5 Facts About Solar Energy That May Surprise You
After decades of debate and development, the solar industry is finally ready. Solar power projects around the world don’t need subsidies to beat fossil fuels on price: the future looks even brighter. But there are still many people who don’t know about solar power, and perhaps these 5 things might surprise you. 1. Solar energy is the most abundant energy source on earth There is enough solar energy hitting the earth every hour to meet all of mankind’s energy needs for the entire year. If we could capt u re one hour of solar energy per year, every ounce of oil, every lump of coal and every cubic foot of natural gas could remain in the ground. That’s the potential of solar energy. 2. Solar is cheaper than fossil fuels According to Lazard’s Average Cost of Energy Analysis Version 11.0, solar energy costs just 4.3 cents per kWh without subsidies, cheaper than almost every option for new fossil-fueled power plants. The cheapest fossil fuel option is natural gas, which costs 4.2 to 7.8...