pros and cons of solar energy essay

• Pros and cons of solar energy

Pros and cons of solar energy: It's usually worth it

The pros generally outweigh the cons when it comes to solar energy, but that doesn't mean it's perfect.

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• Vikram Aggarwal

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For most homeowners, going solar is a no-brainer. It lowers your electric bills and reduces your carbon footprint. It will often boost your home value and can protect you from blackouts when you pair solar panels with an energy storage system. If you finance your solar panel installation with a zero-down loan, you can even start saving right away. 

But like most things in life, solar energy isn't perfect. If your roof faces north or it's angled too steeply, you probably shouldn't get solar panels. If you're about to move, you likely won't save enough to fully recover the upfront costs. And because solar panels require sunlight, they don't work at night.

Before you take the plunge, we'll help you decide if solar is worth it for your home.

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Key Takeaways

Rooftop solar panels aren't the perfect fit for everyone , but that's okay. Like any other home electrification product, solar panels provide clear benefits to homeowners needing energy upgrades and electricity bill reduction.

The pros of solar outweigh the cons in most situations . For most solar shoppers, savings on energy bills make solar worth it.

Solar panels can add home value and protect against rising energy costs .

Top solar energy pros and cons

Whether you want to raise your home value, reduce your carbon footprint, or combat rising electricity costs, going solar is a great choice. A solar panel system provides energy independence and will often pay for itself in electricity bill savings. Incentives like the federal tax credit also help reduce your up-front cost and increase your return on investment.

On the other hand, solar energy doesn't work for every roof, it's not ideal if you're about to move, the upfront cost can be expensive, and finding a local installer can sometimes be difficult.

Here are the primary pros and cons of solar energy you should weigh before deciding if it's right for you:

Top pros and cons of solar energy

The advantages of solar energy: why solar's worth it for most homeowners.

You can reap many benefits by installing a solar panel system at your home or business:

1. Solar drastically reduces, or even eliminates your electric bills

The top benefit of solar panels is pretty straightforward. When you install solar panels at your home, you generate your own electricity, become less reliant on your electric utility, and reduce your monthly electricity bill. A solar panel system typically has a 25- to 35-year lifespan, meaning you can cut your electricity costs for decades by going solar.

Most homeowners will save $20,000 to $80,000 over 25 years with solar.

2. Solar often increases your home value

Many homeowners are interested in solar panels but don't understand how they will impact their homes. Recent studies indicate that installing a solar system can increase your home's value by about 4% . Even if you're not in your forever home, you could earn back your solar panel investment and then some when you sell your house. Whether you've been there for years or just moved into a new home, installing solar is a good investment for most homeowners.

3. Solar reduces carbon emissions

When you go solar, you lower your contribution to climate change. Solar is a renewable source of clean energy that helps reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. Unlike traditional fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas, solar energy doesn't directly release pollutants into the atmosphere and water supply. Even compared to nuclear energy, solar comes out on top in terms of environmental impact.

4. Solar protects against rising energy costs

As long as you buy, rather than lease, your solar panel system, you'll lock in electricity costs for the next 25+ years. Once you recover the initial cost of your system in bill savings, you'll generate your own electricity for free. With the federal solar tax credit , you'll also get back 30% of your equipment and installation costs as a credit toward your federal tax bill.

5. You can sometimes earn money with solar

In some states, solar panels can turn a profit in addition to generating bill savings that pay off the cost of the system. Solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) compensate you for the electricity that your solar panel system generates. If you live in a state where this incentive applies, you can expect both immediate and long-term returns from your solar investment.

6. Solar works well in most environments

Some alternative energy, like wind and hydroelectric power, need wide open spaces with ample wind changes and large water sources. Solar is a source of energy that can work in almost every environment. While output is lower on cloudy days or in climates without as much regular sun exposure, solar panels still make sense in most climates.

7. You can sometimes "sell" extra solar energy back to your utility company

Depending on where you live, you could be eligible for a solar incentive called net metering . With net metering, you can use the electric grid to "store" excess energy that your solar panel system produces. As you send this energy to the grid, your utility company will net it against any electricity you pull from the grid at night or when the sun isn't shining. Essentially, you get to "sell" this excess energy to your utility company in exchange for reduced utility bills. You get more energy independence without going completely off-grid.

