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It seems like people everywhere are talking about solar energy, from advocacy groups to the media to the Obama administration. Why is everyone so interested in solar electricity? There are a lot of advantages that excite so many people, but there are also some disadvantages that you should know about. Most of the disadvantages can be overcome if you have some knowledge and are willing to put in some work yourself.

Advantages

Never-ending energy source

There is a never-ending supply of solar energy because it is produced by the sun all the time. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, fifty-two weeks of the year the sun is producing energy. While fossil fuels like natural gas and oil will eventually run out, solar power will continue to be available until the sun disappears and at that point we’ll have a lot bigger problems to be worried about than how to power our air conditioners. The price of these limited fossil fuels will continue to rise as more and more are used up. The opposite is true of solar energy! It will never run out and the cost will continue to go down as technology gets better and better.

Free energy

As long as you can look out the window and see the sun shining, solar electricity will continue to be free. Aside from battery replacement, if batteries are used in the solar power system, there is virtually no ongoing cost for solar power. 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 can generate more power than you need, you can stay connected to the grid and actually sell the extra energy to the power company!

No greenhouse gasses

For people who are concerned about global warming, solar energy is the answer! Fossil fuels like oil and natural gas produce a lot of greenhouse gasses, but solar energy produces none at all. If you wish to lower your carbon footprint, solar energy is a great way to do it. Solar energy produces no emissions of any type.

Lower dependence on foreign oil

Dependence on foreign oil is widely considered one of the biggest security threats today. Our dependence on foreign oil could be reduced or eliminated completely by the use of solar power. Any power that is currently produced with foreign oil can be directly replaced by domestically produced solar electricity.

Disadvantages

Initial cost

The biggest disadvantage to solar energy is generally considered to be initial cost. The ongoing cost of solar energy is very small, but the cost of buying and installing solar panels can be quite high. If you want to see how much it would cost to install enough solar panels to power your home and get a spreadsheet to do the calculations, please visit Cost of Solar Panels.

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, check out DIY Solar Panel.

Required space

Solar panels must be oriented so they point to the south and also need enough space for all the panels. Solar panels produce the most electricity in parts of the world that a great deal of sun. Areas that get a lot of sun are ideal for solar panels. Solar maps are available that show the average sun in every part of the country. A larger score means that a solar panel of the same size will produce more electricity than a solar panel in an area with a smaller score. 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 energy. The advantages of solar power, though, outweigh the disadvantages. If you build your own solar panel, you can avoid many of the disadvantages. For the best guide to building your own solar panel, visit GreenDIYEnergy Review.

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