Africa is at the sharp end of the consequences of climate change, despite only being responsible for 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, for which developed countries have historically been responsible. ~ Robin Delobel
The interest/demand for energy to meet social and financial growth and improve human welfare and wellbeing is at large. Every community requires energy services to meet essential human needs such as cooking, communication, production and mobility.
For a long period of time, the worldwide utilization of petroleum products has expanded to be at the top of the energy supply, raising the frequency and volume of carbon dioxide outflows with its devastating effects growing by each day. The world can become increasingly eco-friendly if countries adjust to and promote the use of cleaner and renewable energy sources.
Renewable energy is energy gained from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat, which cannot be exhausted but replenished. These sources of energy discharge zero particles that cause air contamination or affect human well being negative. For example, wind and solar energy require absolutely no water while geothermal consumes water for plant cooling which means the strain on water supply in the neighbourhood can be essentially decreased.
Solar Energy as an Eco-friendly Renewable Energy Source
To put this simply, Solar Energy is made by transforming sunlight into electricity. The easiest way this happens is by installation and utilization of photovoltaic panels in zones that get a ton of light beams or by means of concentrated solar power frameworks.
Probably the greatest advantage of solar energy is the inexhaustive, ready accessibility of the source – the sun is the most abundant source of energy due to the amount of sunlight the earth receives, besting coal and other non-renewable energy sources.
Nigeria exists in a high sunlight belt and in this way has tremendous solar energy possibilities. Solar radiation is genuinely fairly dispersed in the country.
If solar collectors or modules were used to cover 1 % of Nigeria’s land area, it is possible to generate 1850 × 103 GWh of solar electricity per year, which is over 100 times the current grid electricity consumption level in the country ~ Joshua Sunday Riti
Today, the vast majority of our reliable sources in Nigeria are hydro, which usually results in a poor supply of energy during dry seasons. If the use of solar energy can be utilized the more, the energy gap would not only shorten but provide the best alternative.
Here are only a couple of the numerous benefits of using solar energy in Nigeria.
Benefits of Solar Energy
Carbon Footprint: Nigeria is filled with several processing plants and factories thereby increasing the rate of pollution. With energy from sunlight, we’ll be able to protect our environment by reducing carbon footprint and pollution.
Economic savings: Clean energy produced from the sun significantly reduces cost. This is because it is an inexhaustible source of energy that isn’t subject to market fluctuations. The most important thing about solar is that it is an unlimited and continuous source of energy that requires very little maintenance or usage costs.
Employment Opportunities: It’s a well-known fact that solar energy development is making employment opportunities for the youth. Most of the costs of the system come from the installation of the solar panels themselves, which promotes local job creation. The widespread use of these systems, therefore, promotes job creation and has a positive impact on the economy in the area. As more homes and organizations become eco-friendly, openings for work are on a high. Solar energy employments are growing multiple times quicker than other industries.
The need for renewable energy can not be overemphasised. According to UNICEF “Every year, over half a million children under the age of 5 die from causes related to air pollution. Even more, will suffer lasting damage to their developing brains and lungs.”
“Access to affordable and clean energy is critical to children’s development and well-being. And the benefits of renewable energy go beyond physical health. In addition to preventing the release of toxic fumes, renewable energy can bring lighting and connectivity to areas without power grids. This supports education by allowing school meals to be cooked and solar lanterns to be charged for students’ studies.” UNICEF
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