America’s Roof Top Revolution - SolarPower(Green Energy)
All revolutions have there beginnings because of civil injustices or societal evolution that occurs to upset the fabric of life. It divides people at first but, then tends to unify them toward a common goal or cause. Our problem is the energy shortage and the using of coal in power generation that’s at the heart of climate change debate, not nuclear. So what, that the sun provides enough solar energy to the earth in one hour, to power the world for one year. People don’t care Solar energy is the most abundant natural resource we have, even though that technology has been around for awhile, until it effects them directly and personally. We need a cause that will motivates us and bring us together as a force to resolve these problems.

We are all overlooking an important issue here, what we can do as individuals to have an effect on the global energy problem we face today. The answer is simple “Make Solar Power Affordable to the masses”. Alternative energy is moving in the right direction to meet the demand but, what effect will it have on homeowners who can not afford it. I recently ran across a company that has removed the tradition cost to Solar Power. They do it with a rental agreement and with an electric rate locked in at or below what you are paying to your electric provider now. They provide a worry-free system; they install it, and maintain it without any addition fee. Imagine every homeowner producing their own electric Solarpower on their roofs without going broke, what a concept. Now the average homeowner in America can take the power back and take action as a collective force with solar power. Think of all the energy savings multiplied by 100, by 1000, or a million, what impact would that have all across this country not to include the money saved for the homeowner. http://www.solarforusa.com

I don't think a proper distinction is made here between what constitutes a "green" energy source or not. Are we referring to how much waste is produced in use, in manufacture? How long does that waste last, and what is it's toxicity? What does it cost to process that waste? How long will the resource last? What does it cost to utilize that resource?

Taking all of these factors into account, the sun comes out on top in several categories, of course. It's projected to last another 4 billion years, any physical waste it produces is 93 million miles away from us, and most estimates show that the sun sends more than enough energy our way. The big factor, of course, is cost. Solar panels are still quite expensive if they're designed with any kind of efficiency, and some of the compounds used in them are toxic or require a toxic process to produce. I have heard of a European center that uses mirrors instead of solar cells, making a kind of giant lens that focuses light to boil water, but again, the cost on a large scale would deter most energy companies.

Naturally, there are other resources besides the sun. Fission meets many of the criteria, if only the waste was not so toxic or had some practical use. Fusion still hasn't become efficient enough, geothermal energy requires so much drilling, wind power is expensive to harvest and unpredictable, fossil fuels combust imperfectly and are running out, and hydroelectric plants have a limited potential and affect the climate. If only we didn't need electricity so much...