March 11th is Solar Appreciation Day which is a day dedicated to learning about solar energy and technology. Solar energy is a form of renewable energy that comes from the sun. Particles of sunlight create a flow of electrons that solar panels convert into usable energy. This energy can be used in place of energy produced from non-renewable sources such as gas and coal. Here in Florida, many take advantage of the large amount of sunlight we have throughout the year and have converted to solar energy for at least part of their energy use. Florida (as of 2022) is ranked 3rd nationally for the number of solar panels that are installed in the state and 2nd in solar energy production. Many companies in Florida utilize solar energy including FPL, Wal-Mart, Target, and IKEA which has contributed to that ranking.
Solar energy and other forms of renewable energy have been shown to improve the planet in many ways. In high populous areas such as cities, solar panels and green roofs have been able to decrease the amount of heat that is produced thus cooling these heat islands. The energy from the sun warms the Earth’s surface, and only around 30% of the solar energy that reaches Earth is reflected back into space. The rest of that energy is being absorbed by the Earth’s surface causing natural warming in the atmosphere. Solar panels work to harness this energy that is already coming from the sun naturally which reduces the amount of energy being absorbed by the Earth’s surface.
Green roofs are dedicated roof spaces that have been converted to vegetation use and helped to reduce run-off and greenhouse gas emissions. These roofs have been a tradition in Scandinavia for centuries, and have recently become popular in Australia, Western Europe, Canada, and the United States. The vegetation grown on green roofs absorbs carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and helps trap and absorb water as it passes through. These improvements that have been implemented have worked to reduce the warming effect that cities have and have reduced the amount of heat in buildings, reducing energy consumption to cool off these buildings as well.
Sources Used:
U.S. Energy Information Administration – EIA – Independent Statistics and Analysis