Advantages and disadvantages of solar energy
Since its inception, the renewable energy source from the sun has changed the electricity industry in terms of business models or electricity distribution methods of many households or organizations. So, what is solar energy, what is the advantages and disadvantages of solar power? Let's join with MBT team to explore.
Table of content
2. Advantages and disadvantages of solar energy
b. Disadvantages of solar energy
1. What is solar energy?
The sun, not only provides lightning in the daytime but also gives us energy which can be used in our life – each particle of sunlight (also called a photon) that reaches Earth contains energy that fuels our planet. Solar energy is the ultimate source impacting on all of our weather systems and energy sources on Earth, and enough solar radiation hits the surface of the planet each hour to theoretically fill our global energy needs for nearly an entire year.
All of this energy come from the sun, and itself, like any star in the galaxy, is like a massive nuclear reactor. In the core of the sun, nuclear fusion reactions produce massive amounts of energy that radiates outward from the Sun’s surface and into space in the form of light and heat.
Solar energy can be harnessed and converted to usable energy when we use photovoltaics or solar thermal collectors. Although solar energy just accounts for a small fraction of overall global energy use, the falling cost of installing solar panels means that people can easy to take advantage of solar power. Solar is a clean and renewable energy resource, it plays an important part in the global energy future.
2. Advantages and disadvantages of solar energy
| Advantage | Disadvantage |
| Easy to access | Some may not have the right space |
| Reducing carbon emissions | Electricity production depends on the weather |
| Eliminating your electricity bills and save money | Some potential pollution will exist |
| Improving resilience and reliability of power supply | |
| Long time warranty and low maintenance cost |
a. Advantages of solar energy
Solar energy is the most accessible type of renewable energy to the public
There are many forms of alternative energy production: bioenergy and fuel, geothermal energy, hydroelectricity and wind energy. They are all "green" and they are all capital and technology-intensive. In most cases, these energies are developed as large-scale utilities by governments or large corporations. Farmers can invest in windmills to provide energy (mainly to run water pumps in wells), but none of these can serve the residential market (households and small organizations).
In fact, there are a lot of ways to use solar energy in our daily lives, as there are also a lot of solar-powered consumer products available to easily use solar energy and greener life. These include portable solar panels, solar chargers and solar lights. In addition, new solar innovations are being introduced to the market every day and widely applied. Therefore, among the various advantages of solar energy, the main advantage is that it can be accessed and installed by almost everyone.
Practicing social responsibility to reduce carbon emissions
Everyone knows the oceans are warming and the ocean tends to rise. We see that seas of ice, north and south, are disappearing. The glaciers and freshwater that feed our rivers and streams do the same. It's not really about policies or regulations. So in order to minimize its impact, people want to make a difference, and right now, even the big energy industries are starting to adopt greener lifestyles.
It is true that billions of people still need to burn firewood, charcoal or even animal manure for heating and cooking, but here in the developed world, we can choose to reduce our own carbon footprint. We can choose to invest in solar homes and for some businesses that use solar energy. If we are not qualified to install solar panels for home, we can choose the solar power supplier in the area and use a variety of solar panel sets, lights using existing solar energy or electric chargers.
Help to eliminate your electricity bills and save money
For all the concerns about high energy costs, few people actually take the time to understand their electricity bills. Using solar power may not completely replace the grid power, but it will reduce your family's monthly electricity bills.
Also, if your renewable energy source is in abundance, you can sell it for an attractive price without thinking about how to use it or storing it.
Improve resilience and reliability of power supply
This solar advantage means that when heavy snow and wind blow down power lines or lightning strikes the poles and transformers, the solar owners will still create their own electricity. The solar panels on your roof provide resilience against the elements!
Long time warranty and low maintenance cost
Many people look at "glass panels" on rooftops and envision broken glass fragments, dangers, and huge repair bills. These are unlikely to happen. Solar cells can be relatively fragile, but they are protected under shatter-resistant tempered glass with a flexible substrate that protects the cells. Even hail storms caused barely anything but minor damage.
In addition, most manufacturers provide a 25-year warranty for the panels and the cost of the warranty, cleaning ... also does not cost too much.
Therefore, the installation of solar battery systems is becoming more popular and becoming a way of investment with long-term efficiency for households and organizations.
b. Disadvantages of solar energy
Some may not have the right space
For a solar battery system, it is very important to choose a location for installation. If you own a house with a roof or a piece of land in the yard with full conditions for the direction of the sun, the wind, the width of the space ..., great! However, not everyone can have such favorable conditions.
It can be mentioned for example that for people who live in apartment buildings, do not have roof space or bare land, the installation of the system is also met with many considerations.
Electricity production depends on the weather
Solar energy is not the answer to all electrical problems anywhere in the world. Weather and location on earth play a role in providing an efficient solar solution. There will be less sunlight in more cloudy and rainy places, and of course, in the northern latitudes, while the sun that never sets in summer never rises in winter either.
Some potential pollution will exist
When we produce solar cells, we use a number of toxic metals such as lead, gallium arsenide and cadmium. But these toxins are used inside manufacturing plants, where stringent environmental controls govern our operations, and not a single poison enters our environment.
There are other impacts like shipping and installation, too, but again, every power source has that effect.
Wind may be polluting free energy, but someone who builds windmills, and even geothermal energy requires pipes, converters and turbines. The key issue is that solar energy provides energy without a direct impact on global warming. It is a good choice for you to exercise your social responsibility.
3. Conclusion
In fact, among the pros and cons of solar energy, we can see more pros than cons.
After learning about the pros and cons of solar energy, although there are still some disadvantages to solar energy, the industry continues to grow. As we can see in many solar news, advances in solar technology such as improved conversion efficiency and increased storage capacity continue to take place every year.
Meanwhile, the solar advantage is going to be with us forever. The sun is an inexhaustible resource, and on that day when our sun finally appears (about 5 billion years in the future), we won't have to worry about it. Now and in the future, solar energy will bring more advantages than disadvantages for all people.
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Brief information about us:
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