Written By Marina Dawson

With today’s increased emphasis on living “green” and reducing your environmental impact, batteries are becoming an even more popular way to use energy without contributing greatly to negative environmental impacts.  Because batteries simply store energy for use at a later time, where that energy comes from is actually a moot point.  So, the energy that flows into a battery could come from standard electricity sources such as hydroelectric, nuclear, or coal and other fossil fuels, or it could come from renewable energy sources such as solar or wind energy.

Solar energy is one of the most promising energy sources of our future, and it is routinely being used in many different applications, from the familiar solar calculator to the little ground lights that so many people have in their gardens.  Solar powered battery chargers are also becoming more popular, and not only for the usual 12-volt batteries either.  Some backpacks are now being equipped with solar panels to charge the batteries found in cell phones, MP3 players, and laptops.  In these instances, solar power is not only cheap and environmentally friendly, but also incredibly convenient – imagine being able to power your cell phone simply by walking around in the sunshine!

Batteries and solar power actually go hand in hand.  With renewable energy sources, it is important to have somewhere to store the energy that is produced by the sun or wind so that it can be used at a later time, perhaps when the energy is no longer available.  This makes it easy to collect renewable energy to charge up the batteries, and then use the batteries for powering your electrical needs.  Since batteries can be completely recycled when properly disposed of, this creates an extremely environmentally friendly energy cycle.

There are many ways to use solar power within your home.  Passive solar power refers to designing the house in a way that allows it to best capture the sun’s light, thereby reducing the need for lightbulbs, and also so that it maximizes the sun’s warmth in the winter to heat the house, and minimizes the sun’s rays in summer to keep the house cool.  There are various forms of solar energy collectors that take in the sun’s electromagnetic rays, whose energy is then converted into electricity in storage containers.  Photovaltaic cells are becoming more popular in homes, and are also steadily decreasing in price.

Another excellent reason to consider solar energy is because, after the initial investment in energy-capturing technology, the cost to provide electricity to your home is virtually free.  Also, many homes powered by solar energy actually take in more energy than they can use themselves.  The excess energy is sent back to the main power grid, to be used in providing energy to other people’s homes.  This can actually result in your local electricity company ‘buying’ back energy from you.

If converting your house to solar energy isn’t possible for you at this time, then consider using other solar-powered devices.  An excellent first step is to try a solar-powered battery charger rather than plugging your battery into your wall outlet.  With small steps, everyone can work towards doing their part to keep our land healthy and pollution-free.

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