Breathe Easy
The news has been filled with horror stories about oil spills, poisoned water supplies, and climate change as side effects of burning and mining for oil, coal, and natural gas. These side effects can cost millions of dollars to fix (if they can be fixed at all), hurt our economy and health, and take away from our planet and country's natural beauty.
No matter how long they run, solar panels create zero pollution from toxic chemicals, greenhouse gases, or noise. It's better for our planet, better for our country, and better for our children.
Made in America
According to the Energy Information Administration, about 60% of the petroleum products and crude oil processed in the United States were imported from other countries in 2011-and that number was considered low. The rising cost of oil is hard enough on American families and businesses without the hundreds of billions of dollars we send to countries like Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Iraq and Venezuela every year.
One of the greatest advantages of solar energy is that there's so much of it and it's so easy to find. In just one hour, enough sunlight reaches Earth to power the planet for an entire year. The United States alone is full of solar energy waiting to be harnessed, in America, by Americans, with technology made in America. That's energy independence.
It Makes Cents
Everywhere you go, you're affected by the price of oil. Whether you're filling your tank, heating your house in the winter, running your electricity, or shopping for groceries, the cost of oil reaches you every day. The price is rising-over 500% since 1999-and as soon as you're out, you have to buy more, often at a higher cost.
After they are installed, solar panels work for free and require no maintenance except for an occasional cleaning. They pay for themselves in energy savings, especially after you apply the tax credits offered by the federal government and many states. Better yet, if your solar panels produce more energy that you use, most states (including Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and Washington, DC) will buy electricity from you through a policy called net metering.
Best of all, solar energy creates jobs and economic growth in America. The United Nations has projected that the global market for environmental products and services will more than double to nearly 3 trillion in 2020, and will create at least 20 million jobs by 2030. By investing in solar energy now, we can put the United States at an advantage to create millions of well-paying manufacturing jobs and lower our energy costs at the same time.
