Which of you hasn’t heard various companies extol the wonderful virtues and benefits of solar energy? But what, exactly, are those benefits … and how on earth does solar power work?

Benefits of Solar Power

The main benefits of solar power are that it’s a renewable energy and also a very clean energy.

In other words, it can make heat and electricity without using unsustainable fuels, and it doesn’t pollute the atmosphere with horrible gases, such as carbon dioxide.

On the other hand, fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal, and which are used to deal with some 95% of the World’s total energy demands, are finite and pollutants, filling our poor atmosphere with nasty toxic gases like carbon dioxide, and contributing to the ever-increasing problem of global warming. It's definitely time we ended our long-standing dependency on them!

But solar power isn’t just environmentally friendly … it’s also extremely friendly to your pocket!

Yes, it’s true that start-up costs can be fairly high. But these are gradually decreasing and, once they’ve been paid, you can get your lighting and heating free. No more electricity bills arriving each month! And, you'll also relish your new-found independence.

How It Works

Solar power can be used by individuals in their homes to provide electricity and heating, be the latter for water or for space.

Basically, what you’ll do is install solar panels full of solar photovoltaic cells, which will convert the sun’s rays into electricity.

Obviously, you can pay a reputable company to install these. Although fairly expensive, the price does go down each year and, on top of that, many governments offer grants to help encourage the use of solar power.

What’s more, you’ll discover more and more manuals popping up on the Internet which explain how to build and maintain your own solar system. If you’re any good at DIY, this is a really affordable option!

Going onto a larger scale, some areas now also have huge solar power plants, where high temperature collectors use hundreds of mirrors or lenses to harness light from the sun and generate electric power.

So, isn’t it time you did your bit for the environment and considered solar energy? For it’s renewable, clean, and increasingly cost-effective!