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Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Energy

In this blog I will try to be honest about going green. This is because if we really want to go green it not only needs to be good for the environment but we need to be able to make it a part of our lives as well. That is why in this article we will look at both the advantages and the disadvantages of solar energy.

Solar energy is known to be very environmentally friendly. It is being used for many things like electricity, central heating, hot water, cooking, etc. and to power individual things like outdoor lights, power roof vents etc. We all know solar energy comes from the sun’s rays. Thankfully, when the sun rays enter the earth’s atmosphere it is quite diluted, or we would all cook but there is still plenty of energy to capture and put to work for us.

Some of the main advantage of solar energy:

1: Solar energy is clean therefore it is very environmentally friendly. There is no need to use fossil fuels (which always produce pollutants) to produce electricity or heat. All you need is a solar energy collector or solar power panels in order to collect solar energy.

2: Another big advantage of solar energy is it is cheaper than electric heating. By just using solar energy you can save a lot of money on heaters. In return you will get lower electric bills and it also means that you don’t have to maintain heaters.

3: If you live in a remote area where there are no power-lines solar energy is the best solution. There aren’t as many of these remote areas any more, where power companies have no means to access your home but there are still some. Solar energy can provide you with an alternative energy source which will provide you with the energy you need to cook, heat your house and water, and the electricity you need to run your appliances.

4: Many people today are using solar energy to supplement their electrical and heating needs because after the initial investment the cost is free.

Although all of the above advantages are very good and useful ideas solar energy also has some disadvantages.

Let’s discuss some of the disadvantages of solar energy:

1: One of the big disadvantages is the sun only shines during the day. Therefore if you need electricity or hot water during the night, like most of us do, you have a problem to solve. You will need a way of storing your daylight energy or have a backup system like the ‘old’ utility grid. There are battery systems that can store solar energy for later use.

2: Another disadvantage of solar energy is you have to have a lot of solar collectors installed to produce enough energy to run your house. Solar energy may be very cheap but the solar collectors are relatively expensive and require regular maintenance in order to work properly and efficiently. Your return on investment usually is there but each situation will need to be evaluated on its own.

3: One big disadvantage is that you need the sun rays to make use of solar energy. If you are situated in a part of this world where there is not much sun light then this could be a problem (I am not sure where that might be). Maybe in your area, the sun rays are almost always covered in clouds making solar energy collectors very inefficient. On the other hand if you live in desert areas like in Arizona or Mexico the sun produces a lot of sunshine almost all year long and this ideal for solar energy collecting.

Solar energy is a very clean environmentally friendly alternative to conventional heating and electrical systems. Although this is true there are also some disadvantages of solar energy. If you are considering using solar energy it is good to evaluate both the advantages and disadvantages in order to make a balanced decision that is right for you.

1 June 2009 comments [68] TrackBack-URI

68 comments

1. Phenter posted on July 1, 2009:

   I am very interested in Solar energy but am just starting to learn thanks for helping.

2. Tamie posted on July 1, 2009:

   I am learning how to be green and solar energy seems to be one great way.

3. Tami posted on July 3, 2009:

   It is good to look at both sides of an issue. thanks for the help.

4. Reaper posted on July 3, 2009:

   I like the way your write. this is a good blog.

5. Fioria posted on July 3, 2009:

   Great to hear both sides I like the way you write.

6. Peter posted on July 4, 2009:

   There are plenty more advantages as well.

7. Pres posted on July 5, 2009:

   I like this I know there are always two side to things and I like to hear them.

8. Bylingual posted on July 6, 2009:

   Some advantages though out way all the disadvantages.

9. KonstantinMiller posted on July 6, 2009:

   How soon will you update your blog? I’m interested in reading some more information on this issue.

10. Terne posted on July 6, 2009:

    There are some disadvantages but the advantages sure out weigh them by a lot.

11. Phermine posted on July 7, 2009:

    I like to hear both sides and you have been honest here. thanks

12. Annax posted on July 8, 2009:

    I know there are a lot of advantages and I am starting to make use of them.

13. Bice posted on July 9, 2009:

    The advantages of solar energy are really good and we all should be taking advantage of them.

14. Buck posted on July 10, 2009:

    Whenever we talk about going green all you hear is “we have to do this” and “it’s good” thanks for giving balance.

15. Banax. posted on July 11, 2009:

    I am always wanting to know the truth and the truth is there are disadvantages to everthing we do. Knowing them helps us move forward.

16. Minde posted on July 12, 2009:

    We all know there are some disadvantages but we need to do this for the better good.

17. Cathy posted on July 13, 2009:

    I think the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages

18. Herman posted on July 14, 2009:

    There certainly are a lot of advantages for going green. Thanks for the help.

19. Casie posted on July 15, 2009:

    The more I think about going green the more I want to do it and the advantages seem to be a lot.

20. Ted posted on July 16, 2009:

    You never know how big a deal something wil be until you start doing it.

21. Webster posted on July 17, 2009:

    there seems to be a lot of advantages to going green. I like the balance in this article.

