Environmental Impact

CO₂ Reduction from Going Solar

Solar panels are one of the cleanest ways to generate electricity, and every watt generated with solar is one watt that is not generated with dirtier technology.

A variety of emissions come from almost every form of electrical energy production – of course, some emit more and others less.  People mostly speak of carbon emissions, which is more specifically carbon dioxide.  Carbon is easy to think about, but emissions we call greenhouse gases include much more: SOX, NOX, CO2, Mercury, and so on.  Environmental policy does specifically account for these other emissions, but for ease of manageability, we use a “carbon equivalents measurement.”                 

According to the EPA, one 5-kilowatt DC solar system offsets carbon equivalents equal to:

• 605 gallons of gasoline
• 11,354 miles driven
• 12.4 barrels of oil
• 222 propane cylinders
• 1.8 tons of recycled waste
• 1.2 acres of pine forests