The Role of Solar Energy in fighting Climate Change

Earth is known to have a climate change throughout history. Most of the climatic changes that occurred before were the result of natural phenomenon which attributed to the variation of orbit in which the earth moves, resulting in the change of solar energy received by our planet earth.

Solar Energy and fighting Climate Change

But the climatic changes occurring now cannot be ignored since it is a direct result of human interaction with the environment especially in the last century with the advent of the Industrial Revolution.
The evidence of climate change is compelling: There is a rise in Global earth temperature; oceans have started absorbing most of the heat which is resulting in warming the ocean surface, the rise in the sea level due to melting glaciers and many other disastrous changes.

Usage of Non-Renewable Energy

India with a population of 1.2 Billion people stands as the fourth largest emitter of carbon in the world. As per the Ministry of Power, Govt. of India, fossil fuels meet around 80% of the daily energy demands with coal being the leading agent with 57% of the total production.
According to the agreements with the Paris climate accord, India is supposed to reduce its carbon emission per unit of GDP by 35% until 2030.
The International Energy Agency claims that solar and wind will represent 90% of total capacity growth in renewable energy. If everything goes according to the plan, the consumption of coal is estimated to fall below 50% by 2040.

Use of Solar Energy

Currently, solar energy is the best source of renewable energy available. Since India falls in Tropical region, there is a scope of utilizing solar energy across various regions of India. Imagine the positive impact solar energy has on climate change if we were to adopt solar as a source of energy across different geographical locations.

Let’s Understand why solar energy plays an important role in fighting Climate change ..

Solar Energy is renewable – Solar is an eco-friendly energy and even though the initial investments are high, the long-term benefits of using this energy are great. Its sustainable nature will fulfill the needs of the current generation’s power consumption without affecting the needs of future generation.

Diverse Application – Solar Energy can be used for a diverse application. It can be used to generate electricity, can be used to heat water, cook food and also distill water in regions with limited fresh water supply. These Diverse benefits can be helpful in reducing our dependence on conventional energy sources.

Uses Less water – Water is one of the precious natural resources on earth. Conventional energy sources use thousands of liters of water every year in order to generate electricity. Water is used as a cooling agent in most of the power generating industries. Water is also used in refining and transporting of fossil fuels. On the other hand, Solar panels system requires no water whatsoever. Use of solar panels will decrease the consumption of water and reduce our risk of running out of fresh water.

Reduces Air pollution – Solar energy is one of the cleanest sources of energy found on earth. Generation of energy using fossil fuels pollutes our environment by releasing Carbon-dioxide, Carbon-monoxide and chlorofluorocarbons. Releasing harmful gases reduces the quality of the air we breathe. Air pollution is the leading cause of lung-related diseases like asthma, bronchitis and in some cases cancer. Using sun as a source of energy means we reduce the emission of toxic gases into the air.

Reduces our Carbon Footprint – Carbon Footprint is defined as the amount of greenhouse gases released to support human activities and is measured in tons of carbon dioxide released in a year. Use of fossil fuels has increased significantly in the last few decades which have resulted in the increase in our carbon footprint. Solar energy is environment-friendly and does not emit any toxic substance into the atmosphere. This will ensure that we keep our carbon footprint in check.

Uses Fewer Resources – Production of solar energy involves very few resources when compared to coal and other non-renewable sources. Even though the materials used in making solar energy panels are mined and processed, more than 90% of the resources are recyclable. It includes some important resources like aluminum, glass, silver, indium etc. This makes solar energy more efficient since the energy produced from fossil fuels can be used only once.

Conclusion

The change in Climatic conditions is speeding up. Since conventional energy sources are depleting continuously, the use of renewable source of energy is becoming more prominent. Given the current rate at which climate change is happening, humanity needs to find alternate sources of energy in order to mitigate climate change effects. Using solar energy is a consistent and environment friendly way of dealing with climate change. Using solar energy will help us to reach our climate control goals faster. Planning for the future must involve utilizing solar energy to its ultimate efficiency.