Generate Your Own Power: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Energy
With rising electricity prices, rolling blackouts, and diminishing supplies of fossil fuels, many people are checking out solar technology. This informative article is here to help you decide if converting to solar power is the best choice for you. It will do so by providing an honest account of both the pluses and minuses of solar power, paying particular attention to cost, functionality, the environment, and energy independence.
Cost
The increasing cost of fossil fuels is usually what pushes most people to solar technology. We have to be fair, though. While it’s correct that the sun’s energy is completely free, there are costs associated with grabbing it and turning it into electricity which can be used to power our households. The big downside of solar power, with regards to expense, is the up front expenditure for solar power systems and their setup. A top notch, professional solar setup can cost as much as $20,000, a serious disadvantage indeed. Can anything be done with regards to these costs?
Yes, you can reduce the price of a solar installation in a couple of ways. One, if you are a handy DIY type of person, you can construct good quality solar panels by yourself, which will reduce your expenses substantially. Second, you can get state and federal grants that subsidize the cost of a professional installation. The value of such grants is quite high, depending on which state you reside in.
The major advantage of solar technology, in relation to cost, is that after your solar panels are hooked up, you will never need to purchase electricity again, and, after some time, this will more than make up for the upfront cost of your solar power installation.
Functionality
The obvious disadvantage of solar technology in terms of usability is the fact that the sun only shines for half of each day. It can also be partially blocked by clouds. This means that in the evening, when we have to turn on the lights, our solar panels can’t produce any energy. Of course, we can overcome this problem by using a battery bank that gets charged up throughout the day and drawn down during the night.
The key advantage of solar energy, regarding functionality, is that it utilizes a power source, the sun, that is never going to be depleted. Fossil fuels, eventually, are sure to go dry. Not one person disputes that simple fact. The sun, however, well, if the sun goes out we are in big trouble.
The planet
People often think that there are no damaging environmental effects connected with solar energy. There is one problem with solar energy in this regard, however–batteries. We have to use batteries to store our power, and these batteries don’t last forever. And if these batteries are not appropriately disposed of, their strong chemicals can harm the environment.
The generation of electrical power with solar technology brings about absolutely no harm to environmental surroundings. There is no smoke, no toxic waste, no co2 output–nothing. Producing power with solar energy is clean and green, and that is, perhaps, the greatest overall advantage of solar power.
Energy Independence
Having energy independence is another thing that people assume is without drawbacks. What about if you have a power failure, though? What if poor weather knocks out your solar panels? Can you repair it by yourself? If not, you are going to have to locate somebody who can, which is not always easy. Compare that to being on the grid–power providers keep teams of full-time specialists to make sure that you get continuous energy.
Needless to say, when on the grid, you are at the mercy of the energy company, which is not always nice. They can, and do, raise and lower rates and cut off power altogether whenever there are energy shortages. Being energy independent means that you are just like the name suggests–independent. You control your own personal destiny concerning electricity consumption, and that can be quite a very liberating feeling.
Is solar energy right for you? Well, that probably depends on whether or not you can overcome the greatest drawback of solar power-the initial costs of a solar setup. If you can do it yourself, or if you happen to have a home in a state that has significant incentives, solar energy is probably right for you.
Want to learn How to Build a Wind Generator? Just come on by Make Energy Now and we’ll show you how.
…and while there, you can also learn how to make solar panels.
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