The sun is an energy source that can sustain our entire planet for one hour. This is enough time to meet the increasing energy needs on a worldwide scale. Thanks to the never-ending pursuits in technological advancements, we can finally harness a fraction of the power of the sun through solar power.

Solar panels and concentrated solar thermal plants are among the widely recognized means of converting sunlight into electricity for power consumption. However, these innovations are sometimes criticized due to being inefficient or expensive.

If you are considering using this renewable power source, read the following solar energy advantages and disadvantages and find out if this technology is worth the investment.

The Advantages

1. Solar power does not emit greenhouse gases after installation, making it a pollution-free option for using renewable energy.
2. With solar power, your reliance on foreign oil or fossil fuels will decrease dramatically.
3. Clean energy is always accessible even during cloudy days since solar technologies are still capable of generating some power.
4. Using solar power yields a huge return on investment compared to paying for utility bills.
5. Solar panels, for example, are tested and proven to last for more than 30 years. For this reason, they require little to virtually no maintenance.
6. Solar power creates many job opportunities. Solar panel manufacturers or installers can help boost the local economy.
7. If there is an interconnected power grid, any spare solar power can be sold back to the power company.
8. Solar power lets you live a grid-free life as long as the generated power ensures sufficient supply for the whole house or building.
9. A solar panel can be set up almost anywhere, whether it is in an open field or on buildings.
10. With solar power technology, you can use batteries for additional power storage that you can consume at night.
11. Solar energy is useful for powering homes and buildings. It can be used to heat water and power vehicles with its built-in technology.
12. Solar power is safer than the conventional electric current.
13. The same solar panel size available nowadays will become more effective tomorrow because of constant efficiency improvements.
14. When it comes to aesthetics, solar power technologies have become more flexible. Recent developments have seen a rise in newer innovations such as solar shingles.
15. Initial costs for solar power installation can now be covered by federal grants and tax incentives as well as rebate programs.

The Disadvantages

1. Although solar power has become more cost-feasible these days, this sustainable technology still proves to be expensive most of the time. The initial expense for materials and installation contributes to this high cost.
2. In terms of real estate, a solar panel or concentrated solar thermal plant requires a lot of space. Consequently, it becomes inefficient.
3. Despite the large return on investment (ROI) that you get from using solar power, the ROI usually takes a long while.
4. Since solar power is functional only during the day, you need to own a big battery bank for use in the evenings.
5. Using devices that run on direct current (DC) power together with this renewable energy becomes a financial burden.
6. The actual size of a solar panel may differ for the same power generation, depending on geographical location.
7. Only a little amount of renewable energy is produced on cloudy times.
8. At the moment, there are only a few instances of solar panels entering mass production. Such deficiency is attributed to an insufficient number of materials and technologies for cost reduction to make it affordable.
9. Cars with built-in solar power technology are not fast and powerful enough compared to the usual gas-powered vehicles.
10. During the winter season, solar power production is reduced dramatically.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the advantages of solar energy are more compared to its drawbacks. With this in mind, you can now harness the infinite power of the sun and put it to good use.

Although these are the commonly encountered solar energy advantages and disadvantages, there are other things that you need to watch out for. For instance, you need to determine the most suitable solar panel for your home by examining their type and roof compatibility, among other considerations.