Solar Energy is said to be the best way to lower your bills and to protect the environment. People all over the world are investing in this equipment hoping that they will make the right choice and get rid of the utility bills and stop depending on the big corporations.
Surprisingly, the use is not limited to homes only; solar innovations like the solar generators for camping make our lives very comfortable while on hiking, camping, or boating adventures. You can learn more about these products on solargenerator.guide.
We know that there are so many good things about this type of energy, but there is a balance in everything. The panels come at a great cost, and there are other disadvantages to solar systems.
Even though it is said that solar energy is one of the best things that has happened to us, there are some things that are considered as negatives when it comes to this. Here we are going to talk about them and what you should pay attention to before you install the panels in your home.
1. Costs
One of the main things that concern everyone is money. We don’t want to spend too much money on things and we want to save something up in the process. We all know that if we install a solar panel, we will lower the prices of the electricity bills in the long run, but what happens about right now?
These panels are a big investment and you need to pay a fair amount of money if you want to install this system in your home. The problem is that there are a lot of things that you need to purchase in order to have a working solar energy system. These things include the panels, batteries, inverter, and wiring. And this is without counting the installation costs. The more panels you want to install, the higher your bill will be.
However, the technology is advancing every single day and things are getting more affordable. This includes solar energy. Experts suggest that these costs are going to get lower and that soon everyone will be able to get the panels for their home without spending too much money on them.
2. Space
If you are interested in installing panels in your home, you are probably aware of how big the whole equipment is. There are two things you can basically do – install the panels on your rooftop or install them next to your home. If you choose to put them on the roof, you will need to make sure that it can withstand and the weight and that there is enough space for you to put everything there. And if you decide to put them next to your home, you need to pay attention to the shades and that the panels will get the most sunlight.
When putting them on the field or in your yard, you won’t be able to do anything with that space, and some people don’t want to just give away the space they own. On this website, you can see the solution for this issue and what users do to get rid of the problem with panels taking a lot of space.
3. Weather
The main issue with this type of system is the weather. The more sunny days there are in your country, the better it is going to be for you. But, what happens if the weather is mostly overcast or if it is raining half the time? In places like Russia, Canada, or even Hawaii it is not practical to install this system. There are too few sunny days and investing in something as expensive as solar energy is not a smart choice.
Another issue that occurs is that the panels can easily be damaged by bad weather, so if you live in a place where there are storms, high wind, or hail, you may need to think things twice. You will have to find a way to protect the panels, store them correctly, and clean them from any debris. If you don’t maintain this system regularly, it will get damaged and you will have to spend a lot of additional money to get it fixed.
4. Inefficiency
When we install a new way to get power and to lower our utility bills, we are hoping to get the most of what we’ve paid for. But, experts say that solar panels can never be 100% efficient. Most of the panels use and convert about 15% of the solar energy. The newest models you can find on the market convert no more than 25% of it. If we invest in motors that will move the panels and if your country has more than 250 sunny days per year, you will be able to get about 80% efficiency. The cost of this is really high and it is not something that should be invested in.
In theory, without additional equipment, you could get your panels to convert about half of the energy they are receiving.
5. Pollution
One of the main reasons why we choose solar power is to help the environment, and the panels are supposed to help us with that. Even though the cells are not dangerous for the environment, the whole installation, as well as the manufacturing process, is considered highly dangerous.
To have enough space to install the panels, we have to cut down trees and damage nature. Once you install them in your yard, you cannot plant anything in that space. When these systems are produced, toxic materials are used and all of that affects the environment in a really bad way. So, this begs the questions – are you really helping nature when you switch to solar power?
Even though there are some disadvantages to panels, manufacturing, and efficiency, when we look at the advantages solar energy gives us, we can realize that it is far better than the other available options. It is a renewable energy source and as long as we have the sun, we will have solar power. After the initial costs, you will lower your electricity bills and it is said that you will get your investment money back in no more than 5 years. After that, you will be on the plus side. The maintenance costs are relatively low and once you install the panels, you won’t have to do much about them.
The technology is advancing every day, the costs of the panels are lowering and the conversion rate is getting higher. Soon we are expecting to get better equipment that will be safer for the environment and more affordable for everyone.
