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Everywhere you turn, from TV or advocacy groups to the Obama administration, people are talking about solar power. What causes all of this interest in solar power?  There are a number of advantages that excite so many people, but there are also a few disadvantages that you should know about.  If you have some knowledge and are willing to put in some work yourself, most of the disadvantages can be overcome.

Advantages

Never-ending source of energy

Because solar energy is produced by the sun, there is an infinite supply.  Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, fifty-two weeks of the year the sun is producing energy.  While solar power will continue to be available as long as the sun keeps shining, there is a limited supply of fossil fuels like oil and natural gas.  As fossil fuels become more and more scarce, the cost will continue to go up. The opposite is true of solar power!  It will never run out and the cost will continue to go down as technology gets better and better.

Free energy

Assuming the sun will continue to shine, solar power will continue to be free.  There is an initial cost for solar panels and equipment, but there is no ongoing cost for solar power aside from maintaining of the equipment and battery replacement if batteries are used.  If you install enough solar panels, you can disconnect from the power company and never pay an electric bill again.  This is called living off grid.  If you stay connected to the power grid and are able to produce more energy than you use, the power company will actually pay you for any excess power you produce!

Lower greenhouse gasses

For those people worried about global warming, solar energy is the solution! Fossil fuels like oil and natural gas produce a lot of greenhouse gasses, but solar power produces none at all. If you wish to lower your carbon footprint, solar energy is a great way to do it.  There are no emissions of any kind produced by solar power.

Lower dependence on foreign oil

One of the biggest threats to national security is widely considered to be dependence on foreign oil. Dependence on foreign oil is considered by many people to be one of the biggest threats to national security today.  Our dependence on foreign oil can be reduced by the use of solar power.  Solar electricity produced in this country would directly replace energy that is now produced using foreign oil.

Disadvantages

Initial cost

One of the biggest disadvantages to solar electricity is initial cost.  The ongoing cost of solar energy is very small, but the cost of buying and installing solar panels can be quite high.  You can figure out how much it would cost to install enough solar panels to power your home and download a spreadsheet to do the calculations by checking out  Solar Panel Cost Solar Panels Cost.

If you have a good set of plans, a few common tools and enough time, you can build your own solar panels and reduce the initial cost significantly.  If would like instructions for how to build your own solar panel, visit DIY Solar Panel.

Space

Solar panels must have a clear view of the southern sky and need sufficient space.  Solar panels work best in areas that get a lot of sun.  Solar maps are available that show the average sun in every part of the country.  A solar panel of the same size in an area with a larger score will produce more electricity.  You will need more solar panels to generate sufficient electricity to power your house if you live in an area with a lower score.

As you can see, there are advantages and disadvantages to solar power.  The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, I think you’d agree.  If you build your own solar panel, you can avoid many of the disadvantages.  For the best guide to building your own solar panel, take a look at  Green DIY Energy Review.

 

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