The concept of solar energy is quite popular now. Don’t you come across solar panels on the rooftop of houses? It’s helping people cut back on electricity bills, saving up some bucks. On the same hand, some people resist because of high installation costs.
Many things in the 20th century are no longer the same. Solar energy comes with endless benefits but at the cost of some drawbacks. To make the right decision, have a look at these pros and cons of solar energy.
Pros of Solar Energy | Cons of Solar Energy |
Low Maintenance Costs | Expensive in Nature |
Reduces Electricity costs | Fitful Source of Energy |
Renewable | Dependent on the Weather Conditions |
Performs Distinct Functions | Scare Materials |
Environment-Friendly | Requires A lot of space |
Pros of Solar Energy
Here’s a list of benefits and advantages of Solar energy.
Low Maintenance Costs
To make things function properly, you need to have regular maintenance sessions. The same applies to solar energy panels, but surprisingly, the maintenance costs are very low. The rule is to keep them ‘clean’, and they’ll function properly. Therefore, you can clean them twice or thrice a week, eliminating the need for any professional maintenance services. Also, there are no wear and tear costs associated because they are immovable.
Do you know what the best part is? Usually, most of the solar energy systems come with 20-25 years warranty. Thus, for even some minor inconvenience you can ring a bell to the company.
Reduces Electricity Costs
The solar energy system serves the purpose of generating electricity. So, doesn’t this mean the electricity bills would drop down? They surely do because you are no longer using electricity but solar energy to produce electricity.
The amount of money you save is dependent on how big of a solar energy system you have installed. Moreover, you are also given an option to sell electricity if there’s excessive production. If you want to benefit from it, then look for installing a 5 kW solar system in Sydney.
Renewable
The scarcity of resources is raising concerns for future generations. Solar energy is the option available because it’s a renewable source of energy. Sun is shining bright in countries for 5 billion years. So, there’s no chance that the sun can deplete.
Do you know what this means? You can use as much solar energy as you want. Unlike fossil fuels which diminishing, the rays of the sun available for you today and it would be available for future generations too. It’s a one-time investment since they have a long life span.
Performs Distinct Functions
Solar energy is providing electricity in many homes, but it’s not the only thing it does. Instead, it can be used for many other purposes. Firstly, it can produce electricity in remote areas where there is no supply of electricity.
Secondly, it can produce hot water directly from the sun through a hot water solar panel. This is famous in homes for domestic use. Not just this, but also purifies salty water by removing the salt. Furthermore, you can use it for charging batteries through which they can provide you with electricity at night.
Environment-Friendly
Solar energy is not damaging the environment in any way. The lack of smoke and gas emissions eliminates all concerns about air pollution. Therefore, solar panels successfully generate electricity in a clean way. Needless to say, it’s an amazing alternative to fossil fuels that reduces the amount of carbon dioxide generating from homes. Unlike greenhouse gases, solar panels are not oozing any toxins or chemicals into the atmosphere.
Cons of Solar Energy
Every amazing thing comes with some minor drawbacks. Have a look at these cons of solar energy to make the right decision.
Expensive in Nature
Many people are skeptical about getting solar energy systems due to their high costs. Sadly, solar energy systems are quite expensive. Though the cost has reduced compared to the previous years and would continue to decrease in the coming years due to advancements in technology. Only people with a substantial budget can make a purchase.
Furthermore, installing a solar energy system is not a piece of cake, nor you can do it on your own. You have to seek help from the experts. Hence, it involves some potential installation costs too as it comes with wires, batteries, inverter, etc. This means you can only save some bucks if you’re willing to spend hefty amounts of money on the solar energy system now.
Fitful Source of Energy
Solar energy generates electricity from the sun, which means it can’t generate electricity at night. The option of charging batteries is not available in all the solar energy systems, meaning you can’t store energy and use it later. Thus, it doesn’t allow you to use the electricity at night, and you have to rely on the power connection of your house.
However, if you wish to purchase solar energy storage, it’s quite expensive. So, even after spending so much on solar energy systems, you can only benefit from it during the day time.
Dependent on the Weather Conditions
Despite the sun being a renewable resource, the weather conditions in some cities give minimal exposure to the sun. Usually, in cold places, clouds are covering the whole sun time, disrupting the efficiency of solar panels. They can’t function properly because of difficulties in gathering solar energy from the sun, which is hidden behind the clouds. Not just this, but lack of solar energy fails to provide hot water which is super essential in chilly weather conditions.
Scarce Materials
Solar energy is a great concept, but do you know what it takes to produce these solar energy systems? There are rare resources and materials used in their production process, which can finish anytime soon. Thus, making it difficult to meet future demands.
Requires A lot of space
Believe it or not, the rooftop isn’t the ideal place to install solar energy panels, especially if you have shades and ceilings up there. The place with maximum exposure to sunlight is the one suitable for installing solar panels.
All the panels are huge and wide, requiring a lot of space. However, where ever you wish to install, you need to make sure that it has excessive space available. Hence, you can only benefit from solar energy if you’re not restricted by space.
Final Verdict
Maybe solar energy is the next big thing, but no one’s sure about it yet, due to some of the disadvantages it possesses. People wanting to invest in solar energy panels have every right to know the two sides of the story, the advantages it possesses and the drawbacks it holds. You can have a look at the above-mentioned pros and cons of solar energy.