With rising electricity prices, rolling blackouts, and decreasing supplies of fossil fuels, a lot of people are checking out solar technology. This informative article is here to help you decide if switching to solar power is a good choice for you. It will do so by giving a good account of both the pros and cons of solar power, paying particular attention to cost, functionality, the environment, and energy independence.
Cost
The soaring price of fossil fuels is what drives most people to solar technology. We should be truthful, though. Although it's a fact that the sun's energy is completely free, there are costs associated with grabbing it and turning it into electricity that can be used to power our homes. The major downside of solar technology, with regards to price, is the up front expenditure for solar panels and their installation. A high quality, professional solar installment can cost as much as $20,000, a serious problem indeed. Can something be done with regards to these expenses?
Yes, you can reduce the price of a solar installation in a couple of ways. One, if you are a handy DIY type of person, you'll be able to assemble good quality solar panels on your own, which will lower your expenses considerably. Next, you can submit an application for state and federal grants that subsidize the cost of a professional installation. The value of such grants is quite high, depending on which state you reside in.
The major advantage of solar technology, with regards to cost, is that after your solar panels are hooked up, you won't ever have to pay for power again, and, over time, this will more than make up for the upfront cost of your solar panel installation.
Usability
The most obvious disadvantage of solar energy in terms of functionality is that the sun only shines for half of each day. It can also be partly blocked by clouds. This means that in the evening, when we must turn on the lights, our solar panels can't generate any electricity. Needless to say, we can easily overcome this problem simply by setting up a battery bank that gets charged up in the daytime and drawn down overnight.
The major advantage of solar energy, when it comes to usability, is that it utilizes a power supply, the sun, that is never going to run out. Fossil fuels, at some point, are sure to go dry. Nobody disputes that inescapable fact. The sun, however, well, if the sun goes out we are in big trouble.
The Environment
People often assume that there are no damaging environmental problems related to solar power. There exists one problem with solar energy in this regard, however--batteries. We must make use of batteries to store our power, and these batteries do not last forever. And if these batteries are not properly discarded, their strong chemicals can damage the environment.
The generation of electrical energy with solar technology brings about absolutely no harm to the earth. There is no smoke, no toxic waste, no carbon output--nothing. Creating energy with power from the sun is clean and green, and that is, perhaps, the biggest overall advantage of solar power.
Energy Independence
Having energy independence is another thing that people believe is without disadvantages. What about if you have a power failure, though? What happens if poor weather knocks out your solar panels? Can you fix it on your own? If not, you're going to have to locate another person who can, which is not always easy. Compare that to being on the grid--power companies keep crews of full-time technicians to make certain you get uninterrupted energy.
Needless to say, when on the grid, you are at the mercy of the electricity supplier, which is not always good. They can, and do, raise and lower prices and shut down power altogether anytime there are energy shortages. Being energy independent means that you're just like the name suggests--independent. You control your own destiny concerning electricity consumption, which can be quite a very liberating feeling.
Is solar power right for you? Well, that almost certainly depends on whether or not you're able to conquer the biggest drawback regarding solar power-the initial expenses of a solar setup. If you're able to do it yourself, or should you live in a state that has big incentives, solar technology is more than likely right for you.
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