What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Power

The Pros and Cons of Going Solar

Solar power is simply the conversion of solar heat and light into usable energy. Solar energy is currently used on almost all spacecraft, and earthbound use is increasing with homes, businesses, government buildings, educational institutions and more all making use of solar power. For those considering solar power there is one obvious question: What are the advantages and disadvantages of going solar?

The advantages of going solar are almost too numerous to name. The first major benefit of converting to solar power is the positive environmental impact it will have. Most power taken from the grid comes from coal or nuclear plants that either result in harmful greenhouse gas emissions or unsafe nuclear waste. Solar power on the other hand is totally emission free and has no negative impact no the environment. The other major benefit of converting to solar power is the long-term financial savings it will provide. There is no per-unit cost to obtain solar power since it comes directly from the sun, so once a solar power system is in place it will provide energy at no cost, regardless of how much is consumed. This is in stark contrast to energy taken from the grid that is metered and billed to the consumer depending on the amount consumed.

The obvious disadvantage of converting to solar power is the up-front cost. It can be expensive to purchase all the equipment required to collect, convert and use solar energy. In years past this has been the main obstacle to people switching to solar, but there is good news on this horizon. As with most technology, the cost of producing solar power generation equipment has gone down as the technology has improved. This has greatly reduced the cost to the consumer so that solar power use is now growing at a rate of about 25% per year. Solar power is much more affordable to the average consumer than it was ten years ago. The other caveat to the up-front cost of solar power is the government incentives that are now available. As the spectre of global climate change looms, governments are looking for ways to encourage their citizens to be more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. This means that there are now many rebate programs through which consumers can have some of the cost of solar power generation equipment refunded by their government. There are also programs in which excess power can be sold back to the grid or to power companies. For some, this means that using solar will not only eliminate some or all of their electricity bill, but that it will be paying them on a month to month basis!

In conclusion, the benefits of going solar are many and varied. While there is the disadvantage of up front cost this is more than made up for by the long-term benefits to both the environment and your pocketbook. It is these advantages that truly make solar the wave of the future.

Want to Start Making Solar Power at Home? Check out these instructions for building your own solar power. Includes videos, ebook, diagrams, and all the plans you need to get off the power grid and start saving some green while going green.

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