The atmosphere has suffered a great blow since humans began cutting trees recklessly and using sources of energy that pollute the environment. The effects of these practices are evident in how the weather patterns are changing unfavorably. However, all is not lost. Whatever is left of the earth can still be salvaged and the adverse effects can be reversed with the help of solar energy.
But how can this happen? A few changes in
how we consume energy will help reduce the carbon footprint and restore the
earth’s atmosphere and environment to a more human-friendly state. But before
we tackle these options, let us get an understanding of what carbon print is.
What is Carbon Print?
Carbon print is the number of greenhouse
gases that are emitted into the atmosphere courtesy of the energy each
earthling uses. Most of the energy sources that power your daily activities
leave a carbon print. But those that emit the most greenhouse gases include
fossil fuels, electricity, charcoal, and wood.
Greenhouses, which are a great farming
alternative that helps in the production of high-grade food, are also a
significant source of these fumes. When you perform tasks that require any of
these energy sources, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated
gases are emitted.
And how are these fumes related to our
current environmental crisis? They shut in heat in the atmosphere, which causes
global warming. As you know global warming is altering the weather patterns and
causing mayhem in the form of floods and drought. So, how is solar energy the solution to this
ever-growing problem?
Solar Energy Production
The production of carbon dioxide and
other harmful gases begins when fossils and coal are heated. For instance,
petroleum and coal are important in fueling industries. And while they do a
commendable job, they leave behind a vast amount of fumes that trap heat in the
atmosphere.
Solar is considered one of the cleanest
sources of energy on the planet. The reason behind this analogy is that it does
not produce any environmentally unfriendly gases. The UV rays pass through the
silicon panels and are transformed into electricity.
When the photons hit the panels, they
disassemble the atoms from their atomic formation. The photovoltaic cells trap
the electrons inside thanks to the silicon film used in the panels' production.
This process is important because if the
silicon film was not available, the UV rays would bounce back out, making it
difficult to optimize solar energy production. When the photons move into the
cells, they move freely, a process that facilitates the production of
electricity.
The form of power that is created at this
stage is raw, which means it can damage your appliances if you use it in that
state. An inverter is put in place to convert the raw electricity into an alternating current that is safe to use at home or in businesses.
Every stage from the production of solar
electricity to the time it is ready for consumption does not have any emission
of any gases that damage the environment. You don’t have to heat anything to
make this process work, and you can still harvest some electricity on days that
have minimal solar light.
The sun produces light, which is free.
You do not need any other additional procedures to make solar harvesting easier
for you. Investing in top-notch photovoltaic cells works the trick.
Storage of Solar Energy
Solar energy can be stored in battery
cells, which means that you can keep some extra electricity in store for a
rainy day. These lithium-ion cells work using an electrochemical procedure.
After electricity production, the excess energy is channeled into a cell that
initiates a chemical reaction, which in turn stores the energy.
In other cases, the energy your solar panels produce
during peak hours is channeled back into the electric grid. How do you then
benefit from this power that is already in the grid? A net metering system
comes into play in such instances.
The net meter measures the amount of
energy that flows into the grid and keeps a record of this data. So, when the
time comes when your energy demand is at its peak, you will receive back your
electricity in its full amount.
Back to Solar Energy and Carbon Print Reduction
Now that you have all this information,
how do you think solar energy will come to our rescue to reduce carbon print?
Solar panels do not produce any gases during the production of this renewable
energy. Since carbon footprints are the main reason for the spike in global
warming, PV cells would be a great source of cheap, renewable, and eco-friendly
electricity.
Aside from the production stage of these
PV cells, there is no other point where the solar energy production chain emits
unfriendly greenhouse gasses. Consequently, our planet will not suffer from the
raging weather changes that are damaging the planet and digging a significant
dent in food production globally.
Once the damages caused by global warming
are reversed, the climatic changes will be more stable. Coupled up with trees
and other indigenous plants, solar energy could be the solution to the problems
this planet is facing in the ecosystem.
And while there is some carbon print
released into the atmosphere during the production of the panels, the benefits
are long-lasting, thus outweighing the demerits.
Round-Up
The sun gives us light, which we can turn
into energy that will help create a clean environment. The initial cost in
setting up the panels can be high, but the final results outweigh such
variables. Since the sun’s energy is available in most places in the world,
installing photovoltaic cells would be a
solution to the energy crisis on the planet.
We should also think of ways to store this energy on a large scale to help cut down the production of thermal electricity and the use of fossil fuels. And considering that the current sources of energy are depleting, it is time everyone came on board this project to help save the earth’s population from drowning or starving to death.