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Amongst other renewables, solar power certainly appears to be the best form of sustainable power. The current energy consumption by the world is estimated to be 16 TW and the potential for solar power is 23,000 TW[1]. As of 2009, the total capacity of concentrating solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV) was just over 2000 megawatts (MW) [2]. Solar power facilities certainly reduce the environmental impacts caused by the combustion of fossil fuels, such as the impacts from greenhouse gases and other polluting emissions [3]. Some of the other positive environmental impacts of solar power are:
· Reclamation of degraded land
· Potential reduction of the required transmission lines of the electricity grid if a decentralized system is put into place
· Improvement of the quality of air and water resources [4].
· Reclamation of degraded land
· Potential reduction of the required transmission lines of the electricity grid if a decentralized system is put into place
· Improvement of the quality of air and water resources [4].
http://www.bls.gov/green/solar_power/ill_1.png
Solar energy technologies also have many socio-economic benefits such as:
· Increase of regional/national energy independency
· Diversification of the energy supply, particularly beneficial during times of grid failure
· Support for the deregulation of energy markets
· Potential for the acceleration of rural electrification in developing countries [4].
However, the production of solar energy on a utility-scale is not without potential environmental impacts. Some of these include land disturbance/land use impacts; impacts to soil, water and air resources; impacts to vegetation, wildlife and wildlife habitat; and potential impacts from hazardous materials [3]. These must be considered in the development of solar energy as a renewable and sustainable source of power.
· Increase of regional/national energy independency
· Diversification of the energy supply, particularly beneficial during times of grid failure
· Support for the deregulation of energy markets
· Potential for the acceleration of rural electrification in developing countries [4].
However, the production of solar energy on a utility-scale is not without potential environmental impacts. Some of these include land disturbance/land use impacts; impacts to soil, water and air resources; impacts to vegetation, wildlife and wildlife habitat; and potential impacts from hazardous materials [3]. These must be considered in the development of solar energy as a renewable and sustainable source of power.