The Disadvantages of Solar Energy

Solar power gets a lot of attention – there’s no two ways about it. Ever since the first solar power plants were developed in the 1980′s, there’s been a lot of hype surrounding photovoltaics as an energy source.

And a great deal of that praise has been warranted too – after all, solar is one of the few forms of energy that is not only clean and renewable, but also abundantly available.

When compared to hydroelectricity and wind turbines, the application of solar technology is also far more practical in a much wider variety of locations and situations. 

Like any other energy source, however, solar has it’s naysayers. Critics are quick to point out the flaws behind the technology and the hurdles that still need to be overcome before solar becomes a legitimate power source for the masses.

In this article, we’ll outline the four most commonly cited disadvantages of solar energy – and how to overcome them. With some planning, and creative thinking, you can easily remove these obstacles and make this amazing technology work for you and your home.

Drawback # 1: Reliability

 
Critics are always quick to point out that the sun isn’t always available. The joke about solar-powered flashlights has been around for decades – dissenters point out that you can’t use solar power if it’s cloudy or dark outside.

The Solution: This was a legitimate concern in the 1980s when solar power first became a reality. Since then, it’s become something of a relic of that bygone era. In modern practice, including a lithium-ion battery or some other battery that can be recharged in solar gadgets, means that sunset or cloud cover is no longer death for your electricity supply.

A modern solar array can run and fully charge a battery during the day, and then discharge that battery overnight until sunrise. It’s up to you how many panels you want and how large you’d like your battery bank to be – but the fact of the matter is that if you plan it correctly, it should be every bit as reliable as regular power from a utility company (often even more reliable). And keep in mind that you can always augment your supply with wind energy, or some other form of supplementary power generation.

Drawback # 2: Cost

 
Another perceived flaw regarding the proliferation of solar power is the start-up cost. Installing solar panels on one’s home can seem rather expensive when taken at face value. This is especially true when one factors in the ability to just call the power company and receive electricity from traditional sources.

The Solution: In reality, most of the time it only SEEMS expensive because it’s a one-time cost. However, when you extrapolate that upfront cost over the expected lifetime of the system and then compare it against how much you would have paid for regular electrcitiy over that timespan, you’ll be surprised that it only works out to be a fraction more expensive in most cases – and depending on where you live it can be on par, or even cheaper!

Right now, the price of unsubsidized solar energy is lower than that of fossil fuel sources in certain European countries, as well as Hawaii. The cost of solar is projected to fall far enough that it will compete with fossil fuels in the majority of the world by 2015. While it may be marginally more expensive right now in some cases, that certainly won’t be the case in the near future.

Also, it’s worth noting that many goverments (local, state and federal) offer subsidies and rebates for taking this environmentally responsible step – and in those places solar power can be extraordinarily affordable – so take the time to find out if such programs are available in your area.

Drawback # 3: Relative Inefficiency

 
The best solar panels technically convert less than half of the light they receive into energy. And some very low-light situations can cause solar panels to not produce any electricity at all.

The Solution: This is another common criticism that falls on somewhat shaky ground. It sounds plausible enough, but it’s important to look at both sides of the issue. There are efficiency losses with any form of electricity. No matter how efficient solar panels are now, the cost of the energy produced by them is still becoming competitive with fossil fuels. That benefit will only expand as solar technology improves. In short, the relative inefficiency cited by critics is a non-issue.

It’s also interesting to note that the best solar panels to date are around 550% more effecient than the sugarcane plant (one of nature’s best photosynthesizers) at converting sunlight into energy.

Drawback # 4: Scalability

 
This complaint is similar to the cost-related disadvantages of solar energy that were discussed earlier. Even though covering the Sahara in solar panels would provide enough energy to power the world, the cost of such a venture is incredibly prohibitive. Therefore, critics say, solar can never be the world’s primary energy source.

The Solution: When viewed all at once, solar certainly looks prohibitive. The United States also uses 20 million barrels of oil per day, and to a person living fifty years ago, that too would look like a prohibitive figure. Even though mass solar deployment is expensive as an all-at-once expenditure, the small steps taken by city and state governments to change power sources can eventually net us a society driven by solar – if we so choose.

In conclusion…there can be all sorts of criticisms leveled towards solar – but just like the ones presented here, for the most part they are easily debunked. With the combination of an open mind and some creative problem solving, we can move ourselves toward the maximum utilization of this environmentally responsible energy source in our society.