From Guest Blogger Anica Oaks: Top Four Reasons Why Solar Is Truly a Power Source for the Future

Every year, more and more people make the switch to renewable energy sources like solar power. In the past few years, solar power has seen so much success that most climate scientists believe it’s the best option when thinking about the future. Here are four reasons why solar power is the best source of energy for the future.

The Cost of Solar Power is Declining

According to EcoWatch, the cost of solar power has declined significantly in recent years. Since 2008, the price of solar photovoltaic technology has decreased by more than 80 percent. In Italy, Germany, and Spain, individuals can use solar energy for the same cost as purchasing it from the grid. In some cases, it’s even cheaper to use solar energy. Over the next few years, the cost of solar power is expected to decrease even more, and it will become the cheapest option in many countries.

Although it can be expensive initially to install solar panels, the panels usually last for years and require very little maintenance. They’re the most cost effective-option when planning for the future, and the prices will likely continue to drop.

Solar Power is Sustainable

For as long as the sun exists, solar energy can provide power. According to Legend Solar, how solar power works is that panels contain PV cells that turn sunlight into DC electricity. The DC electricity then converts into AC electricity, which travels to a breaker box and provides power. If a home or business doesn’t use all the energy provided that day, the excess energy can be used at night.

Fossil fuels are a finite resource, but solar energy is free, sustainable, and inexhaustible. The sun provides more than enough energy to meet the world’s energy needs, and every area on earth receives enough sunlight to benefit from solar power. Additionally, solar panels can last for up to 30 years with little maintenance, so both the energy source and the technology itself are sustainable.

Solar Power is Reliable

The sun rises and sets every day, so it provides a relatively consistent and reliable source of energy. Except for during certain weather conditions, humans can always rely on solar power. Clouds and weather problems can be slightly unpredictable, but weather technology can usually accurately predict the amount of sunlight an area will receive on a given day.

Solar power is also a secure source of energy because no one can monopolize the sun. Fossil fuel costs fluctuate because the resource is in the hands of humans, but the sun is available to everyone equally. The security and independence of solar power is a great long-term benefit.

Solar Power is Clean

Fossil fuels release gases that pollute the air and damage the environment. Environmental damage and climate change become more serious issues every year, and clean energy sources are essential for a safe and healthy future.

If humans continue to use fossil fuels or other energy sources that create pollution or waste, the damage to the earth could be devastating. Solar energy causes no pollution or environmental damage. It doesn’t require fuel, so it reduces the need for fuel transportation. Also, unlike nuclear power, it doesn’t create radioactive waste.

The use of solar power has grown immensely in the past 10 years, and it will likely continue to grow until it’s the most common source of energy. Solar power is cheap when considering the long-term benefits, and it will always be a reliable and renewable source of energy. When choosing an energy source, it’s important to think about the future, and solar power will have the most long-term success.