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Advantages and Disadvantages of SOLAR ENERGY
Author: Anita Van Wyk
understand why.
Therefore, I compiled a comprehensive list of solar energy
advantages and disadvantages that will enable you to make an
educated decision whether on not Solar Power is right for YOU.
Solar Energy Advantages
1. Saves you money
- After the initial investment has been recovered, the
energy from the sun is practically FREE. - The recovery/
payback period for this investment can be very short depending
on how much electricity your household uses. - Financial
incentives are available form the government that will reduce
your cost. - If your system produce more energy than you
use, your utility company can buy it from you, building up a
credit on your account! This is called net metering. - It
will save you money on your electricity bill if you have one at
all. - Solar energy does not require any fuel.
- It's not affected by the supply and demand of fuel and is
therefore not subjected to the ever-increasing price of
gasoline. - The savings are immediate and for many years
to come. - The use of solar energy indirectly reduces
health costs.
2. Environmentally friendly
- Solar Energy is clean, renewable (unlike gas, oil and
coal) and sustainable, helping to protect our environment. - It does not pollute our air by releasing carbon dioxide,
nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide or mercury into the atmosphere
like many traditional forms of electrical generations does. - Therefore Solar Energy does not contribute to global
warming, acid rain or smog. - It actively contributes to
the decrease of harmful green house gas emissions. - It's
generated where it is needed. - By not using any fuel,
Solar Energy does not contribute to the cost and problems of the
recovery and transportation of fuel or the storage of
radioactive waste.
3. Independent/ semi-independent
- Solar Energy can be utilized to offset utility-supplied
energy consumption. It does not only reduce your electricity
bill, but will also continue to supply your home/ business with
electricity in the event of a power outage. - A Solar
Energy system can operate entirely independent, not requiring a
connection to a power or gas grid at all. Systems can therefore
be installed in remote locations (like holiday log cabins),
making it more practical and cost-effective than the supply of
utility electricity to a new site. - The use of Solar
Energy reduces our dependence on foreign and/or centralized
sources of energy, influenced by natural disasters or
international events and so contributes to a sustainable
future. - Solar Energy supports local job and wealth
creation, fuelling local economies.
4. Low/ no maintenance
- Solar Energy systems are virtually maintenance free and
will last for decades. - Once installed, there are no
recurring costs. - They operate silently, have no moving
parts, do not release offensive smells and do not require you to
add any fuel. - More solar panels can easily be added in
the future when your family's needs grow.
Solar Energy Disadvantages
- The initial cost is the main disadvantage of installing
a solar energy system, largely because of the high cost of the
semi-conducting materials used in building one. - The
cost of solar energy is also high compared to non-renewable
utility-supplied electricity. As energy shortages are becoming
more common, solar energy is becoming more
price-competitive. - Solar panels require quite a large
area for installation to achieve a good level of
efficiency. - The efficiency of the system also relies on
the location of the sun, although this problem can be overcome
with the installation of certain components. - The
production of solar energy is influenced by the presence of
clouds or pollution in the air. - Similarly, no solar
energy will be produced during nighttime although a battery
backup system and/or net metering will solve this problem. See
www.dsireusa.org for details on how net metering allows you to
save electricity and money. - As far as solar powered
cars go - their slower speed might not appeal to everyone caught
up in today's rat race.
To learn more about solar energy, go to http://facts-about-so
lar-energy.com/
You'll discover ...
- what solar energy is
- how solar energy works
- interesting facts about
solar energy - how much solar energy costs
- passive solar energy for homes, and
- how to build
solar energy systems
There's a whole section for students, teachers and parents;
whiles homeowners can obtain FREE QUOTES for their solar energy
projects. You'll find book and product reviews plus some helpful
energy saving tips.
Please email any questions to info@facts-about-
solar-energy.com
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-solar-energy-1279.html
About the Author
The author strives to make make more people aware of the
benefits of using solar energy through her website http://facts-about-so
lar-energy.com/
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Why is solar energy a renewable resource and also some advantages and disadvantages of using solar energy?
Please tell me some disadvantages and advantages of using solar energy. I also need to know why it is a renewable resource. Can you also tell me how much of of solar energy is left and how long it will last. Thank you so much. [Tell me some websites to vist about this information]
what are some advantages and disadvantages of solar energy?
what are some advantages and disadvantages of solar energy?
Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using direct solar energy ?
Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using direct solar energy to heat buildings and water, and to produce energy.
Good rebuttal with Solar Energy Disadvantages?
Here are some Solar Energy Disadvantages.
I am on the good side in a debate discussing pros and cons of solar energy.
So i need some good facts to cover up these disadvantages!! thankksss
- The initial cost is the main disadvantage of installing a solar energy system, largely because of the high cost of the semi-conducting materials used in building one.
- The cost of solar energy is also high compared to non-renewable utility-supplied electricity. As energy shortages are becoming more common, solar energy is becoming more price-competitive.
- Solar panels require quite a large area for installation to achieve a good level of efficiency.
- The efficiency of the system also relies on the location of the sun, although this problem can be overcome with the installation of certain components.
the disadvantages of windmills and disadvantages of solar energy.?
hey i’m doing a debate in my high school science class and its about alternative energy. my group is doing wind energy and there aren’t really that many disadvantages that i could find. one disadvantage was that it kills hundreds of birds. what point should i back it up with if the opposing team mentions it? also what are some good points that i can through at the opposing team? their doing solar panels/solar energy.