8. Solar typically requires very little maintenance

As long as you choose a quality solar company to properly install your solar panels, they should require very little maintenance compared to other forms of energy production. With no moving parts, your panels might only need an occasional cleaning after snow or inclement weather.

Disadvantages of solar energy: Things to double-check before going solar

Solar isn't perfect. You'll want to understand solar's disadvantages before deciding if it's right for you:

1. Solar panels don't work for every roof

If you have a south-facing roof sloped between 15 to 40 degrees, you're in great shape for solar. Even with an east- or west-facing roof, or one that's flat , solar's likely still worth it. If you can only install solar panels on the north side of your roof, we don't recommend it.

Similarly, solar works well with asphalt shingle or metal roofs. But certain roofing materials used in older or historical homes, such as slate or cedar tiles, can be challenging for solar installers to work with. Some homes have skylights or rooftop additions like roof decks, which can also make installing solar too expensive or difficult.

If your home doesn't qualify for a rooftop solar installation, you still have options. If you have enough open space, you can install ground-mounted solar panels , or if your state has open projects, you can subscribe to a local community solar farm .

2. Solar isn't ideal if you're about to move

It takes time to break even on a solar panel system: The average solar panel payback period in the U.S. is around eight to nine years. Even though going solar will likely increase your home's value, if you plan to move in the next three years or so, it's probably not worth it.

3. If your electricity costs are low, your solar savings will be too

The ultimate benefit of solar energy is that it saves you money every month. If you live in a state like Louisiana, though, where the cost of electricity is often 30% lower than the national average , it will take a long time to save with solar. On the other hand, installing a solar panel system in Hawaii makes a lot of sense: Electricity costs more than double the national average!

4. If you can't access financing, up-front solar costs can be intimidating

Your upfront cost of solar depends on tax credits, rebates, and the terms of your financing. If you don't qualify for a zero-down solar loan , the disadvantage of solar energy here is clear: Not everyone has the cash to purchase solar upfront.

Several solar financing options can help, such as state-backed loan programs, leases , and power purchase agreements . To understand what solar will cost you, get a quick estimate of the average cost of solar in your state or even a personalized estimate for your home .

5. Solar panels don't work at night

Solar panels require sunlight to produce energy. At night or during inclement weather, you'll need to pull electricity from the grid. If you live in a state with net metering, this isn't a big deal. But if your utility won't compensate you for the excess electricity you send to the grid, you'll need a battery for solar to be worth it.

By pairing your solar energy system with energy storage , you can store excess electricity in your battery. At night, you can pull electricity directly from your battery instead of the grid. While batteries increase the cost of your system quite a bit, they're well worth it in states like California that don't have net metering.

6. Solar panels are sometimes made with toxic materials

Solar panels are made up of silicon solar cells, a metal frame, and a glass sheet . But depending on the brand and model, they can also contain toxic heavy metals like lead and cadmium. While some solar panel manufacturers are starting to phase out these heavy metals, the EPA considers most old solar panels hazardous, so you need to dispose of them properly.

If sustainable solar panels are important to you, make sure to let your installer know so they only include models without heavy metals in your quotes. These panels may cost a bit more, but they are better for the environment.

7. Finding quality solar installers can seem difficult

Many homeowners associate solar panels with pushy door-to-door solar sales reps. Solar is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world, and plenty of companies use aggressive sales tactics. As a result, shopping for solar can feel stressful and confusing.

Today, there are easier ways to shop for solar that put you in control. The EnergySage Marketplace is a free online comparison-shopping platform that allows you to compare solar quotes from vetted installers in your area.

So are solar panels worth the cost?

Going solar is worth it for most homeowners with eligible properties. It reduces greenhouse gas emissions and saves you considerable money on your electric bills.

As you consider investing in solar energy, though, make sure to weigh the pros and cons as they relate to your home, geography and climate, and unique needs. If your roof isn't a good fit, you plan to move soon, or your electricity costs are already low, you may want to hold off on installing solar panels.

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What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Energy?

In the race to reach net-zero emissions, countries around the world are looking to scale up and eventually depend on renewable energy to substitute polluting fossil fuels. Solar is the most abundant, fastest, and cheapest energy source on Earth, and it generates minimal greenhouse gas emissions. Although this renewable energy is rapidly growing across the globe, with an increasing number of countries investing in it, there are some factors that could hinder its growth. What are the main advantages and disadvantages of solar energy and how does this valuable renewable resource work and w?

