Are solar panels environmentally friendly?

More and more Australian home and business owners are looking into solar panels as a way of generating electricity for their homes. If you’ve also been considering the switch, you may have pondered the question “are solar panels environmentally friendly?”.

Well, one of the primary reasons Australians are making the switch from conventional electricity to off-grid solar power is because it is a sustainable source of renewable energy. So, what are these environmental benefits?

Here’s some features of solar energy which make it environmentally friendly:

• It replaces fossil fuels and greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide emissions

• It is cost-effective due to renewable sources and green energy

• It has a long lifespan (30+ years) and low maintenance—set it up and go

• Renewable energy is better energy conservation

Why is solar energy good for the environment and you?

1. Replacement for fossil fuel power plants

Although silicon solar panels do require a significant amount of energy to produce, they’re still an environmentally friendly solution for power generation.

Power plants burn through fossil fuels and release harmful pollutants into the environment—like particulate matter, sulphur oxides, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide.

These chemicals damage local ecosystems. Coal combustion from these plants accounts for 11% of methane emissions in the US, a toxic compound that, in high concentrations, can hasten global warming and pose risk to humans and plants.

On top of that, fossil fuels are an exhaustible resource. This means they’re non-renewable and take millions of years to form. Eventually, they’ll run out.

Solar energy requires a lot of energy to produce, but it doesn’t create any pollution or greenhouse gases through its use.

2. Renewable energy

The sun has been an infinite source of power for Earth since its creation—and it’ll continue to be so long into the future. 

Solar energy is renewable by nature, which makes it an eco-friendly source of energy that can address our power needs without any harmful repercussions like the emission of greenhouse gases.

3. Cost efficient

With most solar panels having an energy efficiency rating between 11 to 15%, and as photovoltaic panels become faster and cheaper, they’ll inevitably become more affordable and approachable over time. 

For Aussies, solar energy is particularly cost-effective, especially during the summer and winter—when you need to cut down on the heater and A/C at home. 

4. Conserves resources

Solar energy generation is a renewable resource that’s not only replenished by solar radiation but also has the potential to improve over time as companies push for better solar technology. 

In addition to solar cells increasing efficiency, solar panels are expected to last longer and may even be recyclable soon. This will reduce solar energy’s carbon footprint and help solar power become a truly sustainable alternative.

Based on current solar panel life expectancy, they should last for around 25–30 years. This means solar energy could end up conserving raw materials over time even if the cells have a shorter lifespan.

If solar panels don’t wear out as quickly as they deplete energy, solar power can be a reckoning force on sustainable living.

5. Low maintenance

Once solar panels are installed, they require minimal maintenance in order to keep running smoothly. They only need a steady stream of solar radiation to sustain themselves. 

Solar panel inverters need to be replaced after 10–15 years or so, but solar panels are expected to last double or even triple that lifespan.

As they don’t need much maintenance over their lifespan, they can be a solid alternative in comparison to fossil fuels that require oil and coal to produce electricity.

Solar panel and battery solutions

Have a roof? Interested in switching to clean, solar-powered technology? Here are some solar panels you can consider for your electricity needs.

QCell panels with a Fronius inverter

As an Australian company, we're well and truly in the know about how hot our country can be. 

We understand that when you invest your hard-earned money into a solar system from one of Australia's leading providers, you want to make sure it can withstand the test of time without overheating. 

That's why we at Shoalhaven Solar are committed to selling only premium panels to promote confidence to our customers, starting with the reputable QCell Panels with a Fronius Inverter. 

Best yet, these inverters mount directly onto QCell panels! This offers a streamlined solution so you don't have to worry about different parts not playing nicely together—because this technology works beautifully as one unit.

Find out more about the QCell Panels with a Fronius Inverter package.

Tesla Powerwall

The Tesla Powerwall is a rechargeable solar battery. It is designed to store energy and supply it on-demand, so that your home can be powered around the clock. It uses the excess energy generated by your solar system to supply your home with electricity, even during the night or during power outages.

Find out more about the Tesla Powerwall. 

QCell panels with a SolarEdge inverter

The QCell Panels with a SolarEdge Inverter is the perfect solar package for environmentally-friendly homes. The inverters come with intelligent energy management and storage solutions as a more convenient feature.

In addition to the easy set-up and high-quality compatibility of this product, you get peace of mind with a free energy monitoring app called mySolarEdge that tells you how much energy you generated from your system in real-time. 

Featuring

• Track your energy use and production in real-time, with mobile-optimized features

• Identify ways to become more energy efficient

• Control your smart home devices and manage SolarEdge EV charging remotely

• View solar inverter status for quick troubleshooting using step-by-step instructions and easy to read menus in SetApp-enabled inverters only

View the QCell Panels with SolarEdge package.

Solar panel installation and more

We at Shoalhaven Solar ensure that we only provide ethical, quality, and reliable solar panel solutions to our customers.

Whether you want to learn more about solar system monitoring technology or shop for the next solar panel solution for your home or business, we guarantee that we have everything covered for your solar panel needs.

Get a quote from us today.