Renewable energy can play a significant role in meeting potential energy demands in both rural and urban areas. Renewable energy production and use, such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric energy, should be prioritized, particularly in light of increased awareness of the negative environmental impacts of fossil-fueled generation. The world’s demand for renewable energy production is increasingly growing. In both developing and developed countries, widespread use of renewable energy is critical for achieving energy sector sustainability.
Solar Energy vs Other Renewable Energy
The sun is the most abundant source of energy on the planet, generating 173,000 terawatts of solar energy every second. That’s more than 10,000 times the overall cumulative energy usage of the entire planet, and it’s completely replenishable. Fossil fuels, on the other hand, are polluting and non-renewable. They will either vanish or the expense of locating and removing them will be prohibitively costly for our already strained population. Moreover, solar installations do not affect the environment and can be built in a few months compared to other energy plants. Land or rooftop installation is easy to maintain and can be set up almost anywhere as sunshine in India fluctuates far less frequently compared to other renewable energy sources.
Solar Energy versus Wind Energy
Even though wind energy has been on the market for a long time, it has had some problems. While wind power is less costly to generate initially, wind turbines need much more maintenance than solar cells. Furthermore, wind power plants are built in remote areas with little to no proximity to the end-user, so transmission lines must be built to bring electricity to the end-user. Additionally, the effectiveness of a wind turbine in generating electricity is dependent on the weather. Predicting how much electricity a wind turbine can produce over time can be difficult. The turbine’s rotor will not spin if wind speeds are too low on any given day. This means that during periods of peak electricity demand, wind energy isn’t always available for transmission.
Solar Energy versus Hydroelectricity
While hydroelectricity is effective, it is typically generated by large dams, resulting in a high initial installation cost. Furthermore, dam construction has the potential to change an entire ecosystem. Hydro plants also alter the natural flow of the rivers they take over, resulting in the formation of new lakes and a reduction in downstream water flow. These structures can also affect local wildlife, obstructing fish migration and altering habitats. Photovoltaic panels, on the other hand, have little environmental impact and are much smaller than dams. One of the benefits of solar energy is its adaptability. A land or roof installation may be set up easily.
Solar Energy versus Biomass
Since biomass is green in several ways, burning it to produce electricity has some appeal. The logistics and overall energy balance, on the other hand, refute this point, as it takes a lot of energy mainly fossil-based to harvest and transport the mass to the power station.
Why Switch to Solar Energy
Even a small solar energy plant can easily reduce the dependence on grid electricity by 80%, and can even reach 100%. Transitioning to solar has a significant environmental effect as well. Over twenty years, a solar energy system supplying only 80% of the average home’s annual energy needs would offset the CO2 emissions from over 70,000 kilograms of coal burned. The greenhouse gas emissions from 45 tons of landfill waste would also be eliminated. Another environmental benefit of solar power is reducing water pollution. For cooling purposes, nuclear, natural gas, and coal-fired power plants all require large quantities of water. Solar energy poses almost no threat to the local water supply, and its activity does not put a strain on local supplies by competing with irrigation, drinking water systems, and other critical water needs.
Accessible and Affordable
While setting up solar panels may be perceived as expensive, in the long run, they help cut down your electricity bill and help save money. Additionally, the government of India offers numerous perks and subsidies for homes willing to switch to solar energy. For rooftop PV systems, you are eligible to receive a subsidy for homeowners. Since India is located in a tropical zone, throughout the year, it receives an enormous amount of solar radiation, amounting to about 3000 hours of sunlight. Certain Indian states have a high renewable energy potential and can produce significant amounts of energy throughout the year. You can also sell the excess energy generated back to the government through net metering. This makes switching to solar energy an eco-friendly and rewarding investment.