Solar Energy Advantages and Disadvantages

The industrial revolution has ushered in an era of a dependence on fossil fuels and natural gas. After only decades, of what is literally a small chunk of time in the entire lifetime of this planet, we have managed to do much more damage to it than all of the other eras and times our earth has lived. In only a little amount of time, we have managed to jeopardize our source for clean water, we have wiped out species upon species of animals, and we have destroyed communities and forests in search for more fuel to power our cars and to light our houses. In the dawn of a new era of alternative energy, solar energy brings forth a free and by-product free source of energy that we can make use. Read on to find out more of solar energy advantages and disadvantages and how it can help us in our fight against fossil fuels and natural gas.

Solar energy is free. Nobody can claim the sun as his own private source of power. It is free for everyone to use and consume. It only takes very little effort to convert it into energy and without the risk of having any environmentally harmful by products. It is probably the cleanest form of energy you can use today. Because it is so simple and independent of a bigger, wider system, you can actually employ solar energy as your main source of power if you happen to be remotely located. A few solar panels here and you can power your home independently from the national grid, making yourself independent from all of the power shortages and price hikes.

However, there will always be a different side of the story. If you happen to live in a large home in the middle of the island, you have to make use of a lot of solar panels to make your house working in a normal condition. Most solar panel houses do not rely on air conditioning, as this eats up a lot of energy and just concentrate the stored power on the lights, maybe a refrigerator and a few more appliances. And buying more panels would’ve been an easy fix if only the panels didn’t cost so much. The non-organic solar cells take money to produce because of the process it takes to create it and because it is not as commercially demanded to bring down the price. In times of crisis, too, solar energy may not be the answer you are looking for. During, hurricanes, storms, and even just during the monsoon season, one cannot ensure that the sun will come out. This makes it an unstable source. Even a volcanic eruption from far away can block out any direct sunlight and hinder the power creation process. The solar panels need direct sunlight and if you don’t have an automated system that makes your solar panels follow the path of the sun throughout the day, you have to use a certain amount of effort daily to make sure that the panels are facing the sun to ensure maximum efficiency with the available sunlight. That is, unless your solar panels are permanently fixed to only one side of the house, then immediately, you lose half of the efficiency your solar panels can offer you.

The list of solar power advantages and disadvantages go on for miles and miles. However, all the disadvantages really are just convenience problems. The pros definitely outweigh the cons on this battle.