they produce 25% of the world’s carbon dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels. While this fact can seem scary and disheartening, it shouldn’t be.

It means that Americans have the power to fight against climate change in an impactful way, simply by choosing renewable energy. Specifically, solar energy.

How do solar panels prevent climate change? Keep reading to find out.

Solar Energy Helps to Decrease Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions are one of the leading contributors to global warming and one of the first issues to tackle in the efforts to slow climate change. Generating power with fossil fuels releases a massive amount of greenhouse gases.

On the other hand, solar energy doesn’t release any greenhouse gases. Other than the small amount of these gases emitted during the production of the solar panels, of course.

By going solar, the demand for fossil fuels will decrease, and with it, the number of greenhouse gases emitted into our atmosphere.

Even just one home that relies on solar power can have a massive environmental impact. If you’re interested in reducing your home’s carbon footprint, read about solar here.

Solar Panels Are Getting More and More Efficient

The concept of solar energy isn’t perfect. Of course, it’s a whole lot better upfront than fossil fuels, but it has its own caveats. The carbon emission intensity, the lifetime total carbon emissions, is significantly lower than most other energy sources.

What’s more, solar panels are already 50% more efficient than they were a decade ago. As technologies improve, demand increases and processes become more streamlined, the positive impact of solar panels will only increase.

A Solar Panel is (Kind of) Recyclable

As it stands, solar panels are difficult to recycle. The average lifespan of a solar panel is around 25 to 30 years. The solar energy industry has boomed in the last decade, with millions of solar panels being installed in residential properties and solar farms.

So, where will these go in the next 20 odd years? Right now, only about 10% of panels are being recycled in the US. However, this is set to change. There are plenty of startups dedicated to solving this problem.

We can expect that within two decades most solar panels will be recycled. This means that creating energy will not only decrease greenhouse gas emissions but offset waste too. All of this will be instrumental in the fight against global warming.

How Do Solar Panels Prevent Climate Change? Now You Know

The next time someone asks ‘how do solar panels prevent climate change,’ you’ll be able to answer with confidence. Solar panels decrease dependency on fossil fuels. This leads to a massive reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a reduction in waste. Ready to go solar?

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