What Is Solar Energy and How Does It Work?

The vital role in which the sun plays in life on Earth has been celebrated since ancient times. Egyptians in Africa were the first people known to use solar energy on a large scale to heat their homes, designating them in a way that could store up the sun’s heat during the day and release it at night. Fast forward to today, societies around the world have developed innovative technologies that allow us to turn the sun’s energy into electricity that powers heating and cooling systems, transportation, lighting, and ventilation, just to name a few. 

This energy source is growing fast: between 2010 and 2019, solar rose from 0.06% to 1.11% of the global energy mix. In 2020, it recorded a record growth of 22% as installations experienced a boom. Among the countries that have poured the most money into solar energy are China – by far the largest investor, the United States, Japan, Australia, and India. The latter aims to be a global leader in solar energy, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi committing to increase energy from renewable sources up to 50% by the end of 2030 . In Europe, Spain is one of the first countries to deploy large-scale solar photovoltaics and the largest producer of solar-powered electricity on the continent. 

Before we move on to some of the advantages and disadvantages of solar, it is worth answering a question: how does solar energy work? 

When sunlight strikes the Earth’s surface, human-made innovative technologies capture their light and heat and convert these into electrical energy. This conversion happens through photovoltaic (PV) panels, which contain cells that can capture the sunlight’s energy. This energy generates electrical charges that move around the cell, causing electricity to flow. An alternative to PV is solar thermal panels: as opposed to PV generating electricity, thermal panels create heat. When installed on a roof facing the sun, they capture the hot sun rays which are used to heat water stored in a cylinder.  

While many nations are starting to recognise the vast potential of solar energy – a powerful and extremely beneficial renewable source – there are still some downsides to it. We explore the main advantages and disadvantages of solar energy. 

You might also like: 12 Solar Energy Facts You Might Not Know About

5 Advantages of Solar Energy

1. solar is a renewable energy source.

As the name suggests, solar power is a resource that never runs out. Unlike fossil fuels, the production of which requires huge efforts, time, and expensive heavy machinery, renewables convert a natural resource – in the case of solar power, sunlight – directly into electricity. Another big factor that makes renewable energy much more attractive than coal, oil, and natural gas is the significant difference in emissions, namely fossi fuels being one of the world’s largest contributors to the generation of greenhouse gases. Renewable energy sources are not only cleaner but also cheaper and easier to produce than any fossil fuel. But what makes solar energy particularly advantageous over other sources of renewable energy?

2. Solar Energy is Immensely Abundant

In fact, solar is the most abundant energy source on the planet and throughout the years, we managed to develop innovative technologies that could allow us to depend entirely on solar for the rest of our existence. Another huge advantage is that just a tiny fraction of the sunlight we get every day can provide a huge amount of energy. Indeed, the US Department of Energy argues that an hour and a half of sunlight that reaches the planet’s surface generates enough power to meet all of humanity’s energy consumption for an entire year.

3. Solar Technologies Are Getting More Efficient

Over the years, scientists have made some important advances in the development of solar technologies, notably improving the efficiency of solar panels and battery storage systems as well as their overall durability over time. According to Rhone Resch , President of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the global PV sector has been growing at an average of over 40% in the last eight years and major advances in automation, manufacturing, and throughput have considerably improved this technology. Most panels today are between 15% and 20% efficient , meaning that they are able to convert 15% to 20% of the amount of sunlight they absorb into electricity. Panels’ efficiency has improved consistently over the past decade, a promising factor and one that contributes to continued cost reduction. Furthermore, their resistance to extreme weather has been drastically improved, bringing their average durability to about three decades with little to no loss in efficiency. 

Improvements have also been made in battery storage systems , which are emerging as a key solution to effectively integrate solar renewables in global power systems on a large scale. Most of the world’s utility-scale storage systems are being deployed in Australia, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Small islands and off-grid communities have invested in large-scale battery storage systems to store excess energy. However, an increasing number of small-scale batteries are also being produced and they are expected to complement utility-scale applications by 2030.   

