As more people learn about the benefits of solar power, adoption of this greener electricity source will continue to grow exponentially. Here’s a look at some of the reasons that solar power is the future.

Protecting the Planet

We use a lot of electricity. The average U.S. residential utility customer uses 10,908 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity in a year, or around 909 kWh per month. Currently 39 percent of the United States’ power needs are served by coal, which also produces 77 percent of the greenhouse gases in the U.S.

Although much cleaner, solar power only makes up 0.39 percent of the electricity supply in the U.S.

“The greater the change to the chemical composition of the physical, chemical makeup of the oceans and atmosphere due to increased carbon emissions, the greater the long-term effect will be,” said renewable energy guru Elon Musk. “Given that at some point they’ll run out anyway, why run this crazy experiment to see how bad it’ll be? We know it’s at least some bad, and the overwhelming scientific consensus is that it’ll be really bad.”

Despite it’s current small share of the market, solar power is making an environmental impact.

We now have 20 gigawatts of installed solar capacity—enough to power four million U.S. homes—and we’re helping to reduce harmful carbon emissions by 20 million metric tons a year,” said Rhone Resch, the President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association.

Sunny Savings

Along with the environmental benefits, solar power is also a proven cost saver for users large and small. Depending on conditions, you can see a decrease or total elimination of electricity costs at home. For many businesses electricity costs are a top expense, making an investment in solar a good business decision.

A switch to solar also protects you from rising electricity rates. Since 2000, commercial utility rates have risen nearly 40 percent across the U.S. Meanwhile, Japan saw the cost of producing solar drop by 50 percent in the same time period. So you can also expect your savings to grow over time. Signs point to a 40 percent drop in solar costs by the end of 2017.

Mining and refining contribute to the overall cost of fossil fuels. Thanks to the sun, though, we get 430 quintillion Joules of energy totally free each minute. Compare that to the 410 quintillion Joules of energy the entire planet uses in the year.

A study by financial firm UBS points out the cost advantage to local solar installations — The most efficient way to fuel a building is creating the power where it is being used.

Better Technology

One current hurdle to more widespread solar adoption is the efficiency of solar technology. A typical household solar system is only able to convert 14 percent of the energy it takes in into electricity, but researchers are inching that number higher.

Fortunately, solar innovation is moving so quickly that in one week earlier this year four solar efficiency records were surpassed. All signs point to continued efficiencies and innovation in solar power production.

If you’d like to find out how installing solar panels on your roof can help you drive your electric bill down to zero, contact us today for a free quote.