Saturday, March 23, 2024

What Are The Advantages Of Solar Energy

Component : Battery Bank

Basics & Benefits of Going Solar | SCE & Solar Power

A battery bank makes sure that none of your unused energy goes to waste, as it stores the energy that is being produced by the PV array and is not consumed immediately. It can then, for example, supply your home with electricity during the night or during very cloudy weather when there is insufficient sunlight.

Including a battery bank in your photovoltaic systems is optional, but it can double the amount of solar energy you can use. With a battery system, your home will be able to use 80% of its generated energy, whereas without a battery system, this would only be 40%.

Component : Utility Meter

Regardless of your solar PV system, your household has a power meter that measures the electricity consumption per house or apartment.

The utility meter is connected to the PV system and measures how much electricity you are using in your home. The electricity that you have generated from the photovoltaic panels that and is not stored or used will be fed back into the electric grid.

Solar Panels Can Be Installed On Rooftops

The fact you can install solar cells directly on top of your home makes them one of the most widely used renewable energy technologies.

Other renewable energy sources are either unsuitable for residential installations or require significant areas of land. For example, wind turbines are often considered too noisy by homeowners for a local installation. Geotherham heat pumps on the other hand are a viable option, but many designs require a large area of land for the installation of underground pipes.

Recommended Reading: How To Apply For Federal Solar Tax Credit

Solar Photovoltaic System Cost In The Uk

Since solar photovoltaic system costs can vary depending on many different factors, there is not a single price but rather a wide range of options and costs. The installation cost for solar panels mostly depends on the size, inclination, and condition of your roof, and the amount of electricity required for your home.

Thanks to an increasing amount of new technologies and cheaper manufacturing, the installation cost of solar PV systems has a lot over the last few years. To give you an idea about the estimated costs per component, we have created the table below.

Estimated Cost of Photovoltaic System Components in the UK

System Size
£8,560 – £16,330

General Benefits Of Solar Energy

Benefits of Photovoltaic Panels

Solar energy is readily available for use upon installation. It is renewable and inexhaustible in whatever quantity required. Below are the general benefits of solar energy.

  • Power bills are no longer part of your budget
  • Diverse applications without limits
  • There are low or no maintenance cost
  • Technology development of more efficient panels
  • It is weather dependent
  • Solar energy can be stored

This form of energy has many social benefits ranging from economics, oil dependence to produce electricity, health benefits, reduction of energy imports for countries that are not self-sufficient in the generation of their own power, and local development, among others.

Solar energy is renewable and inexhaustible, which makes it the best source of energy anywhere though it has not been adopted as widely as it should be. If governments can make programs that incorporate the use of solar energy, then the world would be a better place.

The generation of electricity depends on the burning of fossil fuels. The companies that produce electricity entirely depend on oil. Air pollution and environmental pollution remain high because the demand for electricity is quite high.

Dependence on oil can only go down by the widespread use of solar energy. This reduces the amount of pollution and the harsh environmental effects that come about as a result of energy production.

See Related: Should You Buy or Lease Solar Panels?

Also Check: California Solar Tax Credits 2021

Solar Requires Very Little Maintenance And Full Installation

If you choose a qualified installer with EnergySage, the installation process will be handled completely by qualified professionals. Once your panels are installed, they require very little maintenance compared to other forms of energy production. With only some cleaning needed after snow or inclement weather.

Solar Reduces Carbon Emissions

Solar is a clean, renewable source of energy that can help reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions and lower our impact on the natural environment. Unlike traditional fossil fuels like coal and oil, solar energy does not lead directly to pollutants being released into the atmosphere and water supply. Even compared to nuclear energy, solar comes out on top in terms of being a more environmentally friendly solution.

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If Your Electricity Costs Are Low So Are Your Solar Savings

The ultimate benefit of solar energy is that it will reduce your use of utility-provided electricity and save you money every month as a result. However, that condition assumes a homeowner has sizable electric bills to begin with. For a homeowner in a state like Louisiana where the cost of electricity is 25+ percent lower than the national average, installing a solar panel system isnt nearly as attractive as it is to a Hawaii homeowner who pays more than double the average electric rate.

More Health Benefits Of Solar Energy

Advantages and disadvantages of solar energy

Burning fossils to produce electricity deposits more toxic gases in the atmosphere. This endangers our lives every new day. If more people could start to use solar energy, some diseases like asthma, bronchitis, and some cancers can be minimized.

Some natural disasters like droughts, cyclones, storms, extreme heat are all associated with the production of electricity. Most human activities that facilitate regular energy production directly or indirectly affect human health.