Advantages:
(1) lower marginal cost for increasing energy production (you don’t have to build a new coal fired facility to achieve a small increase in power production);
(2) fewer issues with greenhouse gas production
(3) distributed power production;
(4) some independence from the grid.
Disadvantages:
(1) dependency on insolation (it works better in Arizona than in the Yukon);
(2) initial installation cost for individual homeowner (but this is changing with new financing methods);
(3) sensitivity to weather
(4) it may require neighbors to be cooperative by not growing trees that block rooftop solar arrays;
First, its all a guess but the sun will continue to shine for about another 2-4 billion years. So for all practical purposes, its eternal.
Solar energy depends on sunshine, one disadvantage is cloudy, overcast, rainy, snow etc. days. No sunshine, no real energy. Another difficulty is converting solar energy, solar panels generate direct current (DC) and this has to be converted to AC current to run appliances, etc. in your house. In order to store solar energy, batteries are required, so the DC current from the solar panels can charge the batteries, and then the DC current must be converted to AC.
Solar panels are not cheap but the price is coming down. They also don’t last forever and can be damaged by hail, etc.
The good news is, solar energy is clean, not pollution except for the manufacture of the panels and for the moment, sunshine is still free.
Where did you get the idea that wind mills kill birds ? Not so, the trouble is that you youngsters are told stories like the killing of birds.Fact is they are not used enough, China has more wind farms and enough to power a very large industrial city out in the no mans land of China. This country tells you kids what they want you to buy into, called” wagging the dog ” dis-information, just look at the oil spill. We we’re told that the leak was pouring out at approx 5 thousand gallons- reality was that it was sending more then five times this amount.
So in the long run the only disadvantage is that they’re not enough wind farms in use, so you do some more in-depth searching on wind farms and this will get you a winning team to work.
The sun is providing free energy every day. How much energy depends mainly on the latitude and to some extent on climate. The question that you are asking is to evaluate our use of this energy to heat buildings and water and presumably other uses.
Advantages:
This energy is free at source and is totally renewable, as far as we know for thousands of years.
Disadvantages:
To harness this energy we need to employ materials and resources and to use our ingenuity to provide technical solutions appropriate to the economic and physical situation and location. There is a capital cost and possibly maintenance costs.
The actual harnessing of the energy can only happen in daylight hours so there may be problems of storing the energy at night.
The advantages are greatest in hot sunny climates but the need for energy is often greater in colder, northern or southern latitudes.
Methods
What are the methods that we can use? Where are the different methods most appropriate?
Buildings
For buildings we need to consider internal climate control and hot water supply and for both these we can use passive and active methods. It is also much easier to incorporate suitable provisions into new domestic, commercial and public construction, although significant improvements can be made to existing buildings.
Passive methods: The four methods for domestic construction in the northern hemisphere that make use of greenhouse effect are:
South facing windows (large windows on south, small or none on north side) other elevations as appropriate with solar shading or solar glazing and thermal insulation.
South facing roof space: usually pitched roof used as a solar collector. May need small fan and duct to circulate hot air.
Conservatory: South side glazed volume.
Trombe wall. South glazed wall with heavy masonry or concrete wall painted black.
And for larger buildings one might use a climate wall i.e. glazed external wall with significant air space between external and internal wall (internal wall can be fully or partially glazed or incorporate thermal mass for storage of heat)
Active methods use solar voltaic panels or solar collectors with water pumped to storage or direct use. Thermosiphon systems, where the storage tank is placed above the collector, do not need a pump and are therefore regarded as a passive system. Standard units are used for hot water supply throughout the Mediterranean countries and middle east. The use of thermal chimneys is also an anchient passive method of internal climate control with modern uses.
This is a very big subject and I have only touched on a brief outline. One could also discuss earth sheltering, construction methods, sustainability, low technology methods for emerging third world countries such as solar ovens and all sorts of related subjects.
Although all the above information is from my own personal knowledge, I have used references in the past such as Wikipedia, (on line encyclopaedia) the Energy Trust Website (a non- profit making Trust based in London) and for low cost energy saving
technology: http://www.energygreed.com/. This site offers a manual for building your own solar power array and wind turbine, with sources for free batteries and claims to save you 80% on electricity costs. In the future I think we will have better gas fired boilers that are not only more efficient like condensation boilers, but combine heating and power generation, so that you will be able to sell back your surplus electricity to the national grid in Britain or the power utility company in USA and Canada. Meanwhile we have to rely on the present technology and in cold climates improved insulation or more heavily insulated new construction, double or triple glazing. Solar methods can be quite useful depending on the payback period. Heat pumps with ground collection systems usually take longer to payback and depend on your having a large volume low energy heat source such as a large pond or coils in the ground. Wind energy is another useful method, and although intermittent can have an acceptable payback period.
Initial cost- with the state rebates, renewable energy credit system, and federal tax credits, the system will pay for itself in 4 to 8 years depending on what state you live in. Where else could an investment pay for itself in 4 years?
Large area- you don’t need a system that will offset your entire electric usage. You want a system in conjunction with renewable energy credits and electric savings, will offset your entire electric bill.
Location- actually, the earth revolves around the sun. If you don’t have southern facing roof space, you can mount a system in the ground. If that’s not an option, you’re siht out of luck.
If you decide that you want to use an off grid system, a system that uses batteries, you will not be able to receive state rebates and sell excess electricity back to the utility company.