Climate Change – SEIA

As carbon and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have increased dramatically in the past few decades, the threat of climate change has also grown. Solar energy is a renewable, carbon-free resource available in every geographic region of the U.S., with enormous potential to reduce our nation’s GHG emissions. Any market or policy proposal to address climate change should include significant development of solar and other clean energy technologies to power a clean, affordable economic future.

Quick Facts

• The electric power sector is among the largest contributors of greenhouse gases in the United States, representing 25% of all emissions.
• Both concentrating solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV) technologies produce clean, emissions-free electricity that can help reduce U.S. GHG emissions
• Solar heating and cooling systems can provide about 80% of the energy used for space heating and water heating needs.

Overview

Scientists agree that climate change is caused by an increase of GHG emissions in the atmosphere. GHG emissions in the United States come from a variety of different economic sectors, with the most prominent sectors being the electric power (28%) and transportation (28%) sectors, followed by industry (22%), commercial and residential consumption (11%) and agriculture (9%).¹

There is no one technology that can reduce all U.S. GHG emissions to zero, and SEIA works alongside partners in other industries such as wind and energy storage to advocate for a broad transition to a clean energy economy. Solar technologies are a crucial component of our nationwide effort to curb emissions and achieve ambitious climate goals. Solar energy is not just a solution that can help mitigate our impact on the climate, it also contributes to the resilience and reliability of our electric grid, making America more energy secure in the face of increased natural disasters and powerful storms that become more frequent in a changing climate.

Life-Cycle Assessment

Solar produces less life-cycle GHG emissions than conventional fossil fuel energy sources.⁴ While there may be some GHG emissions produced during the manufacturing and recycling of the solar system, the generation of energy results in zero GHG emissions and zero environmental impact.

Domestic Policy

SEIA supports comprehensive climate and energy legislation, and is opposed to any legislation that would weaken the Clean Air Act. There are several domestic policy priorities, including tax policy, workforce development and infrastructure, that SEIA members are engaged on to encourage deployment of low-cost solar energy in the U.S.