Energy demand for food, clothing, housing, water, infrastructure and other human needs is at an all-time high. The situation is putting pressure on the environment and speeding up the rate of global warming due to the release of greenhouse gases such as Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2o). CO2 constitutes the most significant greenhouse gas emissions due to the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and crude oil products like petrol and diesel) for energy used for transportation, electricity, and industry. According to the United Nations Act Now’s Facts and Figures, the extraction and processing of materials, fuels and food contribute half of total global greenhouse gas emissions and over 90% of biodiversity loss and water stress. In a developing nation like Nigeria, the climate change worry is only an addition to comatose electricity and high-cost implications of running generators to power transportation, businesses and household appliances, like TV sets, air conditioners, light bulbs, computers, driers, clippers, grinding machines, blenders, etc. People are, therefore, in dire need of reliable alternatives, and Solar Energy is meeting their needs.
So, if you are one of those still thinking about whether or not to switch to solar, here are five reasons you should make the switch now.
- Cost-effectiveness
Installing a solar energy system for your home or business is like insuring your home or business against rising electricity costs because you are producing your energy and not paying electricity bills or buying fuel for your generator. Besides, electricity is getting more expensive by the day. Power companies have increased tariffs countless times in recent times, and there is no indication that the cost of electricity will come down in the future. In fact, available data and current realities show that the electricity cost will continue to rise. On the other hand, installing a solar energy system only requires initial capital spending, which is a fixed cost. The cost of maintenance is the lowest among all kinds of energy systems. Hence, businesses powered by solar energy run more profitably and sustainably because there is no running cost. With solar, you spend once and spend no more!
2. Convenience and independence
With solar, the power to generate power is in your hands! A solar energy system is the most convenient energy system available. It requires less human intervention to run while providing needed energy. A system dependent on the traditional electricity grid needs you to put them on and off in power outages or fueling and refuelling in the case of generators. But with the sun, power is always on. When the sun goes down, the system automatically switches to its storage system and returns when the sun comes back. In fact, it can be designed to take over electricity supply from other sources and select which appliance to power. With generators, servicing operations are more frequent. In the case of grid electricity, bills must be paid, and units must be bought. All these require time and effort that could be spent on other things. With solar, there will always be power as long as the sun rises every morning.
3. Safety
The hazards that come with installing and using other energy sources are numerous. Fires have gutted buildings and destroyed livelihoods due to grid electric power surges and fire outbreaks due to fuel leaks from generating sets. Solar energy systems are free from these hazards, making them the safest energy sources. People can also avoid the health hazards posed by noise and fumes from generating sets by installing solar energy systems in homes, hotels, hospitals, churches, mosques, schools, and other business and industrial places.
4. Environmental friendly
Most generators come with the trouble of noise and air pollution, and some buildings have two to three generators running at the same time! Besides, the greasy and messy nature of a generator’s environment is an eyesore; some look filthier than roadside mechanic workshops. Such is the environmental unfriendliness of generators. But with solar energy, power comes clean, quietly and consistently, as the electricity created with solar panels does not produce any greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, nothing is released into the atmosphere when electricity is produced with solar panels.
5. Requires less space
Generator sizes depend a lot on the electricity needs. Before using your generator, you need to consider where to place it to keep the noise, the grease and the petrol far from you and, at the same time, ensure that it is secure. But solar power solutions come in sleek and aesthetic boxes to store and distribute energy. You do not need to worry about where to place them or how to secure them. The boxes sit inside your house while the PV panels lie on the roof with some beauty. You place your solar in your place! You can’t do these with generators!
