Regardless of What You Might Hear, Solar Can Already Generate More Energy Than Oil – A Study Finds

Regardless of What You Might Hear, Solar Can Already Generate More Energy Than Oil – A Study Finds

We are all aware that people, the economy, and especially, people who have invested a lot in certain parts of the economy are slow to change in order to fit the demand. It’s often times cheaper for them to convince people that things need to stay the same, even though trends show otherwise.

This is why we’re still hearing about, so-called reports circulating out there that solar can’t match oil’s energy output. However, this statement may just have been proven to be false. In a major scientific study published in the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews this November, researchers analysed 29 separate studies and compared their results in regards to solar photovoltaic energy generated as compare to how much of energy is needed to create and install those panels.

In order to get a broader picture on the subject, scientists have analized 29 separate studies on solar power energy output. And what they discovered may or may not shock a few people, As it turns out, only 5 of the 29 of these studies have use recent data. After compiling data with more up to date technological advancements made in the field, it turns out that solar power can generate 14 times the power neded to create solar panels in the first place.

Rembrandt Koppelar, a doctoral researcher at the Center for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, and the author of this study, said that some of the data he came across dates back as far as 1998. In other words, the news we hear out there about solar power not being profitable or energy efficient are based on 18-year-old, obsolete data, and has nothing to do with the current capabilities of what solar panels can do.

Solar vs. Oil

According to a study made by the Royal Society of London in 2013, it showed that the average energy output of oil and gas was about 17 times the amount invested. But that was 3 years ago. And as most of us kknow already, the cost of fossil fuels is increasing on a daily basis since they are more and more scarce and it becomes increasingly difficult to extract it from the ground.

In the United States for example that number has already fropped to 11 for oil and gas, while biofuels are at 10. With 14 for solar power, the US will already be better off if it invests in solar energy rather than fossil fuels.

What’s more, over 85% of the world’s population lives in areas which get plenty of sunshine. Places like the southern US, many parts of Asia, Central and South America, Africa and Soutern Europe, all benefit from an increased degree of sun rays and thus the number 14, would be even higher here.

In addition, Tesla announced that they’ll begin selling their famous solar roof panels in 2017. Furthermore, they’ll be more cost effective than any other regular roof.

“It’s looking quite promising that a solar roof will actually cost less than a normal roof before you even take in the value of electricity into account. So the basic proposition would be, ‘Would you like a roof that looks better than a normal roof, lasts twice as long, costs less and by the way generates electricity?’ It’s like, why would you get anything else?” said Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk

Even greater, a major project in Asia will have Russia, Japan, China and South Korea all conected in an Asian Super-Grid, which will consist of solar an wind technologies, in order to help power these countries, as well as some parts of Europe, southern Africa and SE Asia.