Here are some facts about this unique source of power:
- Solar power is by far the greenest source of large scale energy available to people to power their lives. It is good for the environment because unlike traditional fuels it does not release any greenhouse gasses into the air.
- Economies of scale and improved technology has meant that the cost of generating solar powered electricity has reduced, and will continue to go dow versus traditional gas and electricity costs.
- Contrary to what some people think, solar power can in fact be used to power homes even at night or when the sun is not shining. This is made possible because solar power energy can be stored in batteries and used later as and when needed. It is possible to not only heat our homes, but also heat water with solar powered devices.
- It is widely believed that due to the lowered costs of solar panels (and the continued reduction as the years pass) solar power will eventually be a mainstream way to power homes (at the moment it accounts for well under 0.02% of total man made energy)
- Solar power is in fact centuries old, and can be traced as far back as Da Vinci.
- Solar energy is used in many different ways, other than to heat homes. For example, there are (unmanned) planes that operate largely on solar power. Solar power is sometimes used by campers to generate electricity in remote places, and solar panels can also be used in boats to generate electricity. Solar has of course been used in calculators for decades, but these days some cameras have charges that also use solar. Laptops increasingly use some solar power in their batteries.
Many well known financial analysts are predicting that solar energy will continue to bound in popularity and use, possibly most in under developed countries where access to electricity is currently very low. This is because the equipment costs are expected to sharply decline.
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