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.