22. Dogs posted on July 18, 2009:

    The advantages of going green are a lot more than the disadvantages in my opinion.

23. Tukisow posted on July 18, 2009:

    I like the way you write and I am also interested in going green. good blog

24. Fabex posted on July 19, 2009:

    You have a fabulous site here. I like your content.

25. Roteit posted on July 20, 2009:

    There are lots of good advantages for going green aren’t there.

26. Monu posted on July 20, 2009:

    Solar energy is a great way to go. I know there is still some things that would make it a whole lot better but it is a way better than using non renewable resources.

27. Quuyawezoz posted on July 21, 2009:

    There are advantages and then there are advantages. Some moves to green have a greater impact then others.

28. Fecofis posted on July 21, 2009:

    This is a good blog with lots of good ideas. Thanks

29. Jodo posted on July 22, 2009:

    I like what you have to say and the balanced approach very refreshing.

30. Fudage posted on July 22, 2009:

    Solar energy is the best way I know to help our environment and save money. Keep up the good blog.

31. Luke posted on July 23, 2009:

    When I think of solar energy I think it has a long way to go to really be cost effective. But I suppose there are still advantages to using it at the present time.

32. Nufameu posted on July 24, 2009:

    You have a lot of good ideas here and anyone can probably think of a lot more advantages.

33. capogruppo posted on July 25, 2009:

    You have a good blog here so keep it up.

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34. TicTac posted on July 25, 2009:

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35. Cafe posted on July 25, 2009:

    Many of the disadvantages are not all that big when you consider what you are going to gain.

36. Piti posted on July 26, 2009:

    Sometimes we make a big deal about hings that don’t really matter. Other time we don’t make a big enough deal. Going green is the second in my opinion.

37. Visaj posted on July 26, 2009:

    Nice to see some balance in how green is talked about.

38. Macukaa posted on July 27, 2009:

    Thanks for the good article and blog I will have to come back and take in some more.

39. Pidowuzozoxak posted on July 28, 2009:

    I like what you are saying and I will have to think some more about this.

40. Tim posted on July 28, 2009:

    I like and agree with what you have to say here. This blog is stating out good and looks like it will be a great one.

41. Jaja posted on July 29, 2009:

    Some of the advantages of conserving energy is the prices going up which I don’t like and doesn’t make sense to me when they are asking you to conserve.

42. Laxi posted on July 29, 2009:

    Good ideas and thoughts. I will be back to read some more.

43. Phebul posted on July 30, 2009:

    There are many advantages and I think you are right on with what you are saying.

44. deejrandom posted on July 31, 2009:

    You have a good blog here and the information you are sharing is very good. Thanks

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45. Niwo posted on July 31, 2009:

    There are lots of ways to conserve and I like what you had to say.

46. Keega posted on August 1, 2009:

    Great just great keep it up

47. Tex posted on August 2, 2009:

    I hope you keep this up this article was a good help to me.

48. Negoci posted on August 3, 2009:

    there are all kinds of advantages you article has helped me think of several more.

49. Tess posted on August 4, 2009:

    Many time we think and do things that are not good for us or our environment. We need to do more of this.

50. Jungle posted on August 5, 2009:

    you have a good site here and I like how you talk about things.

51. Drop posted on August 5, 2009:

    You have a great blog here keep it up

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52. Fred posted on August 6, 2009:

    there are many things that could be added to this article but you have done a good job.

53. Aspire posted on August 6, 2009:

    there certainly are a lot of advantages.

54. Bowa posted on August 7, 2009:

    I like what you have to say here. There certainly are a large number of advantages.

55. Dova posted on August 8, 2009:

    there are advantages to solar energy and saving energy and I thank you for listing a few.

56. Jodidun posted on August 9, 2009:

    So with all the advantages why don’t more people make the changes?

57. Hada posted on August 10, 2009:

    good blog I will be back to check it out some more.

58. Valery posted on August 10, 2009:

    There are so many advantages you have only touched to surface.

59. Bette posted on August 13, 2009:

    You are right and the are a lot more advantages as well.

60. Disco posted on August 14, 2009:

    There are always advantages and disadvantages so I like you giving a balance perspective.

61. Amona posted on August 15, 2009:

    There are always disadvantages but in this case the advantages do out way the bad.

62. Hal posted on August 16, 2009:

    You have a great site here and I think this is a worthwhile effort.

63. Alpa posted on August 17, 2009:

    There are ways of dealing with all of this and some people just go on letting it all pass them by. Other wake up and start to do something.

64. Flyer posted on August 20, 2009:

    Thanks for this good article not only well written but with some real good thoughts

65. Badger posted on August 21, 2009:

    your blog has some good information and I will be back to check it out some more.

66. Getz posted on August 27, 2009:

    Solar energy I don’t know what to think some say the best thing since sliced cheese others it costs more than it benefits. Thanks for your balanced approach.

67. Aria posted on August 28, 2009:

    I like your balanced approach.

68. Tomy posted on August 30, 2009:

    There are always disadvantages to things but if we are going to move forward we have got to know the advantages far out way the bad.

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