The Pros and Cons of Solar Energy



Solar energy is one of the best forms of renewable energy. But why don’t we rely on it so much compared to other countries? The answer is simply that there are pros and cons with using this form of alternative energy.

The pros of using solar energy is that the system is easy to install, there are no energy costs once it is set up, there are no emissions like air pollutants or greenhouse gas and the sun is widely available.

A solar energy system is composed of the solar panels, the inverter, battery, charge controller, wires and support structure. For you to produce a kilowatt of power, you will need 10 to 12 solar panels that will occupy an area of 100 square feet. If you are worried that this will cause damage to your roof, don’t because it is made of light weight materials.

When you call a contractor, it will usually take a day or two to install and cost around $10,000. Not that many people will have cash on hand to pay for it so they can avail of a home equity loan to pay for it.

If you use a kilowatt of solar energy, you can save 170 lbs. of coal from being burned, about 300lbs of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere or 105 gallons of water that most homeowners use up every month.

The cons are solar cells are expensive, the rays can only be collected during the day time, the weather and where you are located will play a factor in how much sunlight you can get and you will need a big area to collect the power.

But some experts believe that price of these cells and its ability to collect power will improve in the future.

Right now, a kilowatt of solar energy can only produce 1,600 kilowatts of hours per year in sunny climate. That means you will receive 5.5 hours of electricity per day. If you produce about 750 kilowatts of power, you will only get 2.5 hours of power per day.

Solar panels come in various colors and usually have a 5 year warranty. Since manufacturers are aware that solar energy can only work when the sun is out, they have installed batteries so you get more than 5 hours of power even during cloudy days and nights. This is because the batteries are designed to absorb, insulate, transmit and reflect rays coming from the sun.

But solar energy can be applied to other things and not just powering our homes. It can be used to power small devices like calculators to bigger things like planes, satellites and cars. Since these are easy to maintain, you don’t have to worry about anything.

Now that you know the pros and cons of solar energy, the question remains, should people get into it or not? If you look at it, the answer is definitely yes because is a renewable source of energy that does not cause any harm to the environment. It will also greatly reduce our need for oil which has become a very hot issue especially when the price per barrel went out to more than a hundred dollars early on this year.

People should take this seriously especially when this is not a renewable source of energy.




Comments

*Name:
*Email:
Website URL:
Title / Subject:
Hide my email
*Comments:
*
 



Menu


My Articles

The History Of Solar Energy
The Pros And Cons Of Solar Energy
Wind Power Vs. Solar Energy, An Even Match?
Countries On The Helm Of Solar Energy Technology
Solar Energy Is The Future
Using Solar Energy Goes Way Back
Technologies For Harnessing Solar Energy
Solar Energy Simplified
Solar Energy In Households
The Benefits Of Solar Energy
You Need A PV System To Generate Solar Energy
Solar Energy - How Does It Benefit The Agricultural Sector
You Can Have A Home Powered By Solar Energy
Analyzing The Benefits Of Solar Energy
Arguments Against Solar Energy
How Does Solar Energy Work
Things You Should Know Before Investing In Solar Energy
The Future Of Solar Energy – How It Looks And How It Affects Nature
The Future Of Solar Energy On Transportation
The Downsides Of Solar Energy
Net Metering And Solar Energy
Facts About Solar Energy – Some Things To Ponder And Why
How To Conserve Solar Energy Through Your Little Ways




Solar Energy Products

solar-energy
Solar Energy
Solar Energy Products
Submit Your Site To The Web's Top 50 Search Engines for Free!



My Articles


How Does Solar Energy Work Ever wondered how solar energy is converted into electricity? Well, this will..


Things You Should Know Before Investing In Solar Energy There is no doubt that there are a lot of benefits in using solar energy...


Arguments Against Solar Energy Between you and me, we know that solar energy is a good..


The Future Of Solar Energy – How It Looks And How It Affects Nature The future of solar energy lies on the indigenous hands of people who..



Related Videos:

Related News:

 
Solar energy subsidies: sticky wicket for Tea Party recipient? - Christian Science Monitor

    

Christian Science Monitor

Solar energy subsidies: sticky wicket for Tea Party recipient?
Christian Science Monitor
Solar energy tax credits benefited firms owned by Tea Party Republican running for the US Senate. But Mark Neumann, who decries Obama stimulus plan, got the solar energy credits under President Bush. By Scott Bauer, Associated Press / February 5, ...
GOP Senate candidate receiving stimulus grants despite public disapproval of ...UW Badger Herald
APNewsBreak: Senate candidate got $500K in grantsCBS News
Senate candidate Mark Neumann got stimulus fundsGreen Bay Press Gazette

all 81 news articles »



Make Your Own Solar Panels Using Green Waste - Energy Matters

    

Energy Matters

Make Your Own Solar Panels Using Green Waste
Energy Matters
by Energy Matters Imagine using the solar energy captured by your lawn clippings to charge a mobile phone. That's the aim of research currently being carried out at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Researcher Dr. Andreas Mershin says ...
Solar Cells Made from Glass ClippingsCare2.com
MIT envisions DIY solar cells made from grass clippingsGizmag
MIT Researchers Find a Way To Make Solar Panels from Grass ClippingsDeathRattleSports.com
Energy Harvesting Journal -The Inquisitr -Green Prophet
all 34 news articles »