Physicists might balk a bit at the phrase “renewable energy.” The Law of Conservation of Energy, one of the most fundamental principles in science, dictates that energy can be neither created nor destroyed. Your average middle-schooler could probably tell you that.
However, energy can change forms. So when we talk about “renewable” energy, we actually mean “infinitely replaceable” energy. We aren’t creating anything new, just harnessing the energy all around us. Renewable energy can come from wind, rainwater, tides and waves, heat within the earth, and, most importantly, sunlight.
In fact, all energy on earth comes from the sun. Energy from most renewable sources has already been converted and somewhat diluted, but harnessing solar energy cuts out any middlemen. When we convert solar radiation into usable electricity, we tap into the massive amount of energy the sun radiates every second: approximately 3.8 x 1026 Watts.
It’s never been more important to stake your claim in this virtually eternal source of energy, and SHINE Partners can help your business make that happen. But first, it’s essential to understand the benefits solar energy can offer the planet, humanity as a whole, and your business.
Environmental Impact
Fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas are astounding sources of condensed energy with many applications. Since humanity began harvesting fossil fuels on an industrial scale in the early 1800s, their reach has extended through much of human society. For example, in 2020, 61 percent of electricity in the U.S. was generated using fossil fuels.
While fossil fuels have enabled leaps and bounds in technological advancement for the last 200 years, the environmental consequences have been dire.
Coal, oil, and natural gas are all found underground, buried under layers of rock and sediment. Extracting those resources is not just a costly endeavor but can also devastate the land around an extraction site and beyond. Coal mining strips the land of crucial topsoil, leading to erosion, pollution with petrochemicals and mining chemicals, and loss of plant and animal habitats. Oil and natural gas mining, whether with traditional drilling or fracking, can impact the land in the same ways. Even when mining operations in an area stop, the ground may never return to its natural state.
Mining and burning fossil fuels for energy also produce massive amounts of air pollutants, including carbon dioxide, methane, benzene and formaldehyde. As these emissions accumulate, they prevent heat from escaping the earth’s upper atmosphere. This “greenhouse” effect has caused several degrees of global climate shift. Temperatures will continue to rise with fossil fuel use, which could devastate plant and animal life, melt glaciers and the polar ice caps, and cause ocean levels to rise.
Pursuing a more sustainable future in renewable energy, helmed by solar power, can help save the planet for future generations.
Public Health Impact
Back to air pollutants – not only do these airborne chemicals warm the planet, but they also affect the air we breathe. It should come as no surprise that an abundance of chemicals like formaldehyde or benzene in the air isn’t great for humanity’s overall health. Research by the Harvard Chan School of Public Health suggests that the impact of coal mining alone could be costing the U.S. public billions – if not trillions – of dollars annually in healthcare costs.
Fossil fuel industry disasters like oil spills, natural gas leaks, waste disposal failures, and more expose people to harmful chemicals. Some may cause cancers, others respiratory illnesses, but this kind of exposure is never a good thing, whatever the downstream effects.
Unfortunately, for people experiencing the health impacts of the fossil fuel industry, the damage is already done. But by turning to renewable energy sources, we may stop the damage from progressing further and from spreading to wider areas. Nobody wants to return to an early-1800s state of living, our cities blanketed in dense smog.
Business Impact
The environmental and health benefits of transitioning to renewable energy sources are convincing enough, but harnessing solar energy can also provide a boon for your business.
A quality array of solar panels and an efficient storage system from SHINE Partners can reduce or eliminate your office building’s reliance on local power grids. In many cases, installing a solar system is the equivalent of prepaying for almost 40 years of energy. While that does require an up-front investment, the cost is often a fraction of energy costs over the following few decades. This bonus to your bottom line can then be reinvested in your company however you see fit.
Utilizing solar power for your business can also make good marketing sense. More and more people realize the need to transition away from fossil fuel use. Total reliance on solar energy earns your business a “green” label that prospective customers, clients, and partners will like.
Switching to solar energy is also heavily promoted by tax incentives and other benefits at federal, state, and even local levels. While your solar power system provides direct savings by slashing your electric bill, tax incentives and other public programs can give additional savings for years to come.
SHINE Partners
If you’re interested in achieving energy independence for your business and saving money, our environment, and our health doing it, contact SHINE Partners today at 800-516-4452, info@shine.partners, or visit https://shine.partners/. We offer a wide range of solar system products from the best manufacturers so we can provide you with an energy solution that fits your commercial property’s needs. We are proud to have a stellar record of successful solar installations, and our diversity of clients and installations makes us the best provider for your switch to solar.
