Using Solar Energy - Advantages Disadvantages - Save Money Produce Electricity

We have all heard that solar power is good, but not many people really know why that is.  So this hub will go over the solar energy advantages and disadvantages so you can decide whether going solar is right for you.

It Saves You Money

Yes the biggest advantage of using solar power of other forms of power is that it is virtually FREE (as long as the sun shines). Of course you will have the initial investment of setting up your home and installing the solar panels, but after this initial cost has been recovered from savings on your electricity bill, any future electricity created from the solar panels won't cost you anything.

And not only that but many governments offer financial incentives to help reduce the costs of installation.

Also, if you happen to produce more energy that you can use, you can sell some of it back to your utility company and build up credits to your account.

It's Environmentally Friendly

Yes, solar energy is a clean renewable and sustainable source of power. It doesn't pollute the air, or your homes and does not contribute whatsoever to global warming. And it is usually only produced on a 'as needed' basis, so you don't need to store large amounts of power in generators.

And because it is clean and doesn't produce any by-products or chemical emissions, it's also great for your health and your families health.

Can Be Used In Remote Locations

Because solar energy doesn't required being connected to power or gas grids it can be used in remote locations such as holiday homes and even camping. As long as you have your panels with you, you can have power.

Low Maintenance

Once the solar panels have been set up, they will continue to be virtually maintenance free, requiring no upkeep or recurring costs. They operate silently and have no moving parts (so once they are installed they continue to work effectively for years).

But of course, there are disadvantages of solar energy as well, so let's look at those.

Cost

It can be costly to buy and install the solar panels initially because the semi-conducting materials that are used to capture the sun's rays are expensive. You could however try making your own solar panels.

Large Area

They also require a large area with full access to the sun's rays, so leafy and mountainous area's could cause a problem in generating enough power.

This could also be the case for houses on small blocks, with smaller roof areas. The installation of solar panels need quite alot of room so that they can produce enough electricity to power your home, and the larger the roof area - the better chance you can install solar panels large enough to capture enough power to convert to electricity.

Sunny Locations

And of course, you need to live in a part of the country where you have lots of sunshine to capture enough energy to run your entire household (however you can still use it in areas with low sunshine, and use regular electricity as a backup).