How Solar Energy Will Improve Our Planet and Our Lives

The sun gives off energy and transfers it to our planet and us. Radiation is then transmitted back to space and transfers energy many times. This cycle maintains the balance of power on Earth. When we use fossil fuels, we use energy already available on the planet. Luckily, we can harness sunlight to generate electricity. Read on to learn how we can start making our lives and planet run on solar energy.

Solar energy

Photovoltaic cells convert the light from the sun directly into electricity. The sun’s rays loosen electrons in atoms. The semiconductor in a solar cell absorbs the light and then converts it to electricity by creating an electrical field. The energy is then turned into usable electricity by a metal contact at the top and bottom of the cell. Our homes and businesses then use this electricity.

Sunlight is the most common source of energy in the universe. Its solar constant is around 1367 W/m2, meaning that one square kilometer of the Earth receives this amount of energy each day. Photons travel over one hundred and fifty million kilometers to the earth, allowing it to power the entire planet. This energy is more than three times as much as our entire planet’s primary energy needs each year.

Hydrogen

Green hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. This green fuel is produced using renewable resources and is a hot topic in the energy industry and government circles. As a clean fuel, green hydrogen is the energy industry’s future and plays a critical role in fighting climate change. Here are some ways green hydrogen will improve our planet and our lives. Read on to learn more about this exciting new resource. Let us begin by defining green hydrogen and what it can do for us.

Green hydrogen is essential to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. Fossil fuels contain carbon byproducts that affect the climate and degrade air quality globally. Third-world countries are especially vulnerable to these ill effects. Further, the fossil fuel economy places consuming nations and people under undue influence from their energy suppliers. It also robs them of economic independence. We should strive to produce hydrogen in a green way.

Fossil Fuels

We are burning fossil fuels to power our cars and power our homes. These hydrocarbons, composed of Carbon and Hydrogen, have been around for millions of years. They can be extracted and refined to create electricity or heat. Fossil fuels can also be converted into products, such as fertilizers and plastics. Unfortunately, the process of fossil fuel formation makes them not renewable. But they are essential.

But fossil fuels aren’t only damaging our planet; they are causing widespread violence and poverty in the Global South. Black and Hispanic Americans are exposed to 56 percent of particulate matter pollution compared to whites. These industries also cause cancer in communities of color. In Louisiana, for example, one of the state’s most populous neighborhoods is called Cancer Alley, which more than 150 chemical plants characterize. In just a decade, eliminating fossil fuel subsidies could save U.S. taxpayers $35 billion.

Earth’s Climate

Earth’s climate is an energy balance that controls our world’s temperature. It absorbs 240 watts of solar energy per square meter each year, and this energy fuels photosynthesis, evaporation, and snow melting. These processes warm our planet and make our lives possible. However, this energy flow must be equal at all three levels. This article describes how the Earth’s climate balances these three energies.

The atmosphere absorbs heat radiated from the Earth’s surface, which slows energy transfer to space. This energy leaves the top of the atmosphere in equilibrium with the energy absorbed from the Sun. Because the solar constant is fixed, the maximum amount of energy that can reach Earth’s surface is constantly equaled. The solar cycle fluctuates slightly, but the natural greenhouse effect never causes our planet to reach dangerously high temperatures.

Earth’s Atmosphere

The atmosphere is responsible for the greenhouse effect, which keeps our planet warm enough to sustain life. Most aspects of Earth’s weather and climate are consequences of the atmosphere. The ocean is the second biggest contributor to the environment. Over the years, the chemistry of the atmosphere has changed. Learn how the atmosphere powers our planet and our lives. You may be surprised to learn that your local weather is affected by the atmosphere’s composition.

The Earth’s atmosphere comprises various gases, including nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. It is divided into five layers, each with different properties. The first layer includes clouds, a big part of the atmosphere’s role in weather. In addition to blocking harmful rays from the Sun, the atmosphere traps heat and makes it easier for us to live. It is essential to life, but greenhouse gases and air pollutants threaten our planet’s atmosphere.