guest post by Derek Lotts

Environmentalism is a hot topic in the modern world, and rightfully so. With the rise of industrialization over the past two centuries, the burning of fossil fuels and the overuse of limited natural resources for energy generation as well as the decrease in clean water supply, the Earth is quickly moving towards a perilous future.

Humanity is in need of a radical change in the way energy is harvested, stored and utilized. Although fossil fuel companies want you to believe otherwise, solar energy is the only sustainable, eco-friendly and inexhaustible source of clean energy.

Solar power is the way of the future, as it will allow the Earth’s population to thrive under an unlimited supply of energy, decrease energy expenses, and preserve the environment. Here’s how solar panels can benefit the ecosystem, promote long-term health, and allow for financial independence.

Solar energy reduces water pollution

The traditional biomass and geothermal power plants such as natural gas and coal-fired facilities consume immense amounts of water in order to maintain their operations and enable proper cooling. On the other hand, solar energy does not pollute the water supply, nor does it require water to generate electricity.

The solar photovoltaic cells do not require water and thus, do not decrease the local water supply. This way, solar panels do not interfere with local agricultural needs, drinking systems, and other vital water systems, allowing valuable water resources to be preserved and put to better use worldwide.

The average household consumes more than 900 litres of water on a daily basis. However, by transitioning to independent solar energy solutions, the worrying statistic can be decreased significantly.

Moreover, given the fact that traditional power plants consume more than a thousand gallons of water an hour (that’s two Olympic-sized pools), the need to transition to solar energy becomes of the utmost importance for the preservation of the planet.

Solar energy reduces air pollution

The leading culprits in air pollution and global warming are carbon dioxide and methane emissions from fossil fuels and the overuse of traditional manufacturing and industrial processes across the globe. The burning of fossil fuels through transportation, oil, and coal has elevated the average temperature levels over land and sea by 0.74ºC, with alarming predictions for the next fifty years pointing towards a worldwide catastrophe.

Some of the best solar panels manufactured in Australia will allow you not only to preserve precious water and promote a healthy living environment through air cleanliness, but to also create lifelong independence by harvesting your own energy and allocating your resources for the benefit of all humankind.

Solar energy is renewable

And speaking of benefiting the world, solar energy is completely renewable, which means that, unlike fossil fuels, solar power can be harvested indefinitely. Or, at least until the Sun has reached the end of its lifespan some 5.5 billion years in the future.

The sun is the most abundant source of clean energy, producing more than 173,000 TW (terawatts) per second of energy, which is more than 10,000 times the world's total combined energy use. The positive impact of solar power on the environment is not without its minor drawbacks though, as the manufacturing and transportation of solar panels do require the use of fossil fuels.

However, the long-term benefits outweigh the immediate costs. Furthermore, fossil fuels are finite sources of energy, meaning that the world will very soon reach a point when the “fossil well” is all dried up, or the costs of finding and extracting fossil fuels from the ground become too great for the global financial infrastructure to handle.

In the end, there seem to be no real disadvantages to solar energy. Introducing solar panels into your home will allow for substantial long-term monetary savings, financial and energy independence in addition to numerous environmental benefits. This will promote the long-term health and well-being of your family. And the Earth will thank you, as well.

Derek Lotts is Advisory Editor at Smooth Decorator , he writes about décor, gardening, recycling, ecology and everything related to home improvement. He thinks all these fall under self-improvement. He believes in the power of sharing ideas and communicating via the internet to achieve betterment.