Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Energy

What is Solar Energy?

Sunlight is a renewable energy source which can be
converted into usable energy by solar panels. There are two
main types of solar energy. Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels
directly convert solar energy into a usable form of energy
using a PV cell containing a semiconductor material.
CSP
(concentrating solar power) on the other hand, concentrate
energy from sunlight to a heat receiver which transforms
energy from heat into mechanical energy, and in turn, solar
thermal electricity.

Advantages of Solar Power?

1)Solar energy is a clean and renewable energy source.
2)Once a solar panel is installed, solar energy can be
3)produced free of charge.
Solar energy will last forever whereas it is estimated that
the world’s oil reserves will last for 30 to 40 years.
4)Solar energy causes no pollution.
Solar cells make absolutely no noise at all. On the other
hand, the giant machines utilized for pumping oil are
extremely noisy and therefore very impractical.
Very little maintenance is needed to keep solar cells
running.
There are no moving parts in a solar cell which
makes it impossible to really damage them.
In the long term, there can be a high return on investment
due to the amount of free energy a solar panel can produce,
it is estimated that the average household will see 50% of
their energy coming in from solar panels.

Disadvantages of Solar Power?

1)Solar panels can be expensive to install resulting in a time-
lag of many years for savings on energy bills to match
initial investments.

2)Electricity generation depends entirely on a countries
exposure to sunlight; this could be limited by a countries
climate.
3)Solar power stations do not match the power output of
similar sized conventional power stations; they can also be
very expensive to build.
4)Solar power is used to charge batteries so that solar
powered devices can be used at night.
The batteries can
often be large and heavy, taking up space and needing to be
replaced from time to time.