Solar power (energy from the sun) is one of the very best of the renewable resources our planet has available to us. Energy from the sun is basically free, is 100% clean and is expected to last a couple billion more years – it’s kind of hard to beat that. Solar power can provide electricity, heat the hot water in our homes, where we work and play, solar pool heat can cut our electric bills and extend our swimming season.
Solar resources are measured in Sun Hours per Day, quite simply, on average how much sun hits any point on the earth each day throughout the course of the year – this number takes in to account average number of cloudy days, rain, seasonal variation, etc. Sun hours per day is fairly well documented globally and has proven to be a reliable and accurate measure of what any one region’s solar power resources are. The United States has, give or take, on average 4.8 sun hours per day. As a State, Michigan falls below that average – East Lansing receives about 4.0 and Sault Sainte Marie gets 4.2.
Despite being in Michigan, where we’re used to long cold and cloudy weather, we actually have pretty healthy solar energy resources – combined with a forward thinking state legislature, and clean energy minded utilities – you might be very pleasantly surprised by how affordable solar can be.
Interested in learning more about solar technologies? Why not read a little further.