4. Solar Panels Are Getting Cheaper

In the list of the advantages of solar energy, price is an important point. In its World Energy Outlook 2020 report, the International Energy Agency (IEA) confirmed that solar power schemes now offer the cheapest electricity in history. In its 2021 report, the Agency predicted that by 2050, renewable energy generation will keep growing, with solar power production skyrocketing and becoming the world’s primary source of electricity . Solar energy is indeed praised for the relatively marginal operation and maintenance costs of panels. While the cost of panels itself is the most critical part of the overall equation, solar is definitely a cheap source of power that can considerably lower the electricity bill in the long run. 

5. Solar Life Cycle Generates Minimal Greenhouse Gas Emissions 

Lastly, solar energy generation’s minimal contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is one of the main benefits of this renewable energy source. Indeed, solar power produces no emissions during generation itself and studies demonstrate that it has a considerably smaller carbon footprint than fossil fuels over its life cycle. Even though PV modules and other components are made of materials that are mined and processed and thus generate some levels of emissions, solar is still undoubtedly a carbon-smart energy source whose lifetime emissions are insignificant when compared to coal and natural gas. In fact, a coal power plant releases on average 25 times more emissions than the ones produced by a solar power system. Similarly, a natural gas power plant, despite being less polluting than coal, still generates 10 times the amount of emissions generated by a solar array. 

You might also like: 4 Indisputable Advantages of Wind Energy

3 Disadvantages of Solar Energy

1. solar energy is still expensive for households.

Did we not just say that solar energy is getting cheaper? Well, it is true. However, there are some aspects of solar technology that are still quite expensive. Indeed, purchasing a solar system requires a significant initial investment to cover the costs of panels, inverter, batteries, wiring, and the installation of the system itself. One of the most expensive parts of the system is the batteries used for solar power storage, which can cost upwards of USD$5,000. When solar energy started being commercialised 40 years ago, the price of panels was also incredibly high. Nevertheless, solar technologies are constantly developing and this is contributing to a significant decrease in prices. Statistics show that the average global cost of solar PV modules has gone down drastically in the first two decades of commercial solar power production and it has been slowly but consistently decreasing ever since. Just a decade ago, an average 6-kilowatt hour residential solar system could cost USD$50,000 or more. However, the price has gone down by an annual average of 62% and nowadays, a typical home installation rarely exceeds UDS$20,000. 

2. Solar Energy is Weather Dependent  

An undoubted disadvantage of solar energy is that this technology is not equally efficient around the world. While solar power can be generated on a cloudy day, some level of daylight is still required in order to harness the sun’s energy, and the amount of energy that can be produced varies greatly depending on many factors, such as the amount and quality of direct sunlight that the panels receive as well as the size, number, and locations of the panels themselves. Thus, in countries that receive limited sunlight throughout the year, alternative renewable resources like geothermal energy and hydropower might work better. In Iceland, an area with little sunlight and wind, for example, these two energy sources make up 27% and 73% respectively, allowing the country to generate 100% of its energy from renewables . 

3. Solar Power Plants Are Not the Most Environmentally Friendly Option

As we said before, the carbon footprint of solar energy is minimal. However, this renewable still has some aspects, mainly related to land use and waste generation, that can still harm the environment. First and foremost, solar power plants require space. For example, a solar power plant to provide electricity for 1,000 homes would require 32 acres of land . This means that, in order to meet the US energy consumption needs, nearly 19 million acres, equivalent to 0.8% of the entire country, would be necessary. 

Another factor to consider is the management and disposal of hazardous materials such as metals and glass needed to build some components of solar infrastructure that are energy-intensive to produce and thus responsible for the generation of carbon emissions. Building PV cells and panels also requires some hazardous chemicals and heavy metals. To avoid harming the environment, such materials necessitate careful management and disposal procedures once the solar plant’s life comes to an end. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) projects that by 2050, solar energy systems could be responsible for up to 78 million tonnes of waste. 

Should We Still Invest in Solar Energy? 

The short answer is yes. There is no such thing as a ‘perfect’ energy source. From nuclear and fossil fuels to renewable resources, all of them have many advantages but also some disadvantages, solar energy included. However, as we are quickly running out of time in the race to reach zero emissions, it is crucial that all countries begin to seriously evaluate which sources of energy can bring the most benefits. While solar energy might not be the best solution for northern countries for the lack of sunlight they receive throughout the year, and some of its disadvantages such as the extensive land use that the installation of solar panels requires might not make it the best candidate for everyone, this renewable resource, along with all others, certainly has undeniable potential and it still a better alternative to environmentally unfriendly fossil fuels, beyond being the best chance we have at stopping global warming. 

