Solar Energy: Advantages and Disadvantages
Thursday, July 30th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Everywhere you turn, from TV or advocacy groups to the Obama administration, people are talking about solar power. Why all this interest in solar energy? While it is the many advantages that excite so many people, there are also some disadvantages. Overcoming the disadvantages can be accomplished if you have some knowledge and are willing to put in a little work yourself.
Advantages
Infinite energy source
The sun produces solar energy so there is an infinite supply. The sun produces energy all day, every day of the year. While fossil fuels like natural gas and oil will eventually run out, solar power will continue to be available until the sun disappears and at that point we’ll have a lot bigger problems to be worried about than how to power our air conditioners. As fossil fuels become more and more scarce, the cost will continue to go up. The opposite is true of solar electricity! Solar power will get more and more affordable as technology continues to improve.
Free energy
As long as you can look out the window and see the sun shining, solar power will continue to be free. There is an initial cost for solar panels and equipment, but there is no ongoing cost for solar power aside from maintaining of the equipment and battery replacement if batteries are used. You can completely disconnect from the power company if you install enough solar panels. This is called off grid living. Some people intentionally stay connected to the electric grid, are able to generate more power than they use and actually get paid for the extra electricity by the power company!
No greenhouse gasses
For those people worried about global warming, solar energy is the solution! Fossil fuels like oil and natural gas produce a lot of greenhouse gasses, but solar power produces none at all. If you wish to reduce your carbon footprint, solar energy is a great way to do it. Solar power produces no emissions of any type.
Reduce dependence on foreign oil
One of the biggest threats to national security is widely considered to be dependence on foreign oil. Dependence on foreign oil is considered by many people to be one of the biggest threats to national security today. Our dependence on foreign oil could be reduced or eliminated completely by the use of solar electricity. Any power that is currently produced with foreign oil can be directly replaced by domestically produced solar electricity.
Disadvantages
Initial cost
Most people consider initial cost to the be the biggest disadvantages to solar power. The initial cost of solar panels can be quite high, while the ongoing costs of solar energy are very small. If you want to see how much it would cost to install enough solar panels to power your home and get a spreadsheet to do the calculations, please take a look at Solar Panel Cost.
With a good set of plans, a few common tools and enough time, the initial cost can be reduced significantly by building your own solar panels. If you are looking for instructions on how to build your own solar panel, visit Building a Solar Panel.
Space
Solar panels require sufficient space and also must be oriented so they point south. Solar panels produce the most electricity in parts of the world that a lot of sun. Areas that get a lot of sun are ideal for solar panels. Solar maps are available that show the average sun in every part of the country. A solar panel of the same size in an area with a larger score will produce more electricity. You will need more solar panels to generate sufficient electricity to power your house if you live in an area with a lower score.
As you can see, there are advantages and disadvantages to solar energy. The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, I think you’d agree. If you build your own solarpanel, you can avoid many of the disadvantages. For the best guide to building a diy solar panel, check out Green DIY Energy Review.
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