For much of history, most energy needed for work was generated simply from animal and human labor on farms and in craftsmen’s workshops. By the Industrial Revolution, steam power energized factories and vehicles such as steam trains and large metal boats, and in the late 1800s, electricity was harnessed thanks to the innovations of Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison. By the 20th century, fossil fuel power plants were the norm, generating vast amounts of electricity for the developed world across North America, Europe, and much of Asia. But today, these fossil fuel power plants are facing heavy criticism due to their constant air pollution, and these air emissions are quite harmful to the Earth’s atmosphere. But no one can simply shut down these power plants and deny everyone the power that they make, so new energy sources must take their place. Fortunately, commercial solar energy and other clean energy sources have stepped up as alternatives. Today’s commercial solar energy arrays can be installed nearly anywhere, and even residential houses may have solar panels put on them. Solar panel installation companies around the world are installing more and more of them each year, and residential solar panels can pay for themselves in the long run.
Why Choose Commercial Solar Energy
Why choose commercial solar energy? There are many benefits to this, and one of them is that solar energy is an infinite resource, for all intents and purposes. While a coal seam or a natural gas pocket can be mined dry, the sun will shine for another five billion years nonstop. The sun creates energy on a truly astronomical scale, and more solar energy hits the Earth each year than is used in all of industrial civilization. Solar energy can power all of humanity today, and accommodate future energy needs, too.
Not only that, but commercial solar energy does not pollute. No matter how much electricity a solar panel generates during operation, it will never create any byproducts of any kind. No gases, no liquids, not even radiation. This means that air pollution can be greatly reduced when fossil fuel power plants are shut down and replaced with large solar panel arrays. And what is more, this commercial solar energy technology is very good for the economy, too, since the engineering, repair, and installation of these panels employs a lot of Americans today. This creates many new jobs and will do so well into the future. The clean energy sector as a whole already employs many more Americans than the fossil fuel sector does, and solar panel construction and installation has become more economically feasible than ever. Solar panels were first pioneered in the 1970s, but only recently did they become efficient and cost-friendly enough to build in large numbers. Solar companies across the United States are taking full advantage of this and slowly transforming the American energy grid.
Installing and Running Solar Panels
It is clear why solar panels are being installed, but where should they go? These panels can be installed in arrays as large or small as needed, and on the smallest scale, they can be put on residential roofs. An interested homeowner can look up and contact local solar panel installation crews, and these experts will start setting up all the necessary hardware. This includes installing the brackets that will hold the panels, and threading all the wiring throughout the house. Finally, the panels themselves will be installed, and once inspectors approve of the whole setup, the system is activated. The house will be disconnected from the public energy grid, and the house will be powered with those solar panels instead. The array will also charge up batteries that can provide power at night or during cloudy days, so the system has no blind spots.
On a larger scale, thousands of panels can be arranged together to generate enough power for entire city blocks or neighborhoods at a time. Such arrays can replace local fossil fuel plants, eliminating air pollution. Often, these arrays are built beyond city limits where they don’t get in anyone’s way. Arid, cloudless regions with strong sunlight are ideal for this, and Texas and California in particular are building these arrays to supply local communities with power. North Carolina also has strong solar panel programs underway.
