A General Passion For Change With Solar Energy Sources

by Nathan Thompson

There has been a global passion for change with solar energy. As the economy seemed to disintegrate around the world, many governments and people began to see the importance of renewable sources. The economy, coupled with a growing appreciation for green products that produce environmentally safe products and systems has fueled this desire for newer, cleaner sources for electricity.

In 2009, the first decline in the consumption of the primary energy sources since 1982. This lower level of consumption was a major milestone for those promoting renewable sources. During this time, there has been a significant increase in the use of alternative sources such as wind and solar systems. The expectation is for the usage to increase, but then decline again over the next 20 years to about a five percent drop.

The high prices of fuel sources have caused people and governments to take a serious look at these alternatives. Though the prices have fluctuated greatly over the last ten years, they typically rise to a level and hover around the higher levels. As the world continues to look elsewhere, the prices are expected to continue to stay fairly high.

When economy began to turn around, demand for primary sources increased again. However, the world had already turned heartily towards green energy providers. Wars, rumors, and high prices have forced an extended focus on finding ways to provide electricity to homes and cities without tapping into the primary sources. Using alternative sources can help restore confidence in the economy as well, as consumers find they are better able to afford the new power sources.

The focus on alternative solutions has become a global awakening. Every time the prices of oil began to fall, something would happen on a political, financial, or Internationale scale that would send them back up again. Through all of this, the focus has had gains on finding independence from oil and coal for primary electric sources.

Many governments have begun taking part by promoting legislation that encourages people to use renewable sources. This is happening without specific treaties between governments to reduce greenhouse emissions. The programs provide incentives to contractors and consumers to upgrade current systems to include solar. They also promote using this in new construction. When connected to the electric grid, many consumers are finding they actually make money by selling excess electric back to the power company.

Green electricity is provided through PV cells. These are most commonly found in the panels that are placed on tops of houses and businesses to gather the sun's rays and convert them into electricity. This is a specific area that has seen an explosive growth with over 100 percent increase since 2004. Thanks to high prices of traditional energy, standard manufacturing, and government incentives this is becoming a very attractive power source.

The recession has provided an opportunity for rapid expansion in an area that is already popular. The passion for change with solar energy has taken off and no one is looking back. With the high prices over the last decade, coupled with the recession, governments and consumers do not want to continue to be permanently tied to oil as the main resource any longer.


Learn more about the worldwide passion for change with solar energy. You can get details about the benefits of solar power in our article on methods of harvesting solar energy.