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Read Also: What Is The Best Solar Panel To Buy

Renewable Energy Has Its Challenges But Theres A Huge Upside

Despite some existing limitations and challenges, its clear that renewables will one day supply all of our homes, businesses, and vehicles with emission-free energy.

And while its unlikely that a single energy source will ever meet all of our needs, the combination of solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, hydro, and battery storage has the potential to power our entire world without creating any pollutants or greenhouse gasses.

If youre looking to make the switch to renewable energy but its beyond your financial reach, there are other ways you can achieve a positive environmental result:

But most importantly, we should remember that despite the many advantages of renewable energy, the best way to lower our carbon emissions is to reduce our electricity and gas consumption in the first place.

As individuals, as communities, and as a country, we should aim to improve our energy use, forms of transport, and consumer choices and then use clean energy to meet our remaining needs. If we successfully combine renewables with sustainable lifestyles, it will be much faster not to mention far cheaper to create an emission-free world.

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Disadvantages Of Solar Energy

1. Cost

The initial cost of purchasing a solar system is fairly high. This includes paying for solar panels, inverter, batteries, wiring, and the installation. Nevertheless, solar technologies are constantly developing, so it is safe to assume that prices will go down in the future.

2. Weather-Dependent

Although solar energy can still be collected during cloudy and rainy days, the efficiency of the solar system drops. Solar panels are dependent on sunlight to effectively gather solar energy. Therefore, a few cloudy, rainy days can have a noticeable effect on the energy system. You should also take into account that solar energy cannot be collected during the night.

On the other hand, if you also require your water heating solution to work at night or during wintertime, thermodynamic panels are an alternative to consider.

For a breakdown of how effective solar panels are in the winter, check out our video:

3. Solar Energy Storage Is Expensive

Solar energy has to be used right away, or it can be stored in large batteries. These batteries, used in off-the-grid solar systems, can be charged during the day so that the energy is used at night. This is a good solution for using solar energy all day long but it is also quite expensive.

In most cases, it is smarter to just use solar energy during the day and take energy from the grid during the night . Luckily your energy demand is usually higher during the day so you can meet most of it with solar energy.

4. Uses a Lot of Space

Also Check: How To Size An Off Grid Solar System

Is Solar Good Or Bad

Ultimately, solar energy is good for the environment. As more policies are made and more recycling solutions become available to the public, a world totally powered by solar energy is not too far off a reality.

Some organizations, such as Recycle Solar in the UK and Veolia in the US have begun to emerge as specialists in solar panel recycling, with a vision to make the process both comprehensive and mainstream.

Manufacturing, disposal, and recycling remain to be challenging areas before solar power systems can be fully adopted. As technologies rapidly develop, there is hope for this renewable source to overcome these challenges.

If youre interested in installing solar panels in your home, know that youll be significantly reducing your carbon footprint. Green Square Renewables is a one stop shop that has several showrooms across the UK designed to cater for all your renewable energy needs.

We often find that as well as having solar panels installed, combining them intelligently with technologies like an air source heat can dramatically increase a homes efficiency whilst decreasing energy bills by as much as 64%.

Solar Energy Can Be Paired With Solar Battery Storage

How Solar Panels Benefit Your Home

Solar panels and battery storage are an ideal combination when paired together. Battery storage allows you to store electricity and discharge it for later use, which is perfect for people who want to self-produce all of their own power and dont want to be reliant on the power grid or use fossil fuel generators.Home battery backup systems are designed to charge during the day and homeowners can either use that power at night, or save it up to power the house when the grid is down. We recommend having more than one battery installed to be sure that you have enough energy to power your home whenever you need it. Our standard package is two Tesla Powerwall units.

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Less Energy Lost During Distance Transportation

Regular electricity is produced then supplied to substations. It is further distributed to customers, some of whom are far away from the substation.

During this process, some energy is lost. It may be little per supply, but it amounts to much when as supplied to many. These are some troubles unknown to solar energy users.

Solar energy is harnessed easily and used directly from the source. Its transportation is within the source, minimizing distance covered and energy loss of any kind.

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Solar Electricity Can Be Sold Back To The Grid

Depending on where you live, you could be eligible for net metering. Net metering is an electric billing tool that uses the electric grid to store excess energy produced by your solar panel system. Under net metering, energy your solar panels produce and you dont use is credited back to you. This means that you could potentially receive a credit toward your bill for unused energy and essentially sell solar energy back to the electric grid.

Also Check: Does Residential Solar Make Sense

Solar Panels Have Long Lasting Warranties

Companies that design, test and manufacturer and solar panels include long lasting warranties with their products.

This shows that they have a lot of confidence in the performance of solar panels and that they are guaranteed to reach a minimum performance for a period of time.

