Solar energy in California   

Auteur : Lucile

Note :

Enquête : -> L’énergie solaire dans mon pays

Pays : Etats Unis

Lieu : Californie

Langue :

California's overall solar energy consumption is 6.923 trillion Btu per year.
Californians use 8.7% nuclear power, 45.2% renewable energy, 12.4% hydro power, 6.5% wind power and 17.8% solar photovoltaic power. Californians mainly use these energies for heating (heaters) and lighting (electricity).
Solar energy is an energy source that works with the sun. This energy is created with photovoltaic panels, sunlight is captured by solar panels. This energy does not emit any greenhouse gas, the sun is free, inexhaustible and available everywhere in the world. So we can say that this energy is environment-friendly.
California generated 25% of its electricity from solar power in 2021 out of a total production of 216,555 Btu.
The top five solar energy companies in California are:
SunPower Solar (sold in part through Costco)
ADT Solar
NRG Solar
Elevation Solar
Stellar Solar
They distribute electricity throughout the state.
Upsides: Solar energy is a green energy that is ideal for the energy transition, it does not emit greenhouse gas or carbon dioxide. Photovoltaic panels are also mostly made of recyclable materials. Drawbacks: it is somewhat of an irregular production which is linked to the clarity of the skies during the day and the unavailability of the sun at night. Its production is lower in winter, while consumption is higher in summer. This energy is still expensive.
The economic advantage of solar energy is that by producing its own electricity, for example by putting photovoltaic panels on the roof of your house, you can save up to 40% in energy costs. The social advantage is that people who opt for this renewable energy think about their children and the next generation because this energy does not pollute. The environmental benefit is that if homes and businesses convert to solar energy, together we can help reduce the harmful effects of carbon dioxide emissions and pollution on planet earth. The environmental drawback is the use of silicon in the manufacturing of photovoltaic panels. Silicon factories release a large amount of CO2 into the air. Solar panels also contain small amounts of dangerous substances such as lead, bromine or cadmium.
Over the last fifty years, solar energy consumption in California has been gradually increasing, but it was still much less used than non-renewable energy. Over the last ten years, California's solar energy consumption has been steadily increasing despite a slight decrease in 2020 and 2021.
The solar energy consumption will undoubtedly continue to grow and will eventually replace non-renewable energies. Because this energy is sustainable unlike nuclear energy for example, it is indeed a good thing in the long run because this energy hardly pollutes.

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Contexte NEOS : Nature et environnement

Thèmes

Nature et environnement

Protection de l’environnement
Économie et innovation

Pollutions
Économie verte
Énergies
Énergies renouvelables