What are the disadvantages of solar energy?

Despite its promise as a pure energy source, there are a number of disadvantages of solar energy that prevented it from widely used. Solar energy is not always as reliable as other forms of electricity and tends to be expensive to install and maintain. Most experts believe that further technological progress is needed to make the solar energy available. However, some governments offer subsidies for price compensation and engineers and scientists continue to work to improve technology.

Economic factors

The cost of purchasing and installing devices is one of the main disadvantages of solar energy. Each individual panel is not so effective and usually converts only 10% to 18% of solar energy into electricity. It often takes 15 to 20 panels to generate enough electricity to power the average size house; The required number varies depending on how much electricity is required, how much the sun gets the house and many other factors. Biggepanels R, which can generate more electricity, also standmore.

At the peak of the price of the panels themselves, the costs of their installation differ greatly according to the location, how many panels are required, where the panels are installed, and other factors. According to most estimates, it takes at least six years for the initial costs to be repaid with energy production savings in the best circumstances and double in less ideal conditions.

reliability

One of the disadvantages of solar energy is its lack of consistency and reliability. Solar equipment rely on a stable intake of sunlight in electricity production; Once the sun drops, the light stops hitting the solar panels and the power supply drops immediately. Less light for electricity is also available on cloudy days. This means that some form of storage technology - usually a battery - or change the ensuring continuous energy flow is always a need for a native energy source. Some people who useOvi solar energy, remain connected to an electric grid to gain energy when no solar energy is available.

Any obstruction between the sun and the panel can also reduce the amount of energy produced. In order to work best, solar panels must be where trees or buildings are not overshadowed. Sunlight can penetrate 1 inch (2.54 cm) or snow to produce energy, but the panels are unlikely to work so efficiently; Any other accumulation of snow during the winter is likely to prevent them from working at all.

Panel damage

solar panels are susceptible to damage to elements, other disadvantages of solar energy. The constant bombing of ultraviolet (UV) beams and other sunlight often causes the panels to deteriorate, like any other material that has remained exposed to the sun for a long time. There, however, they have improved by improving how they are made and their current lifetime has been 25 to 30 LE since 2012t. Panels can still damage dirt and sand, as well as large hail. It may also be possible to cause damage when removing heavy snow and debris if the house owner is not careful.

battery and safety concerns

Since it is not possible to produce solar energy 24 hours a day, most systems use a bank with a deep battery cycle to store excessive energy for use at night and on cloudy days. Unfortunately, these batteries can be expensive and have a shorter life than the solar panels themselves. They also represent some safety risks and require special handling, depending on the type of battery used. The least expensive and longest permanent - flooded lead acid batteries - also require most maintenance and careful handling because they can spilled acids or explode if they are not properly stored. The other two most common types, gel and absorbed glass mat (AGM) are less Dangerous, but usually much more expensive.

as an alternative to battery banks are themwhich solar systems tied into the mains. This allows the system to draw energy if necessary and in many cases send energy back to the grid when the solar system produces more than the need for a building. One of the disadvantages related to the safety of solar systems of this type is the "heating" that occurs when the system continues to produce electricity in electrical lines that can assume that they are dead. It is a risk of electricity for employees, although many areas now require solar energy systems to include an anti-Islanding component to avoid this.

Solving the disadvantage of solar energy

Despite the disadvantages, many governments, scientists and activists continue to work on ways to strengthen solar energy more affordable and efficient. Improvements in battery technology have caused the storage of electricity generated by the solar system easier and the grid ties allow people to sell energy backtheir electric companies. Flexible solar panels, although usually less efficient than those made of glass, are less likely to be damaged. Many governments also make their role to encourage the use of solar energy by subsidizing solar panel production and offering tax relief to individuals who buy solar panels for their homes.