The world is fastly improving and so does the technology. Right now, while reading this article the giant fusion reactor 93 million miles away is irradiating the earth with its energy that human civilization can easily use for a year. The energy is now well-known by the name “Solar Energy.”
You might be thinking that why solar energy is so popular these days? Well, this is because it’s a renewable source of energy that is perfectly meeting all humanity’s energy needs. I will not be wrong if I say you can even power the entire U.S through solar energy using solar panels. You just need to install about 100 miles by 100 miles of solar panels in a small corner of Nevada, Texas, or Utah. But still, only 5% of global electricity comes from solar power eve thought why? This is because although it’s a powerful source of energy and has great benefits but still, it comes to have certain drawbacks.
This is what our topic is about; today in this article we will discuss 5 advantages and disadvantages of solar energy that will help you in making your decision whether you should go for solar panels or not. So, let’s get into it:
Advantages of Solar Energy
1、Renewable Source of Energy
The biggest reason why solar energy has gained this much popularity is that it’s a renewable source of energy. The word renewable energy means energy that will never run out and is available unlimited. Unlike conventional sources of energy like fossil fuels that will be going to end soon. Solar energy is due to the sun and the sun is the natural source of energy that is never going to run out. So, this means that as long as we have the sun, we can utilize solar energy.
As solar energy is a renewable source of energy so it will only generate clean power that doesn’t emit or produce greenhouse gasses. Also, this renewable source of energy has opened the doors of the solar industry for people. It offers great economic opportunities to people in various segments like research & development, construction, manufacturing, operation, and installation & maintenance. This means that solar energy not only keeps the environment friendly but also contributes to the economy.
2、One-time investment
The second of solar panels’ popularity is it’s a one-time investment. This means that you only need to install them once and they will last more than 30 years. Although the initial investment is quite a lot but this will help you in saving a lot of money that you pay on your electric bills. You can say that it’s a return on investment that will pay you off in a long term. If you estimate you save a large sum of money from your power bills that will cover the cost of your system.
As you generate your own electricity you need to pay the electricity bill anymore. This leads to saving money and you can utilize this money on your family or other things. Also, there is more benefit that you will no longer be affected by traditional electricity in case of power off or power damage.
3、Low maintenance
Another reason for its popularity is it doesn’t require a lot of maintenance once installed. As low maintenance means a low cost so, you won’t need to spend extra money on your solar panels. It only required some cleaning couple of times in case any soil or dust has collected. If you are not specialized in cleaning, you can take help from us we offer complete services related to cleaning and installing of solar panels.
Also, solar panels don’t require a lot of maintenance because they generally come with 20-25 years of warranty. As there is not much moving so theirs will be no wear and tear. Only the inverter needs to be changed after every 5 to 10 years to ensure its maintenance as it’s continuously converting solar energy into electricity. Apart from the inverter the cables also need to be checked sometime to make sure that your solar system is running perfectly. You may expect little maintenance but still, it will cost you less as compared to the traditional electricity maintenance.
4、Increase your property value
As we explained earlier that solar panel give you benefits in a long way and is a return on investment. Installing the solar panels will not only help you in reducing your electric bills but will also increase the value of your property by 4.1% or you can say that will adds an additional $9,274 value to your home. As you know that the cost of electricity is continuously increasing and is further expected to rise in further therefore installing solar panels today will be your smart decision.
Also, the homeowners are independent as they are generating their own electricity, so they won’t face any electricity issues which further improves the value of their property.
5、Receive payment and get rewarded by the government
Further elaborating the same point that installing solar panels is really a good investment that pays back in the time. Once the solar panels are fully charged that energy can be used for a year. You will have excessive energy that can even be sold. You can earn a large amount of money simply just by pulling the energy from the sun. Even some homeowners purposely upgrade their system just in order to sell energy back to the grid. They did not only cover the cost of their initial expense but also earn a handsome amount of money.
In this way, you are providing your local community clean source of renewable energy which will keep the environment healthy. By giving greener solutions to the environment, you will be rewarded by the government.
Disadvantages of Solar Energy
1、Expensive
Although it’s a one-time investment but still it’s expensive that many people cannot afford it. Solar energy itself is free but for converting that solar energy into electricity you need to spend around $15k to $20k on solar panels, an inverter, batteries, and wiring.
Even though there are many benefits of investing in solar energy but still its upfront cost is quite high.
2、Weather dependent
As we all know that solar energy is highly dependent on the sun, which means when there is no sun no energy will be produced. This is the biggest drawback of solar energy because if you are living in a location where the sun doesn’t get much out and mostly the weather is cloudy and rainy then solar energy is not of much use.
Solar energy depends on an uncontrollable environmental factor. In order to use solar energy, you need consistent sunlight during the day because solar energy cannot be during the night. So, remember before purchasing the solar panels focus on your location first.
3、Required a lot of space
Another disadvantage of solar energy is that it requires a lot of space how?
In order to convert solar energy into electricity, you need to install solar panels either on your roof or in your backyard. Solar panels are relatively larger in size that require big space to be installed. Now, you might be thinking that how much space you need to install solar panels?
Well, this highly depends on the amount of electricity you need. The more panels you will install the more electricity you will produce.
This is the downside of solar panels because if you living in a flat or building you cannot have the solar panels.
4、Lower Energy Conversion Rate
Although the solar panel is the most advanced technology, but still, it only converts 20 to 25% of solar energy into power. As the solar panels do not produce energy at night so this means you only have 12 hours of a day to generate so much energy. And, in case of cloudy or rainy weather, this conversion rate will become even lower.
There are also other several factors that need to be considered before purchasing solar panels like the location and the direction of panels. We hope that technology will improve in the future that allows us to produce power even at night.
5、Not Suitable for shifting
Solar panels are not like your other home appliances that can easily be carried or moved. However, they do increase the value of your home. Well, I am not saying that it’s impossible to remove solar panels but it’s not convenient to move them as it’s risky because they are expensive.
While shifting or moving them they might get damaged. Therefore, solar panels are stuck in one position, and in case if you have to move you will have to leave your system behind.
Conclusion
Now, that you know about the advantages and disadvantages of solar energy it’s easy for you to make your decision about whether you should buy solar panels or not. However, I do admit that solar energy has so many benefits but highly depends on your budget, space, and location.
Let’s know in the comments what would you think after reading about all the pros and cons. If you still have any queries related to solar panels or wanted to buy one contact us at info@anygap-renewable.com. We are one of the established solar energy consultants and hardware manufacturers that extensively design solar panels in different sizes and styles.