If you enjoyed reading about the advantages and disadvantages of solar energy, you might also like: Can We Build Solar Power Systems in Space?

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Solar Energy: Advantages and Disadvantages

Green technologies are dominating the global community’s discussion of sustainable energy generation. Renewable energy sources, with solar energy being one of the most feasible and affordable, are being supported and invested into by governments to instigate a new environment-friendly technology for sustainable energy (Iravani et al., 2017). One of the advantages of solar energy is its capacity to meet the demands of the whole world. As Figure 1 demonstrates, solar energy is dominating other sources of non-hydro renewable power in terms of capacity.

Besides, the Earth’s territory exposed to solar irradiation is extensive, with particular areas being the most potentially favorable for generating the most solar power. As Figure 2 demonstrates, these areas are marked with black dots.

The abundance of technologies available from solar energy generation allows for developing diverse approaches to sustainable power production. For example, photovoltaic solar energy technology is designed to utilize the capacity of a photovoltaic cell to generate electricity. Figure 3 demonstrates the principle of this technology, which is non-harmful to the environment.

As for the possible disadvantages of solar energy, one of them is the necessity to invest in the invention, development, and implementation of new technologies, which are currently lacking. In addition, the inconsistent distribution of solar irradiance across different continents might impose insufficiency in the solar energy supply.

Future Outlook

Solar energy has the potential to occupy a solid place in green technology due to its availability, affordability, and the advancement of research related to the alternative use of solar power for energy generation. One of the most significant contributions the use of solar power is likely to make is reducing climate change impact due to fossil fuel use (Creutzig et al., 2017). Moreover, the concept of solar cities seems to be realistic and feasible. This idea holds that urban areas might be transferred to complete use of renewable solar energy for electricity to eliminate the use of conventional plants (Byrne et al., 2017). Thus, solar energy is a promising alternative power source capable of shifting humanity toward green technology.

Byrne, J., Taminiau, J., Seo, J., Lee, J., & Shin, S. (2017). Are solar cities feasible? A review of current research. International Journal of Urban Sciences, 21 (3), 239-256.

Creutzig, F., Agoston, P., Goldschmidt, J. C., Luderer, G., Nemet, G., & Pietzcker, R. C. (2017). The underestimated potential of solar energy to mitigate climate change. Nature Energy, 2 (9), 1-9.

Iravani, A., Akbari, M. H., & Zohoori, M. (2017). Advantages and disadvantages of green technology; goals, challenges and strengths. International Journal of Science and Engineering Applications, 6 (9), 272-284.

Kabir, E., Kumar, P., Kumar, S., Adelodun, A. A., & Kim, K. H. (2018). Solar energy: Potential and future prospects. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 82 , 894-900.

Sampaio, P. G. V., & González, M. O. A. (2017). Photovoltaic solar energy: Conceptual framework. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 74 , 590-601.

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Solar Energy Advantages and Disadvantages vs. Other Renewables

Alternative “green” energy is on the rise everywhere across the world, and solar power’s share of the green market is growing rapidly in many countries just as it is in the United States. For those who have not yet adopted solar energy, the balance between solar energy advantages and disadvantages  is apparently still a critical factor to be weighed before switching.

Sustainable development is now at the forefront of social and political agendas. From the huge international development projects financed by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to more local development underwritten by your regional banks, it’s doubtful that funding is even available to projects without a sustainable energy plan.

We, as modern citizens need to compare the advantages and disadvantages of many renewable power sources like bioenergy and geothermal energy, hydroelectricity, wind, and solar energy before settling on the final choice. It’s a question of what fits our needs best and under what conditions.

Solar energy is here to stay, and it has changed the power industry, its business model, and the way electricity is delivered to the grid. Once, the words “public utility” or “power company” conjured images of giant monolithic public or private corporations that owned huge power plants with tall smoky chimneys or cooling towers of reactors. Today, the monolith is gone.

Over the last decade, power companies have divested themselves of their generating capacity and have morphed into “line owners,” buying power generation from the lowest bidder—even from their former generators. This has happened in more than 50% of all power markets across the United States, and solar power made it happen.

Everyone recognizes the glistening panels on rooftops or the arrays covering someone’s backyard. These are common enough sights. But that’s only part of what is driving the industry and the world to greener living. Ranging from 50–25,000 megawatts (MW), large-scale commercial solar producers are providing  an alternative to conventional generation across the country to create new options for people to “go solar.”

