Everything But The Weed

Approved by:
Linda Maze, a Wedding photography Gainesville FL in Gainesville Florida

Everywhere you turn, from TV or advocacy groups to the Obama administration, people are talking about solar power. Why is everyone so interested in solar power?  There are quite a few advantages that excite so many people, but there are also a number of disadvantages that you should know about. Overcoming the disadvantages can be accomplished if you have some know-how and are willing to put in a little work yourself.

Advantages

Never-ending source of energy

Because solar energy is produced by the sun, there is an infinite supply.  Every day, all year the sun is producing energy.  Solar energy will continue to be available long after fossil fuels like oil and natural gas run out.  As fossil fuels become more and more scarce, the cost will continue to go up. The opposite is true of solar energy!  Solar electricity will get more and more affordable as technology continues to improve.

Free energy

Assuming the sun will continue to shine, 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.  With enough solar panels, you can stop paying electric bills to the power company forever.  This is called off grid living.  If you stay connected to the power grid and are able to produce more electricity than you use, the power company will actually pay you for any excess power you generate!

Lower greenhouse gasses

For people who are concerned about global warming, solar energy is the answer! Solar electricity produces absolutely no greenhouse gasses, unlike fossil fuels like oil and natural gas. If you wish to lower your carbon footprint, solar electricity is a great way to do it.  Solar energy doesn’t generate any CO2 of emissions of any type.

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.  Using solar electricity will reduce dependence on foreign oil.  Any domestically produced solar electricity would directly replace energy that is produced with foreign oil.

Disadvantages

Initial cost

Most people consider initial cost to the be the biggest disadvantages to solar electricity.  While the ongoing costs of solar energy are almost zero, the initial cost of buying and installing solar panels can be somewhat 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 check 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 you are looking for instructions on how to build your own solar panel, take a look at DIY Solar Panel.

Required space

Solar panels must have a clear view of the southern sky and need sufficient space.  Solar panels produce the most electricity in parts of the world that a great deal of sun. Areas that get a great deal of sun are ideal for solar panels.  Solar maps are available that show the average sun in every part of the country.  Solar panels located in areas with larger scores will produce more electricity with a solar panel of the same size.  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 electricity.  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  Green DIY Energy Review.