Advantages and disadvantages of solar energy

-->

There are many advantages and disadvantages of solar energy in 2012.  Electric power is getting much more expensive with the increase in the cost of fossil fuel. Most people’s electric bills are increasing by at least 6% per year.
Solar panels can be situated almost anywhere there is direct sunlight available. They can be placed on the roof of a house or in an open unused area, as long as they can come in contact with direct sunlight. If you offset a majority of your electric usage with solar, you end up paying at a lower tier level. Therefore, what electricity you do use, is at the lowest price.

Advantages of solar energy

·      A solar system will actually increase the value of your home.
·     Solar energy can be a very efficient source of energy in a very large area of our planet. On overcast days, there can still be production with some of the newer technologies that are in existence.
·    It is very costly to lay new high voltage lines across new territory, where solar panels can be placed in any remote location at a fraction of the cost.
·   There is no pollution put into the atmosphere from solar panels.
·     Although the initial investment on solar is fairly high, there is very little upkeep expense.
·     Another great pro for solar energy is the ability to gather from the largest energy source available, the sun from the most remote areas of the planet, many of which are not even linked to a national grid system. Even in space, solar panels can be utilized to gather energy to power spacecraft.
·    Solar can be installed on top of residential roofs or above parking structures, eliminating the problem of finding the required space for solar panels.
·     The warranty on most solar panels is 20 years or more. The solar inverters are typically guaranteed for at least 10 years.
·      Solar reduces the use of fossil fuel and our dependency on it. Solar is truly a green source of energy.
·     There is no noise pollution generated during solar production. It is the quietest way to produce energy. The use of fossil and even other renewable fuels, such as wind and hydro production can be very noisy.

-->

Disadvantages of Solar Energy:

·      The biggest con of solar power is the cost of solar panels. The initial cost, or start-up expense, is pretty high.
·    Solar can only be produced during daylight hours. Therefore, for 50% or more of the time, your system isn’t producing any power.
·     Cloudiness or anything that blocks the sun from hitting the solar device can affect the efficiency of the system.
·    The more pollution or dust that gets on a solar panel, the less productive it will be. Solar panels need to be cleaned off periodically to keep a system at its maximum efficiency.
·      Some areas of the planet aren’t as conducive to sunny weather. The more rainy an area is, the less solar production you can have.