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Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Power

Jessica PirroApril 30, 2019 1152 0

Just like most industries there are pros and cons of solar energy. Solar power is a still considered a newer technology that do a lot of good to the environment while saving homeowners money.

The way that these solar panels get energy is by soaking up the suns radiation. The sun is an extremely powerful energy source and solar panels use a method to soak up this energy source and convert it to power.

While it is common to hear about the advantages of solar energy, it is also common to hear people saying that a con of solar energy is the cost. However, thanks to solar panel grants and an increasing demand for solar panels, the prices are now more affordable than ever.

Advantages of Solar Energy: 

There are many advantages to solar energy, while all of them are important, there are a few of them that are considered more beneficial than the other:

It can drastically reduce or totally eliminate your electric bills. 

This is what many people consider to be one of the most important solar energy advantage. It is pretty straightforward why many people think this the most important benefit, because it saves them money.

When a solar panel is installed, your house begins to rely less on your electric utility which reduces your monthly utility bill. The average solar panel system lasts 25-35 years, which would mean that it could cut your utilities down for that long.

Your home value increases.

Another solar power advantage is by installing solar panels you are actually increasing the value of your house. Therefore if a homeowner is considering going solar, but they are unsure if they want to commit to staying in their house for that 25 years, they will still make money off their panels.

It is a renewable energy source.

From an environmental standpoint, the biggest pro of solar energy is that it is a renewable source of energy. It is a source of energy that can be collected in all areas of the world and you can harness it daily.

A huge advantage of solar energy as opposed to other sources of energy, is that we cannot run out of solar energy. As long as there is sunlight there will be solar energy.

It can pay you money while you’re earning back your investments.

Another solar power advantage in the United States is there are quite a few solar incentives that can actually make solar power owners a profit. Two ways to save money with solar panels renewable energy credits (SRECs) and net metering. SREC’s and net metering are two solar power advantages.

They help you earn credits, they sometimes even offer cash benefits as your system produces electricity. Residents of states that offer either of these benefits can expect long-term and immediate returns on their solar investment.

You are protected against rising power costs.

When you install solar panels you lock your energy price down for at least 25 years. This is another solar power advantage. Because you are aware of how much energy your panels will be producing, you will be getting an accurate price of how much each kilowatt-hour of energy will cost you for the next 25 years.

Since solar panels popularity is on the rise the cost of energy is as low as $0.10 per kilowatt hour. If the average consumers utility bill is $150 per month, they can see savings in the range of $30,000 throughout their life time.

One thing to keep in mind with pro of solar energy is that the savings don’t start off huge. Typically the savings start off at $50 per month, but can eventually reach to about $300 per month.

It reduces carbon emissions and helps protect the environment.

Another advantage of solar energy in relation to the environment, is that it helps reduce carbon dioxide emission because it is a clean renewable energy source. It is different from fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, because it doesn’t lead to pollutants that are directly released into the atmosphere and water.  

When the advantages of solar energy are compared with other sources of natural energy solar power stands on it’s own. When comparing solar energy to nuclear energy, solar energy wins in terms of being environmentally friendly.  .

Cons of solar power

There are plenty of pros to solar power, more than were named above, but there are also cons of solar power. 

Solar power doesn’t work for every roof type.

Unfortunately, not every roof is suitable for solar panel mounts, which is a con of solar power. The roofing on the older homes isn’t ideal to mount solar panels and can pose as an obstacle for many solar installers.

Another con to solar power is that a lot of homes and apartment buildings have skylights or roof decks that make solar installation less than ideal and very costly. If a roof mounting isn’t going to work, there are other options such as ground mounts and community solar gardens, but these are typically not what homeowners are looking for.

If your electricity costs are already low, your solar savings will be low as well.  

The reason that most people choose to go solar is to save money on utility bills. One con to solar power is that in order to see substantial savings by switching to solar power, your utility bill has to be pretty pricey already.

Should you switch to solar power?

Before switching to solar power you should weigh the pros and cons that apply to your own home. You should also find solar panel installers in the area and get them to come out and asses your home as well as get and compare quotes.

 

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