Sunny skies, water waves, and powerful winds can replenish the world with a constant supply of energy; these resources are known as renewable energy aka clean energy. However, renewable energy isn’t a new trend or a technology; people have been harnessing nature’s energy to obtain light, heat, and power for thousands and thousands of years. The wind has always moved sailboats, and the sun has always warmed homes and cooked food. Nowadays, in order to run your home economically and eco-friendly, it requires smart energy and sustainability. If you’re asking yourself as to why you should use renewable energy plans, here are the top 6 answers to your question!
1. Save the Earth
It’s needless to say that most of us are really concerned with saving our planet. Most electric energy providers and non-renewable resources cause air pollution by releasing carbon dioxide, methane, and other harmful emissions. People either use coal energy or natural gas in their homes. But unfortunately, coal produces the highest amounts of greenhouse gases; and even natural gas, which many think is a safe option, releases a large amount of the potent methane gas. No need to dig into the science scoop, as we have all learned in school how these greenhouse gases contribute to global warming, harming animals, plants, and negatively affecting food production and all of our ecosystems in general. The extraction of non-renewable resources also damages the land and wildlife, and the chemicals used in the process are polluting the soil. The fallout of mining accidents can also be catastrophic and wipe out coastal areas.
In contrast, renewable energy resources release little to no emissions, therefore using them in your home can help fight climate change, global warming and maintain biodiversity within our habitats.
All finite energy resources like fossil fuels will inevitably deplete. If we slow down on non-renewable energy consumption and use hydropower, geothermal energy, biomass, or solar energy; we will be saving an enormous global energy potential, and meeting our current needs without depleting earth’s resources and compromising future generations’ ability to meet theirs.
2. Health Impacts
A major reason why you should use renewable energy is that non-renewable and fossil fuels can be detrimental to our health. The pollutants that they emit (nitrogen oxides, methane, and sulfur dioxide) can cause breathing problems and serious health issues, like heart diseases and infections. Mercury is a poisonous product of coal energy, when coal is burned, mercury is diffused in the air that we breathe and gets deposited in rivers, where fish ingest it; making our source of food also poisonous. The more these non-renewable sources of energy are burned, the more the quality of air will deteriorate, so will our quality of living.
3. Save Up On Your Power Bill
If you’re a homeowner and your power bill has been going through the roof lately, whether from electrical appliances, water systems, or lighting; using renewable sources of energy can greatly reduce your bills. When you use renewable energy at home, you won’t have to buy electricity from local suppliers, instead, you’ll be utilizing free sources of energy. For instance, if you choose sunlight as your energy source, you’ll be able to harness an enormous amount of energy from a source that never runs out, and its cost never increases. If you live in the southeast region of Australia, you can take advantage of Melbourne solar power, and install a solar system at home. The solar output for this area is ideal, because of its location and suitable weather conditions. Any city that experiences hot summer days and warm temperatures throughout the year should seize the opportunity and use solar energy, to benefit from long-term savings. Besides, if you don’t use all the energy, you can feed the surplus into your home grid or store it in a solar battery, so it’s never really wasted.
4. Price
Okay installing solar panels or wind turbines can be expensive at first, but they are certainly cost-effective. Federal authorities everywhere are trying to make the investment in renewable energy more affordable than ever. The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), is incentivizing the use of renewable energy by subsidizing the purchase of solar power systems for both homeowners and businesses, this energy tax credit also reduces your payback time for any investment you make. Many states now even provide loans, grants, and other financial incentives to encourage the installation of renewable energy systems and equipment. Isn’t the idea of a free energy source, and cutting down on your monthly expenses for many years to come compelling enough?
5. Backup Plan
Power cuts can be one of the most dreadful things. Now a backup plan sounds important, right? Renewable sources of energy are very reliable and are resistant to natural disasters like severe storms and heavy rain. On top of that, renewable energy is said to be modular; meaning that it’s made up of several panels or turbines. So if one of its parts is ruined, the other equipment in the system won’t also break down but will continue to generate power normally, therefore preventing any disruptions. That’s why the U.S Energy Information Administration describes renewable energy as virtually inexhaustible.
6. Tweak Your Home’s Value
A home that endows sustainability and greenery will usually have a high value. Because not only does it factor in energy conservation, but it is also aesthetically pleasing and attractive to anyone buying a house. According to the National Renewable Energy Lab, the home value increases by $20 whenever the annual utility bills decrease by $1, so if renewable energy saves $500 per year, your home’s value will increase by $10,000. You can even ask your real estate agent, he’ll probably say ‘who wouldn’t want to live in an eco-friendly home?’
Renewable energy never runs out, lowers your energy bills, provides you with all the power you need in your home without the planet-warming impacts of fossil fuel. Being an educated consumer, and making more responsible choices that can positively and permanently impact the environment should be your major drive and incentive. You can be a trendsetter, and encourage everyone around you to switch to renewable energy for a brighter, greener future.
