Building a new house is always an exciting process. It’s filled with interesting decisions, all of which can be to your preferences. It was the same for my family as we were constructing our new home. There were lots of choices to be made, and one of them particularly caught my eye.
One evening, I heard my dad debating over the look of our future terrace patio with a close family friend. They were discussing various shapes and colours for the roof, puzzled by the endless options. Deep in thought and determined to find a viable solution, my mind wandered towards the blinding sun which was ever-present as I remembered my last visit to the terrace in question. Suddenly, I remembered an ad I had seen some time ago about solar rooftop solutions.
Curious about the same, I pulled out my laptop and began researching. I found some quite convincing facts and statistics, all of which seemed to support the idea of installing solar panels.
Solar energy has a multitude of benefits, most important of which is a significant reduction in a household’s carbon footprint. From the moment they are installed, solar panels neither emit greenhouse gases nor cause any health hazards. This is a huge improvement from the air, water and thermal pollution generated from conventional energy production and consumption.
Another benefit which I found rather surprising were the minimal maintenance requirements. Being an upcoming, sustainable technology, I too had a preconceived notion regarding the efforts and costs involved in the maintenance process. But to my astonishment, it turns out that not only do solar panels require extremely miniscule maintenance, but they are also a worthwhile investment, saving loads in energy costs post their installation.
Solar net metering is also one of the many fascinating advantages of solar power. This means that if the solar energy produced by a household is greater than the energy used, the excess power is simply sent back to the utility company, and the household receives payment for this surplus which is returned.
While these newfound facts were pretty conclusive, one doubt kept lingering in my mind. I realized that installing these solar panels - it would mean a sacrifice in the look and feel of the patio. This kept worrying me, and when I told my dad about my findings and concern, he was indecisive as well. But, my mother overheard us and tried explaining - that it would be okay to have a slight compromise in the look, because the benefits and satisfaction we would receive by taking a sustainable measure would be far greater. This was more than enough for us to explore solar energy as, not only the roof of our patio, but also a sustainable source to power our energy consumption.
Today, we are pleased and content to say that our new house will feature a solar powered environment.
It is time to adapt to the changing climate by adopting new, sustainable alternatives. We must get rid of any preconceived beliefs and notions. Instead, upcoming technologies should be immensely encouraged. Start by exploring your household and lifestyle. Find areas where you feel there are possibilities of greener options. The climate won’t stop, and so mustn’t we.
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