What makes solar energy

Share Tweet Email. Read This Next Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London. Animals Wild Cities Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London Love them or hate them, there's no denying their growing numbers have added an explosion of color to the city's streets. India bets its energy future on solar—in ways both small and big. Environment Planet Possible India bets its energy future on solar—in ways both small and big Grassroots efforts are bringing solar panels to rural villages without electricity, while massive solar arrays are being built across the country.

Epic floods leave South Sudanese to face disease and starvation. Travel 5 pandemic tech innovations that will change travel forever These digital innovations will make your next trip safer and more efficient.

But will they invade your privacy? Go Further. Animals Wild Cities This wild African cat has adapted to life in a big city. Animals This frog mysteriously re-evolved a full set of teeth.

Animals Wild Cities Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London. Animals Wild Cities Morocco has 3 million stray dogs. Meet the people trying to help. Animals Whales eat three times more than previously thought. The base houses the cells and also transfers the electricity they're generating to a single location, whether it's being sent into a building, into a local power grid or elsewhere. At that point, all that's left is to connect the solar module to an outer polymer frame, which holds the panel and insulates the electrical components, covering everything with a protective layer of glass.

Finally, manufacturers box the panels and send them out to installers. While solar power is often held up as a beacon of clean energy in a world rapidly succumbing to climate change, detractors will point out that solar panel manufacturing has its own environmental considerations. As solar panel technology has improved over the last several decades, the manufacturing process has continued to become less polluting, as shown in an academic study that found " strong downward trends of environmental impact" from solar panel production between and That rate of improvement hasn't stalled in recent years, and identifying the most environmentally friendly materials and production processes remains a top priority of all major solar producers.

Even further, end-of-life considerations for solar panels are being actively incorporated into the solar panel lifecycle , with manufacturers developing ways to recycle panels and their material components to further minimize their impact.

With that said, there is no such thing as a free lunch. The manufacturing of any product requires energy and resources, meaning the process inherently adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere — exactly what that renewable energy is seeking to minimize. While it's true that solar panels have an environmental cost to their production, so too do the construction of power plants and wind turbines; the extraction and burning of fossil fuels; and any other method to create useful energy.

But with solar panels having a lifetime of 25 years or more , that environmental impact is spread over a long period, while the actual electricity production requires zero fuel. On a per-kilowatt-hour basis over the course of a solar panel's lifetime, the net impact is much lower than almost any other energy source , and that impact is getting even smaller with the continued improvement to technologies, supply chains and recycling programs.

As power companies seek to address climate change and eco-conscious energy consumers recognize the benefits of generating their own electricity, solar energy is becoming a much more common source of electricity. After being merely a blip on the radar as recently as , U. Most people have observed this trend toward clean energy, seeing neighbors buy solar panels , coming across solar installations on top of a local business or even driving by a full-sized solar farm.

But is solar a good choice for your home? For many homeowners, the decision comes down to cost. You can get a free, no-obligation estimate from a top solar company in your area by filling out the second form below. Solar panels are composed of numerous solar cells, a set of wiring to connect those solar cells to a conductive material base, a glass or plastic protective casing for both individual cells and the whole panel, and a frame used to house all of these components.

Featured Resources. Want to go solar? Check out the Portal. Need more answers on solar energy? Read our FAQ. No fuel to burn After solar panels have been installed, operational costs are quite low compared to other forms of power generation.

Solar power and the environment As a renewable CO 2 -free power source, the environmental impact of solar power is significantly smaller than other power generation methods. FAQ — Solar power What is solar power? Solar panels Solar power kits for your home Find your kit.

Solar solutions Solar power for business Request a quote. Energy production Our power plants Fortum has over power plants in total: hydro, CHP combined heat and power , condensing, nuclear, solar and wind. Get to know our power plants.