Solar Appreciation Day ☀️

Perhaps one of the biggest technological advances which separates our developed societies from the “old days” is our ability to harness and utilize electricity on an unprecedented level. However, with the advent of electricity, particularly widespread affordable electricity, had seemingly unending benefits. While electricity may not be in and of itself problematic, the specific ways we generate electricity may. In fact, a large portion of our electricity we use today is generated by polluting sources, namely non-renewables like coal. Not only does the burning of fossil fuels for electricity pollute the local air quality, it releases a huge amount of carbon into the atmosphere.

Thankfully, we are steadily moving in the direction of clean and renewable energy sources. One source in particular which is perfect to explore in-depth for Solar Appreciation Day is, of course, solar energy! Although there may be many different connotations surrounding the idea of renewable energy and solar, it is simply harnessing the biggest source of energy in the entire solar system—the sun. Maybe at one point in history it was deemed impossible to utilize a source of energy which is 91.428 million miles away, but impressive advancements in technology have made that world a reality. In fact, in the United States in 2019, solar technology provides 30% of all total new electricity produced in the country. This is an astounding 650% jump from where the United States was operating in 2010!

For the United States to make that number to a 100%, it would take 10 million acres of land to supply space for the photovoltaics necessary to power the entire country. While that number may seem pretty large, consider that there are 2.43 billion acres in the United States. Due to the size of the United States, solar panels for the entire country would comprise only 0.4% of the total area. While certain geographical areas may require more photovoltaics due to the size of populations in certain areas, to generate enough electricity through solar methods is not impossible as a result of geographic reasoning. Even now at 30% across the country, the field of solar energy production contributes about 230,000 jobs to the career market.

Solar technology is also advancing rapidly as well, both in terms of production and the driving down of installation cost. Today, panel installations cost around $3 a watt, which is a significant drop from 2010’s $8.50 a watt. Further, according to the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, new technologies are able to transform 47% of collected sunlight into electricity, in comparison most other panels convert around 20%. Almost assuredly, this number will only increase as photovoltaic technology continues to improve. The federal government, in particular the Department of Energy, provides a number of different economic incentives to introduce solar technologies. Even before those incentives, in the 8 years from 2010 to 2018, photovoltaic implementation fell from $40,000 to $18,000. Given this track, it is likely that implementation costs will continue to drop. It is also likely that federal and state governments will increase  subsidies and other incentives related to solar energy technology. 

All of these reasons and more is why we are recognizing and celebrating Solar Appreciation Day. Held on the second Friday of March every year, Solar Appreciation Day reminds us to appreciate the vast benefits of solar technology and perhaps consider our own implementation of photovoltaics. 
What else should one who is contemplating installing personal solar technology consider? Well for starters, solar panels need to have as much direct access to sunlight as possible. While this may be intuitively obvious, certain logistical decisions (particularly where?) must be made with a holistic view and approach. For example, many choose to install solar panels on their home’s roof. While this likely corrects for many of the problems related to shade near the ground, the direction of the house is also important to note. South-facing solar panels are the most successful in comparison to other directions—given how the trajectory of the sun operates and moves throughout the sky. 

Another thing to consider when planning to install panels is the existence of a tax credit for homeowners who install solar panels. A tax credit is as straightforward as one would imagine. Even though tax, and as an extension tax legislation, is complicated and, self-admittedly, rather boring, a tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction of total income tax one would owe for a specific year. Therefore, claiming a $500 tax credit would mean one would owe $500 less on federal income taxes. Oftentimes, these federal tax credits are referred to as an Investment Tax Credit (ITC). 

When it comes to the federal solar tax credit, this is a specific type of tax credit for a percentage of the cost of solar energy technology, which may be claimed on federal income taxes. In late 2020, there was a congressional extension of federal solar tax credit which approved a 26% credit for photovoltaic systems installed between 2020 and 2022. In 2023, the number drops 22% and will end completely unless specifically renewed by Congress. For a more in-depth look at solar energy tax credits, please visit the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy’s website. 

When it comes specifically to soil and water conservation, solar energy has many benefits when compared to other forms of energy production. Namely, photovoltaic panels require almost no water to produce electricity. The only time that water is used is to clean the panels from dirt, dust, and other debris. This happens usually once a month and uses considerably less water than something like a coal power plant. In fact, according to the Department of Defense National Energy Technology Laboratory, some coal-fired power plants use about 12,000,000 gallons of water every single hour. This figure does not account for the water used in the process of mining coal as well. 

Solar technology also does not add to the problems of soil health like other fossil fuels do. Of course, fossil fuels are usually far underground and require large mines with invasive technology. Other forms of energy production (or rather, inputs to energy production) which detract from the health of soil include hydrofracking and other forms of producing oil. 

Beyond the benefits of solar which are a result of a lack of costs associated with alternative energy production, emerging research finds that the land occupied by solar photovoltaic technology may be undergoing change as well. Engineer Jeff Broberg explains that early models are indicative that stormwater run-off is reduced substantially in photovoltaic sites compared to traditional row crops. Further, the utilization of native, in many cases prairie, plants results in a rebuilding of organic matter and soil health. Microorganisms and other fauna found in the soil are able to recuperate after vast pesticide, fertilizer and other approaches which harm soil health. Lastly, the research related to the existence of properly managed solar fields points toward a growth in the diversity and presence of many different pollinating species—which is integral to crop and food production as well as soil health more broadly.  
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Although solar panels and photovoltaic products more broadly may be relatively newer technology and for many, an investment, it is clear that there are benefits beyond a cheaper electricity bill. Not only are there federal, monetary incentives in the form of subsidies, but there are many real-world benefits to both personal energy production, but to environmental conservation efforts, including a cleaner atmosphere, reduction of extreme water usage, as well as an avoidance of pollution and other water and soil contamination due to other, more traditional means of electricity production. All of these different benefits are why Solar Appreciation Day was recognized in the first place. It is undeniable the need to move away from non-renewable and polluting sources of energy at some point in the future of human progress, and it is likely that solar technology will play a sizable role in that future. Perhaps on its face it appears that soil and water conservation may not have some direct link to the recognition of photovoltaic technology, it is undeniable that there are direct links through both alternatives and through likely benefits of these panels. Happy Solar Appreciation Day!