Solar Power: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

There’s been a lot of valuable discussion about global warming and other environmental issues lately.  If you’re worried about the future of our green planet, you may be wondering about the viability of alternative energy sources in your own life.  Let’s take a closer look at solar energy.
 
Advantages:
 
·        It’s renewable.  There are times the sun is unavailable, like at night or on a cloudy day, but it’s always there somewhere, and we might as well use it!  Current methods of energy storage take care of the brief sun down times.  We WILL run out of oil eventually, so it is NOT viable in the long term.


·        Solar energy will not pollute the earth with carbon dioxide and other harmful greenhouse gases and emissions.  It is a completely clean technology.


·        Solar energy can be harnessed to do all your daily energy-consuming chores – dry clothes, hear water, power attic fans, run small appliances, and much more.  In 1990 an aircraft powered solely by the sun, crossed the United States.


·        If you live in a very sunny area, like Arizona, you’ll probably produce far more energy than you need.  In many cases, you can sell this excess to your local utility companies. 


·        Energy from the sun is free.  No more electric, gas or oil bills!  No more dependence on foreign (or even domestic!) sources who can raise their prices at their whim. 


·        You don’t even need to connect in to your local power grid.


·        You can install solar energy in remote locations.


·        When your neighbors have a power outage, your lights will still be on.


·        As your energy needs grow, you can simply add more solar panels.


·        Solar panels operate silently.


·        Solar energy systems require very little maintenance and last a long time.


·        Technology for solar energy is constantly improving.


 
Disadvantages:
 
·        Solar energy products can be very expensive.  This is probably the primary disadvantage of solar energy.


·        You need a fairly large amount of space to install the large panels to run an efficient solar energy system for your entire home.


·        If you live in an area blocked by trees, other buildings, or just in a generally cloudy climate or area of high air pollution, you may need a backup to your solar system for those times when there is not enough sun to generate all the energy necessary to meet your needs.  This is easily accomplished with backup batteries or connections to your local energy sources.


·        Solar-powered cars are still not “up to speed,” so to speak.  They move more slowly than traditionally-fueled cars.

If you believe that a cleaner earth means a better future for our children, it’s time to take a look at solar energy.  Even if you can’t afford a complete solar home right now, start small.  Get some solar landscaping lights or a solar attic fan.  You can build it up gradually, reducing your energy bills a little at a time.

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