Solar Panel Pros & Cons

Pros

No Pollution - Solar power does not release carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide nor mercury into the atmosphere. It does not burn fuel and generates no emissions.

Saves Money - Well, after the initial investment, since you’ll be using less energy, your utility bills will be much lower and often times there won’t be an amount due at all.

No Fuel Consumption - Because it requires no fuel, you will save money on the cost of gasoline.

Free Maintenance - Manufacturers are offering warranties of 20 years and more.

Energy Credits - You can build a credit of energy if your solar system produces more energy than you use. Check out net metering, a program that gives you credit for excess electricity, and actually spins your meter backwards. Another great pro of solar energy is the cost. Although the initial investment of solar cells may be high, once installed, they provide a free source of electricity, which will pay off over the coming years.

Sustainable and Renewable - Fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas are non-renewable and dwindling. Solar energy will never run out. The use of solar energy to produce electricity allows the user to become less dependent on the worlds fossil fuel supplies.

Noise Factor - They are silent and have no moving parts.

Cons

Expensive - The main disadvantage is the price. The panels and installation have high starting costs. The major con of solar energy is the initial cost of solar cells. Currently, prices of highly efficient solar cells can be above $1000, and some households may need more than one. This makes the initial installation of solar panels very costly.

Pollution - Even Solar panels give off no pollution, the only pollution produced as a result of solar panels is the manufacturing of these devices in factories, transportation of the goods, and installation.

Climate Variability - Although solar energy can be used in most climates, the number of hours of sunlight will determine the number of panels you’ll need and what the wattage of power will be.

Aesthetics - Solar panels can be installed on top of many rooftops, which eliminates the problem of finding the required space for solar panel placement. But Solar panels take up quite a bit of roof space and to some and aren’t pleasant to look at.

Not 24 Hours - They only work when the sun is shining. At night you will have to rely on stored energy from net metering or have an alternative system. Solar energy is only able to generate electricity during daylight hours. This means for around half of each day, solar panels are not producing energy for your home.

Noise Factor - The production of energy from the use of fossil and some renewable fuels (e.g. wind turbines) can be noisy, yet solar energy produces electricity very quietly.

Maintain The Battery For Solar Panel

It is important that to fully charged the battery for solar panel frequently – at least monthly – otherwise battery may get permanently damaged.

A battery can be fully charged if the average energy consumption of all loads are less as the average charging energy. The batteries store a large amount of energy, under no circumstances you should short circuit the battery. A slow acting type of fuse is recommended at the terminal of the battery. 

Batteries can produce flammable gases avoid making sparks or fire around the battery. Make sure that battery room is ventilated. Avoid touching or short circuit wires and terminals. Use isolated tools, stand on dry ground and keep your hands dry.

Maintenance Of Solar Panels

Solar panels require very little maintenance. In order to obtain the maximum benefits from the installed solar panels, they should be clean periodically.

On an area of frequent rainfall the rain will help clean the dust away from the solar panels but it is recommended on a yearly basis to perform a visual check up of the panels.

Panels can be washed with water and dishwashing soap with a soft brush without metallic parts to avoid scratches. On an area with low rainfall or very dusty area, it is recommended to perform this inspection every three months if necessary precede with cleaning.

On yearly basis, mechanical fixation should be verified for the tightness of the fixation parts. This is to verify if both the construction frame and the frame of solar panels have not been deformed due to robbery attempt.

A yearly verification should be done on the current and voltage levels supplied by the solar panels. This can be done in the corresponding distribution boxes. By using an ampere or clamp meter, measure the current from each solar panels output. The values of the current should be the same for every panel, except if any individual panel for any reason is in the shadow. Depending on the area, the insulation and the hour of the day the installed panels should have an ampere output as the characteristic and specification of the solar panels. The characteristics of solar panel may vary for different supplier.

Solar Energy Turn In To Electricity

Solar Energy is about harnessing the power of the sun to produce energy.

Considered as a renewable energy source because it will exist as long as the sun, estimated to be another 4.5 billion years. Considered as a clean energy because it does not produce pollutants or byproduct harmful to the environment. In ancient times the use of solar energy was limited to drying and heating cause by direct contact. In early 1950s solar energy was also used as power source. But with technology advancements, solar energy is moving to the forefront as a potential alternative to fossil fuels.

Currently solar energy is produced primarily through the use of the solar cell, also known as photovoltaic cells by placing the cells in direct sunlight. Sun hits the cells causing a chemical reaction that creates an electric current. This current is then turned into electricity.

Solar Energy Can Be Harnessed ?

The Earth receives 174 petawatts (PW) of incoming solar radiation at the upper atmosphere. Approximately 30% of solar energy reflected back to space while the rest is absorbed by clouds, oceans and land masses. The spectrum of solar light at the Earth's surface is mostly spread across the visible and near-infrared ranges with a small part in the near-ultraviolet.

Earth's land surface, oceans and atmosphere absorb solar radiation, and this raises their temperature. Warm air containing evaporated water from the oceans rises, causing atmospheric circulation or convection. When the air reaches a high altitude, where the temperature is low, water vapor condenses into clouds, which rain onto the Earth's surface, completing the water cycle. The latent heat of water condensation amplifies convection, producing atmospheric phenomena such as wind, cyclones and anti-cyclones.

Sunlight absorbed by the oceans and land masses keeps the surface at an average temperature of 14 °C. By photosynthesis green plants convert solar energy into chemical energy, which produces food, wood and the biomass from which fossil fuels are derived. The total solar energy absorbed by Earth's atmosphere, oceans and land masses is approximately 3,850,000 exajoules (EJ) per year. In 2002, this was more energy in one hour than the world used in one year. Photosynthesis captures approximately 3,000 EJ per year in biomass.

The amount of solar energy reaching the surface of the planet is so vast that in one year it is about twice as much as will ever be obtained from all of the Earth's non-renewable resources of coal, oil, natural gas, and mined uranium combined. Solar energy can be harnessed in different levels around the world. Depending on a geographical location the closer to the equator the more "potential" solar energy is available.

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