Long lasting warranties are a big benefit of solar panels because they show that they wont break or stop performance within the first 10+ years installing them. Companies like Jinko, LG and SunPower offer great warranties.

Homeowners can feel like moving to solar is less risky, because they are covered by the solar panels warranties.

It also means they can work out their estimated saving given that there are no issues with the solar panels.

Advantages & 10 Disadvantages Of Solar Panels

Benefits of Solar Panels

Well, its safe to say that solar panels have blown up over the past few decades. They have become soooo popular with homeowners, businesses and now even the governments are recognising their value.

But were all asking the same question Why?

Whats so good about solar panels?Why are they so popular? Should I be getting solar panels? Or is this just one big hype? Are they really worth the money?

Well, the short answer is yes. They are worth it, and Im going to explain to you exactly why.

However, we cannot forget the law of balance. For every advantage there is probably a disadvantage. With this case, its true. You may not think it, but solar panels do come with their fair share of disadvantages.

So lets jump straight in, and find out the advantages and disadvantages of solar panels.

Also Check: 400 Watt Solar Panel Price

Find The Best Thermodynamic Panel Suppliers

Thermodynamic hot water systems are an exceptional investment for your home that improves the quality of your everyday life by reducing costs and increasing your convenience, without having to worry about any negative environmental effects. This new technology revolutionises how you can manage your domestic hot water needs.

To learn more about how you can utilise the power of thermodynamic panels, all you need to do is to fill in the form above and you will receive up to 4 personalised quotes. This service is free and without obligations.

Grants For Solar Panels In Ireland

Thanks to the availability of grants for solar panels in Ireland and the increasingly competitive prices in-market forcing down installation costs, solar energy is becoming the primary source of energy for more and more families in Ireland. Technology has been drastically improved in the last number of years. It has been complemented by more advanced solar battery storage systems, turning solar into a significantly more efficient source of sustainable energy.

Unfortunately, there are always some downsides to the energy source you choose to analyse. At EcoPlex, we have outlined the key advantages of solar power in the following points:

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Get Rewarded By The Government

Government rebates are a great advantage of solar panels.

Being able to sell your energy back to the government for cash is enticing for homeowners to make the move to solar. With pressures on governments to move towards greener solutions, all future rewards are looking bright.

Rates may start to become more profitable and rebates becoming easier to get. However, this may not last forever.

Although these rebates differ from state to state they all offer a big reduction in the cost and most will also offer a no interest loan scheme.

These government incentives actually make solar energy more affordable. This is a step in the right direction and helps first time buyers secure solar.

Solar Energy Provides Lucrative Tax Incentives

Environmental Benefits of Solar Power

The most talked-about benefits of solar energy are the tax incentives associated with it. Right now, qualifying homeowners who opt to get solar panels can get 26% of theirtotal initial costs back in a federal tax credit. New York State also has a $5,000 tax credit. These incentives have not only given homeowners a faster return on investment for their solar power expenditure. It has also created jobs and caused the solar energy industry to dramatically expand in a relatively short amount of time. The catch is that the incentive programs do have expiration dates, so waiting to install in the future could mean missing out on incentives and major reimbursements.

Read Also: How Much Does One Solar Panel Cost

Advantages Of Solar Energy And Disadvantages Of Solar Energy

The need for solar energy to be the future is clearer day by day. While it is clear there are many benefits of solar energy, it is important to know the pros and cons of solar energy before embarking on any installation.

Solar energy: pros and cons

What are the advantages of solar energy? What are the disadvantages of solar energy?
  • 100% inexhaustible energy, which is renewable and free
  • No toxic or polluting emissions into the air
  • Reduces the use of fossil fuels
  • Increasingly competitive energy source

What Causes Solar Panels To Degrade

Several factors cause degradation other than age. When installing solar panels, you can fully expect them to be able to withstand much pressure and fairly extreme conditions.

However, theyre not immune to damage. For instance, changes in weather cause strain on solar panels, resulting in micro-cracks. Debris could also accumulate and result in damage. Strong wind, snow, and yes, even sunlight, can cause degradation on the panels.

Manufacturers typically take into consideration a 1% rate of degradation each year. However, maintenance checks can help to extend the life of these technologies. In general, they need little upkeep, but solar power maintenance is still recommended.

Other than a regular cleaning, it is best to ensure that periodic checks by the manufacturer are done. Some elect to do annual inspections, while there are manufacturers that do routine checks every quarter.

Meanwhile, homeowners who have had PV systems installed in their properties can check their efficiency by monitoring their monthly power output. Most systems come with monitoring software. If you notice a decline in the electricity that is being generated, it might be time to get in touch with a technician who could address the problem.

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