| Did you know that if we equipped half the houses in | | | | from solar panels is the tiny amount of carbon used in |
| America with full-sized solar panels, there's the | | | | production. The myth that it takes more carbon to |
| potential that we could power the entire U.S. with solar | | | | produce a solar panel than to run one is false. Once |
| power? The location of the panels would have to be | | | | running, a panel has zero carbon emissions and lasts |
| strategically placed to maximize solar efficiency, but | | | | over 25 years. Just one large solar power plant |
| once in place, America could have 25 years of energy | | | | producing over 1mW a year replaces over 1500 cars |
| independence from foreign oil for electrical needs. | | | | on the road in regards to carbon footprint-A YEAR. |
| A great example of how this energy can impact local | | | | Over the course of 25 years of reliable renewable |
| neighborhoods is Iwaki New Town, Japan. Their | | | | energy, this equates to over 37,500 cars for just one |
| neighborhood has 46 homes fully equipped with solar | | | | solar power plant! |
| power. These 46 homes provide 310,000 kWh a year, | | | | The other perk to using the power of the sun is the |
| which can power over 90 households! Iwaki New | | | | recyclability of the the panels, inverters and batteries. |
| Town's climate is much like many cities in Southern | | | | Once a panel fails, it's easily recycled to produce more |
| and Western U.S. It's sunny between 250-300 days | | | | panels. The glass and solar cells can be melted down |
| out of the year, and there's very little snow. | | | | and "recharged" to make even more panels. The |
| If we equipped every home in Florida, the Carolinas, | | | | same goes for the electrical components such as the |
| Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California, the U.S. | | | | inverter and battery. Metals within the inverter can be |
| would have over 70% of its electricity needs met with | | | | melted down to create more electrical diodes and |
| only the sun's power. If you add less sunny states | | | | pairings, and the batteries can be remanufactured to |
| such as Tennessee, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Kansas, | | | | make more batteries. This is similar to what we do |
| Nevada and Utah, we could easily power 100% of | | | | with cell phones that have been recycled. Recycling |
| America's electrical needs with solar alone. If every | | | | plants that recycle these parts could also be run on |
| commercial business in America used this abundant | | | | solar power, further reducing our carbon footprint as |
| resource regardless of their location, we could actually | | | | we recreate new solar energy systems and recycle |
| produce more electricity than what we would need. | | | | old ones. |
| Imagine that- other countries such as Canada and | | | | Best of all, as this type of energy gets more popular, |
| Mexico dependent on the U.S. for energy. Such | | | | the cost of these systems invariably goes down. Plus, |
| benefits could be pumped back into maintaining those | | | | as we recycle more of these systems, more parts |
| solar systems and increasing the incentives for | | | | become available and more homeowners can invest in |
| homeowners to start using renewable energy. | | | | the solar panels industry. It may seem like a huge cost, |
| Furthermore, the carbon footprint of solar power is | | | | but when you consider the rising cost of electricity, |
| infinitesimal when compared to conventional gas and | | | | how can we justify not using solar power? |
| electric systems. The only carbon footprint produced | | | | |