In the last few years, the rise of solar power has been incredible. Thanks to technology advancements, such as the use of solar panels on homes and businesses, as well as cost reductions, such as the downward trend in solar panel prices, the amount of sunshine that strikes the earth’s surface has increased exponentially.
However, as amazing as solar power is, it’s important to note that solar is a zero-emission source of energy. This means that it doesn’t contribute to climate change in any way, which is a hugely positive point for those who care about the environment.
Although solar power is 100% renewable and has many plusses, it’s still growing rapidly, which has led to concerns about whether these benefits will outweigh the negatives. Let’s take a look at how solar power is performed, its advantages and disadvantages, and whether you should opt for this energy source or not.
How Does Solar Work?
If you’re not familiar, solar power is produced through the use of solar panels, which are essentially rectifiers. These devices, when exposed to sunlight, convert the sun’s energy into usable electricity. This process is known as photovoltaic, or PV, effect.
Although solar power is often portrayed as though it’s simply placing a giant roof tile over your house to collect the sun’s rays, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. To produce electricity through solar power, you’ll need to have solar panels installed on your roof, as well as a ground array (if you’re using ground-based photovoltaic), or an antenna system (if you’re using satellite-based photovoltaic).
However, one of the major downsides to solar power is that the quality and amount of sunlight vary from day to day and from location to location. This can make it difficult to produce reliable and consistent energy. In times of drought or cloud cover, it’s sometimes impossible to generate any power at all through solar.
Advantages Of Solar Power
Let’s discuss some of the advantages of solar power.
- Renewable energy source
- Scalable
- Many applications
- Lower cost
- Fewer service calls
- Zero-emission
As we mentioned above, solar is a 100% renewable energy source. This means that it never causes pollution and is always available. This makes it the perfect energy source for people who care about the environment. When you compare this to non-renewable sources, such as fossil fuels and nuclear power, solar easily outshines them in terms of its environmental benefits. You’ll also note that many energy providers promote themselves as being eco-friendly and sustainable, which further indicates the huge market share that solar has in terms of green energy.
In addition, because solar power is so easy and accessible for everyone to use, it eliminates the need for complicated and expensive technological processes. To produce a megawatt of energy (1MWh = 1 million watts), you’ll only need 200 square feet of solar panels. If you have a large roof or an area above your car, you can get by with much less. This makes solar power extremely portable and, in theory, accessible to everyone. It truly is an amazing energy source.
Disadvantages Of Solar Power
Now, let’s discuss some of the disadvantages of solar power.
- Waste product
- Might not be available where you are
- Temperature dependant
- Lower efficiency compared to other forms of energy
- More expensive to purchase and maintain
Just like any other energy source, solar power has its disadvantages. Some of these are more prominent than others, but they’re all present. To begin with, just like any other energy source, solar power is generated from a source, which is considered to be a waste product. The process of photovoltaic generation involves the use of silicon, which is a mineral of exceptional purity. The abundance of raw materials, such as silicon, necessary for solar power generation means that there’s also a significant amount of waste generated through this process. However, this is often considered to be a feature, not a bug, of solar power. For those who care about generating as little waste as possible, this is certainly an issue.
Another disadvantage of solar power is that its output is highly dependent on the amount of sunlight that strikes it. In the same way that nature provides us with a varying amount of sunlight throughout the day, depending on the season and location, so too does it provide us with varying levels of electricity generation through solar power. In winter, for example, when the sun isn’t at its peak, the generation of power through solar is often very low.
In terms of pricing, the production of solar power tends to be more expensive than that of other energy sources, such as natural gas or coal. The reason behind this is that a lot of money is tied up in the equipment required to produce solar power, which results in higher costs for the consumer. Another disadvantage of solar power is that, although it’s a highly efficient energy source, it’s not as efficient as it could be. The reason behind this is that a significant amount of energy is lost through heat, which is generated during the conversion process. To combat this, equipment is needed to trap and release the heat, resulting in even more costs for the consumer. The other disadvantage of solar power is that it needs constant maintenance and upkeep, which adds to the consumer’s costs. This is especially noticeable if you own your own equipment, such as a solar panel.
Recommendation
With all of the advantages and disadvantages of solar power weighed up, it’s clear to see that this is a case of the pros outweighing the cons. Thanks to the unique properties of solar power, it’s easy to see why this is the case. If you’re looking for a sustainable, green energy source that will never run out, solar power is the perfect choice. As we mentioned above, this is a source of energy that never causes pollution while also being able to be scaled up or down as needed. Therefore, if you’re in a populated area and looking for a way to help reduce your community’s energy costs, consider using solar power.