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ALBANIAN MEDICAL JOURNAL SUPPLEMENTSolar energy and public healthZaira Poga 11Department of Health Promotion, Institute of Public Health, Tirana, Albania.With climate change and global warming at theforehead of environmental concerns, the demandfor alternative energy sources is stronger than ever.One of the most alternative power sources is solarenergy. Solar energy can be used to provide heatand electricity to homes, schools or other buildings.The conditions of Albania are favorable fordevelopment of solar energy due to its climate andthe high intensity of solar radiation.The solar radiation of Albania is calculated at morethan 1,500 kWh/ m 2 / yr. The average daily solarradiation is about 4.1kWh/m 2 , reaching more than4.6kWh/m 2 in the south-western part of Albania.Albania has on average about 2,400 hours ofsunshine per year, 2500 hours in the western partand a record of about 2,850 hours in certainlocations. Solar energy is being increasingly used forheating purposes. Based on a survey of NationalAgencyof Energy, the number of the installed solarheating panels in 2003 has increased with 35%compared to 2002.Solar energy benefits the environment and publichealth in terms of resource conservation, reducedpollution and greenhouse gas emissions and energyconservation. According to some studies, the use ofsolar power in residential settings can reduce energyconsumption by up to 50%. Solar energy producesno air pollution or greenhouse gas emissions. Thereare advantages and disadvantages of solar energyuse, but advantages appear to outnumber thedisadvantages and, therefore, solar energy is deemedan important tool for conservation of theenvironment and public health improvement.Keywords: environment, publichealth, solar energy.70 ALBANIAN MEDICAL JOURNAL SUPPLEMENT