Rapid industrialization and digitization mean our need for energy is almost becoming insatiable. There’s energy all around us but we yet have to develop the technology to tap them properly. For example, the energy produced by the sun in one hour can take care of our energy needs on earth for one year. The sun undoubtedly is one of the most potent sources of energy, but we are still a long way away from harnessing its full potential. However, we can take advantage of the energy unleashed by the sun by installing solar panels. Despite coming under attack from some quarters for being inefficient and expensive, solar energy has now proved to be extremely useful for the environment as well as for the economy.
Large scale incentives and tax benefits are given by respective governments on the solar panel, as well rising competition in the market has really brought down the price of solar panels thus making them affordable for more and more families in the country. The overall ease of installation and drastically improving technology complemented by sophisticated solar battery storage systems, have made solar energy one of the most important sources of alternate energy in the world.
However, even clean and environment-friendly energy despite all its benefits and advantages has some downsides to them as well. Here we describe a few important advantages and disadvantages of solar energy in the following paragraphs.
Advantages of Solar Energy
Renewable Energy Source
One of the major advantages of energy is that it is non-exhaustible. We have limited sources of fossil fuels like coal and oil in the world, but the sun is going to be there for eternity. Our sun is a truly renewable source of energy, available all days in all seasons across the globe. There is no fear or threat that one day we are going to run out of solar energy, unlike some other common sources of energy.
Lower Electricity Bills
Consuming energy generated from the sun lowers your dependability on your local electricity supplier as well as your energy bills. The amount of money you save on your energy bills, of course, will depend upon the size of the solar system you have installed and your energy requirements.
Diverse Applications and Usages
Solar energy can be used for an extensive range of things. You can use it to generate electricity through a photovoltaic cell or use it to heat water or your entire house. Solar energy can prove to be highly beneficial in areas that lack access to the energy grid. It can also be used to distill water in regions where is a scarcity of electricity to distill water a well-limited supply of clean water.
Low Maintenance Cost
Solar energy systems do not require many resources by way of maintenance. A solar system does not have any moving part, which means there are no wear and tear. You only need to ensure that the panels are clean, which means a cleanup job two or three times a year. In case you are not sure about how to clean it yourself, you can always hire the services of specialized cleaning companies. Also, the majority of reputable solar panel manufacturers offer at least 20-30 years' warranty. The only thing that needs a bit of looking-after is the inverter, which needs to be changed every 5-10 years because it needs to work incessantly in order to convert solar energy into electricity.
Technological Development
The quest for clean energy has significantly enhanced R&D activities in solar systems. The technology is advancing at a rapid pace, and it is expected that a few years down the line, innovations in quantum physics and nanotechnology, can increase the output of the solar panels by at least 200%.
Disadvantages of solar energy
Fairly high Cost
The initial cost of purchasing a solar system can weigh heavily on your pocket. You need to shell out money for solar panels, batteries, inverter, and wiring. Then there is the installation cost. However, as technology advances, it is believed that prices will significantly fall in few years down the line.
Weather Dependent
Since the solar panels collect heat from the sun, their efficiency can significantly go down on cloudy and rainy days, and the efficiency of the solar system drops. Also, solar panels cannot work during the night.
Large space consumption
The amount of electricity generated depends upon the quantity of the solar panels. In case you need more energy, you need to install more panels and some roofs are not large enough to accommodate all the panels.
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