Ecological and economical aspects of solar energy use

¹ Faculty of Mining & Geoengineering, AGH University of Science & Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
² Regional Directorate of Environmental Protection in Warsaw, Faculty of Environmental Impact Assessment, Poland

^* Corresponding author: sobczyk@agh.edu.pl

Abstract

The natural environment is devastated by the industry and by households, which use fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas for heating water and buildings as well as for generating electricity. One of the ways to limit the degradation of the environment and the usage of natural resources is to use unconventional and renewable resources and to implement energy-saving technologies in construction, industry and households. A dynamic development of systems based on renewable energy sources such as biomass, water, wind, heat from inside the Earth and sunbeams has recently occurred in the whole world. This thesis is related to the purest and the least onerous for environment source of energy which is undoubtedly the energy that comes directly from the solar radiation. In this article the solar energy application is presented, taking into account its impact on the environment and financial costs of developing solar techniques. The installation of alternative energy sources are entitled to grants and credits, which reduces the investment costs. Ecological effects, although immeasurable, are significant and definitely testify in favor of the solar system.