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* [http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2017-06-05/health-issues/study-replacing-coal-with-solar-would-save-50-000-lives-each-year/a57955-1 Study: Replacing Coal with Solar Would Save 50,000 Lives Each Year ] - Public News Service (radio), [https://nmtribune.com/environment/study-replacing-coal-with-solar-would-save-50000-lives-each-year/ New Mexico Tribune], [http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2017-06-05/health-issues/going-100-percent-solar-would-prevent-50-000-deaths-annually/a57967-1 Going 100 Percent Solar Would Prevent 50,000 Deaths Annually]
* [http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2017-06-05/health-issues/study-replacing-coal-with-solar-would-save-50-000-lives-each-year/a57955-1 Study: Replacing Coal with Solar Would Save 50,000 Lives Each Year ] - Public News Service (radio), [https://nmtribune.com/environment/study-replacing-coal-with-solar-would-save-50000-lives-each-year/ New Mexico Tribune], [http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2017-06-05/health-issues/going-100-percent-solar-would-prevent-50-000-deaths-annually/a57967-1 Going 100 Percent Solar Would Prevent 50,000 Deaths Annually]


* [http://www.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/2017/june/coal-to-solar-switch-could-save-52-000-us-lives Coal to solar switch could save 52,000 US lives per year ] - The Daily Climate , [http://foreignaffairs.co.nz/2017/06/06/coal-to-solar-switch-could-save-52000-us-lives-per-year/ Foreign Affairs NZ]
* [http://www.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/2017/june/coal-to-solar-switch-could-save-52-000-us-lives Coal to solar switch could save 52,000 US lives per year ] - The Daily Climate , [http://itsoureconomy.us/2017/06/coal-to-solar-switch-could-save-52000-us-lives-per-year/ Its Our Economy], [http://foreignaffairs.co.nz/2017/06/06/coal-to-solar-switch-could-save-52000-us-lives-per-year/ Foreign Affairs NZ], [https://popularresistance.org/coal-to-solar-switch-could-save-52000-us-lives-per-year/ Popular Resistance]
* [http://www.panorama.it/scienza/green/usa-con-il-solare-al-posto-del-carbone-52-000-morti-meno-allanno/ USA: con il solare al posto del carbone, 52.000 morti in meno all'anno] - Panorama (Italian) -- (circulation 300k)
* [http://www.panorama.it/scienza/green/usa-con-il-solare-al-posto-del-carbone-52-000-morti-meno-allanno/ USA: con il solare al posto del carbone, 52.000 morti in meno all'anno] - Panorama (Italian) -- (circulation 300k)
* [https://tonic.vice.com/en_us/article/choosing-coal-will-kill-52000-people Choosing Coal Will Kill 52,000 People ] - Tonic Vice
* [https://tonic.vice.com/en_us/article/choosing-coal-will-kill-52000-people Choosing Coal Will Kill 52,000 People ] - Tonic Vice
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* [https://newrepublic.com/minutes/143094/eliminating-coal-save-lives-per-year-entire-coal-industry-employs Eliminating coal could save more lives per year than the entire coal industry employs.] - New Republic
* [https://newrepublic.com/minutes/143094/eliminating-coal-save-lives-per-year-entire-coal-industry-employs Eliminating coal could save more lives per year than the entire coal industry employs.] - New Republic
* [https://steemit.com/money/@soldrakon/saving-lives-and-money-the-potential-of-solar-interesting-facts Saving Lives and Money - The Potential of Solar [Interesting Facts] - Steem It
* [https://steemit.com/money/@soldrakon/saving-lives-and-money-the-potential-of-solar-interesting-facts Saving Lives and Money - The Potential of Solar [Interesting Facts] - Steem It
* [https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/06/06/stories/1060055616 Dumping coal could save 52K lives per year — study] -- E&E Newswire
* [http://health.usnews.com/health-care/articles/2017-06-06/replace-coal-with-solar-power-to-save-money-lives Replace Coal With Solar Power to Save Money, Lives ] - US News and World Report, [https://consumer.healthday.com/environmental-health-information-12/environment-health-news-233/replace-coal-with-solar-power-to-save-money-lives-723356.html Healthday]


==In the News==
==In the News==

Revision as of 01:57, 7 June 2017

Coaldeath.jpg

Source

Abstract

Poor air quality from coal combustion adversely impacts human health including mortality and morbidity effects on respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous, urinary, and digestive systems. However, the continued use of coal are no longer necessary to provide for society's electrical needs because of advances in solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. In order to inform health policy this paper reviews the data for quantifying the lives saved by a replacement of U.S. coal-fired electricity with solar PV systems. First the geospatial correlation with coal fired power plants and mortality is determined for the U.S. at the state level. Then, current life cycle mortality rates due to coal combustion are calculated and current energy generation data is collated. Deaths/kWh/year of coal and PV are calculated, and the results showed that 51,999 American lives/year could be saved by transitioning from coal to PV-powered electrical generation in the U.S. To accomplish this, 755 GW of U.S. PV installations are needed. The first costs for the approach was found to be roughly $1.45 trillion. Over the 25 year warranty on the PV modules the first cost per life saved is approximately $1.1 million, which is comparable to the value of a human life used in other studies. However, as the solar electricity has value, the cost per life is determined while including the revenue of the solar electric generation using a sensitivity analysis on the value of the electricity. These results found that for most estimations of the value, saving a life by offsetting coal with PV actually saved money as well, in some cases several million dollars per life. It is concluded that it is profitable to save lives in the U.S. with the substitution of coal-fired electricity with solar power and that the conversion is a substantial health and environmental benefit.


Keywords

Public health; Pollution; Photovoltaic; Lives; Coal; Solar energy

In the News

In the News

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