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Solar Energy, & Its Advantages & Disadvantages

Solar energy is obtained from the sun and can be used to provide thermal energy or generate electricity through solar photovoltaic panels. It has advantages of being renewable, non-polluting, and can power homes off the electric grid. However, the initial costs of solar systems are relatively high and it relies on sunlight which means cloudy weather reduces its effectiveness. Overall, though prices are falling, solar energy has benefits for the environment and individual energy independence.

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Gishan Kelum Perera
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170 views3 pages

Solar Energy, & Its Advantages & Disadvantages

Solar energy is obtained from the sun and can be used to provide thermal energy or generate electricity through solar photovoltaic panels. It has advantages of being renewable, non-polluting, and can power homes off the electric grid. However, the initial costs of solar systems are relatively high and it relies on sunlight which means cloudy weather reduces its effectiveness. Overall, though prices are falling, solar energy has benefits for the environment and individual energy independence.

Uploaded by

Gishan Kelum Perera
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Solar Energy, & its Advantages & Disadvantages.

Introduction
What is Solar Energy?
Originates with the thermonuclear fusion reactions occurring in the sun.
Two Main Categories:
1. Solar Thermal - Solar thermal uses the heat of the sun to warm water which can be used to in
radiators or directly in a bath or shower.
2. Solar hoto!oltaic "#$ - Solar %ower uses solar cells to con!ert solar heat energy into electricity to
%ower electrical a%%liances.
hoto!oltaic %anels "#$ ca%ture the energy that is in sunlight and con!erts it into electricity. This is
then stowed in batteries so that it could be used after dar&. There is a charge regulator which %ermits
only the re'uired amount of electricity to flow in or out of the battery. (n this way it %re!ents the
o!eruse or misuse of the system. The electricity stored in the batteries could be then used to %ower
lights) tele!ision) fans and other small a%%liances. The !ersatility of the system is seen in that it wor&s
e!en in the rainy season and in diffused light conditions. These Solar hoto!oltaic cells need *ust
daylight and not the heat of the sun to wor&.
There are different # %anels to suit e!ery need. They can either be fi+ed abo!e your e+isting roof or
integrated into the your building in many ways.
Solar %anels are stylish and ma&e a bold statement about who you are and your %assion to reduce
%ollution. They also increase the !alue of your home.
Selecting solar PV system
The installed cost of a # system will de%end u%on the roof ty%e) the si,e of the system) the ty%e of
module used and how the system is mounted. To %ro!ide a detailed fi+ed 'uote re'uires a detailed site
sur!ey and analysis. - ty%ical family uses .///&Wh %er year and this would re'uire a 2.0 - 1./ &W%
system.
Each &ilowatt %ea&"&W%$ of Solar # %roduces between 1.2/ and 13//&Wh %er year de%ending on
en!ironmental factors.
Investment
The in!estment will !ary de%ending on your re'uirement4 Once a site !isit is made a 'uote will be
submitted to you by the !endor.
ene!its o! Solar Power
It is extremely cost effective in the long term.
The %rices of oil and other non-renewable sources of energy are on the increase. This trend will
continue into the future) getting more dramatic as shortages of su%%ly increase. The %rice of your
electricity from solar will ne!er increase as the fuel is free and infinite5
Solar power is a healthier alternative than the conventional energy source.
The ma*or contributor to global warming is the emissions of carbon dio+ide from %ower stations
burning fossil fuels. This is changing our climate and causing more se!ere weather %atterns around the
whole %lanet. E!ery time we use our electricity we are contributing to this massi!e %roblem. E!eryone
needs to do their bit5
The use of fossil fuels and nuclear energy has dramatic im%acts on the local and global en!ironment.
The less de%endent we become on utility giants and the global energy mar&ets the closer we are to
creating a more sustainable future.
6y installing a solar # system you are o%ting out of the fossil fuel and the nuclear world and
becoming an inde%endent su%%lier of clean green electricity for your own use and e+%ort to the grid.
7riends of the Earth can tell you about 8limate 8hange.
Electricity %roduced from fossil fuels) such as oil) coal and gas result in millions of tonnes of carbon
dio+ide being released into the atmos%here. This is one of the main green house gases contributing
towards global warming. 6y installing a # system on your roof you will be %roducing your own
electricity therefore offsetting the %roduction of carbon dio+ide. The emission factor used word wide is
/..1&g of 8O2 9 &Wh. Therefore a ty%ical 2&W% system will sa!e almost 1 tonne of carbon dio+ide
each year.
Solar energy can be used in remote areas where it is too expensive to extend the
electricity power grid.
Could be adopted to an existing building with minimum effort
Easy maintenance
Is 100% reliable and safe
Sunshine provides an unlimited supply of free electricity. (t is estimated that the worlds oil
reser!es will last for 1/ to ./ years. On the other hand) solar energy is infinite "fore!er$
ene!its to t"e Environment
Solar ower is a clean source of %ower. (n that it does not emit any harmful or to+ic gases "from oil
fired %ower %lants$
(nstalling solar %ower in the home or office enhances the en!ironment since it by%asses the use of
en!ironment %olluting energy sources
Disadvantages#
elatively high cost.
8ost in the building of :collectors4 and other e'ui%ment re'uired to con!ert solar energy into electricity
or hot water are relati!ely e+%ensi!e to manufacture although %rices are falling ra%idly.
-ccording to research carried out) the a!erage %anel will %ay bac& the energy used to manufacture it in
less than /; years) and with a 2/ year lifetime) that gi!es .1 years of %ollution free energy.
Solar energy can only be harnessed when it is daytime and sunny. The unreliable climate
means that solar energy is also unreliable as a source of energy. 8loudy s&ies reduce its
effecti!eness.
!arge areas of land are re"uired to capture the suns energy. 8ollectors are usually
arranged together es%ecially when electricity is to be %roduced and used in the same location.
Solar %ower is used to charge batteries so that solar %owered de!ices can be used at night.
<owe!er) the batteries are large and heavy and need storage space. #hey also need
replacing from time to time.

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