Solar energy has taken the lead in overall green energy sources. There are many advantages of solar energy . Among these are its accessibility to most homeowners and, today, to millions of citizens who don’t own their own homes as well, and its increasing affordability. The cost of purchase and installation continues to fall, and there are new contracts in the marketplace, as providers offer lease-to-buy options  while still offering energy below the prices offered by conventional utilities. The times are changing, and solar power is changing them.

Solar energy is the most accessible type of renewables for the general public!

Below, we will summarize solar energy advantages and disadvantages with comparisons to other types of renewables. After reading the content below, you will have a better understanding about solar energy pros and cons, and you will know more about why solar energy is the better choice to go green for the general consumer.

Keep reading!

Table of Contents

Before learning solar energy advantages and disadvantages—how do solar panels work?

Solar power panels can be seen just about anywhere throughout the United States and, increasingly, the rest of the world. Oddly, there are people who still aren’t really certain how it all works. Some even think the heat of the sun is used to make steam. Here’s a quick guide to how solar panels work and what happens inside our homes.

Generally, solar panels are made up of multiple modules of crystalline silicon cells. Silicon is a natural semiconductor. Each cell is made of two layers of cells—the negatively charged N layer and the positively charged P layer immediately below it. When light waves (photon particles) strike the layers, the bonds of the silicon atoms are disrupted and energy is generated.

To see how, we suggest to watch this short video named “How do solar panels work” developed by TED , which has gained more than 2 million views since it was published.

5 major advantages of solar energy

The principal advantage of solar energy: nearly everyone can adopt directly.

[bctt tweet="The principal advantage of solar energy: Nearly everyone can adopt directly!" username="theSolarMag"]

Solar energy holds a number of significant advantages over other alternative energy sources in that individuals can invest in their own power generation. While there is an initial capital investment, those costs are dropping dramatically. And with major advances in home-based energy storage, the benefits of solar energy are increasing, and the advantages of solar energy are becoming more and more obvious year after year. All across the United States, the cost of solar power installation is dropping. The 2018 price has dropped 6% compared to the previous year.

There are many forms of alternative energy production: bioenergy and fuels, geothermal energy, hydroelectricity, and wind energy. All of them are “green,” and all of them are capital- and technology-intensive. In most cases, they are developed as large-scale utilities by governments or large corporations. Ranchers and farmers can invest in windmills for power (mostly to drive water pumps in wells), but none of these can serve the residential market (homeowners or apartment dwellers). Only solar power offers individuals affordable access through either the installation of home solar units or through a contract with a commercial solar power provider.

Actually, there are many uses of solar energy in our daily life, as there is also a huge variety of solar-powered consumer products available to easily adopt solar energy and a greener life. These include portable solar panels, solar-powered chargers, and solar lights . Plus, new ones are coming to the market every day. Therefore, among various solar energy advantages, the principal one is that nearly everyone can adopt directly.

Moreover, besides conventional solar cells, other technologies like perovskite solar cells and solar photovoltaic (PV) glass are offering brighter hopes. Though still in an early stage of ongoing research or with limited commercial availability, they are constantly improving and maturing.

With solar photovoltaic (PV) glass , your windows can help power your home and still offer that panoramic view! Those applications will continue to grow as builders incorporate PV glass into homes, office buildings, and high-rise towers. All a building has to do is present one face to the sun—and all of them do.

Advantage #2: Fulfill your social responsibility to reduce carbon emissions

Even though some people prefer not to see it, most people in the U.S. and around the world understand climate change and the need to cut our carbon emissions. People know the oceans are warming and rising. We see that the sea ice, north and south, is vanishing. So are the glaciers and the fresh water that feeds our rivers and streams. It’s not really about policies or regulations. People WANT to make a difference, and even the major power industries have begun to embrace greener living.

Every year, more people want to fulfill their responsibility and meet the challenges laid out in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 7 and 13. The goals aren’t so very complicated, and there is a lot that ordinary people can do.

Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.

It’s true that billions of people still need to burn wood, coal, or even animal dung for heat and cooking, but here in the developed world, we can choose to reduce our own carbon footprint. We can choose to invest in solar homes and, for some, solar-powered businesses. If we can’t install solar panels for the home, we can select regional solar power providers and use the wide variety of solar panel kits, solar-powered lights and electrical chargers that are available today.

Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Climate change is impacting the whole world. The impact is global, and every nation and all people are affected. Climate change doesn’t recognize borders, and no country is immune. It is absolutely critical that the guidelines of the Paris Agreement be followed in every possible way. The agreement sets practical and attainable goals for the reduction of greenhouse gases.

Even when a national government refuses to honor the agreement, many states and cities do! In the U.S., 17 states including New York, California, most of New England, and the Mid-Atlantic States, among others, along with dozens of U.S. cities and corporations, will remain in compliance with the Paris Agreement and its goals. All of us can use our power to tell the governments of our cities and states to do that, too.

Advantage #3: Help cut your electricity bill and save money

The third advantage of solar energy is that installing solar power panels makes you a producer and reduces the electricity you get from your local utility. That, of course, reduces your electricity bill , but there’s a lot more than that. Solar panel installations are a two-way affair. When the owner generates more power than they use, in-home energy storage units get charged. And today, they come with programmable control units to hold their electricity and sell the excess back to your local utility during peak demand hours when the prices are highest.

For all the concern about high energy costs, few people actually take the time to understand their power bill. You don’t just get billed at one average rate. Power companies charge more for power during peak demand hours (generally during the day), and they charge less per kilowatt-hour at night when demand is lowest.

Modern control panels assure that homes and businesses rely on their self-generated solar power when demand is the highest to either reduce and sometimes eliminate the power drawn from your utility—and that’s when they sell the power, too. When demand is lower (after dark), homes depend on the utilities when it’s cheapest. If there is power remaining in storage, that gets used to reduce even those costs.

Few home-based solar power units generate enough power to entirely eliminate the power people buy from their utilities, but it does happen for those who invest in bigger arrays. The average solar unit in the U.S. is about 5–6 KWs. How much you will save depends on how big your array is, the capacity of your storage system, and the seasons—and, of course, where you live and the sunlight available to you.

Advantage #4: Enhance the resiliency and reliability of the electricity supply

[bctt tweet="Among the pros of solar energy, a significant point is that going solar brings a degree of independence from extreme weather events." username="theSolarMag"]

This solar energy advantage means that when heavy snows and winds bring down power lines or a lightning strike takes out power poles and transformers, solar owners will still be generating their own power. Those solar panels on your roof provide resiliency against the elements!

It doesn’t take a superstorm to knock out the electricity. We have an aging power grid, and many above-ground lines have been there for a quarter of a century, and in some places, those lines can be 40 years old or more. Increasing capacity is a big expense that many utilities don’t want to pay, while upgrades to support new development and power needs often get put on hold.

During the hot summer months (and those summers are getting hotter), “brownouts” occur with increasing frequency. One exciting point of solar energy advantages is that solar power owners can rely on their solar panels and storage systems to see them through when their neighbors have gone dark.

Advantage #5: Long-time warranty and low maintenance costs

Many people take a look at those “glass panels” on the roofs and envision shattered glass, hazards, and huge repair bills. These hardly happen. Solar cells may be relatively fragile, but they are protected under shatter-proof tempered glass with a flexible substrate protecting the cells. Even hail storms hardly cause anything more than minor damage.

Today, mounting systems are engineered to withstand major storms, and they’re customized by manufacturers to the climate conditions in different parts of the country. Manufacturers design, test, and certify their panels to withstand winds of 140 miles per hour. A category 5 hurricane has winds above 136 mph. It’s a good bet the solar panels for your home will survive all but the very worst storms. Most manufacturers provide a 25-year warranty for their panels, and installers carry insurance on their work.

There are maintenance costs, cleaning and such, and each manufacturer provides detailed instruction on the care of their particular units and wiring. You should look at all that, and often, the installation firms offer service agreements.

New technologies are entering the market, allowing people to monitor the performance of their solar technology along with their home appliances. Living on Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring services, 5G network, and new control systems offer the chance to fine-tune a home or business to gain the largest rate reductions and credits from their local utility. Efficiency is the name of the game, and soon, homeowners will do the tuning through a mobile app.

5 commonly recognized disadvantages of solar energy

Disadvantage #1: some people may not have a suitable space.

Solar panels aren’t the ultimate answer for everyone. For one thing, you need a place to put them. If you own your home and thus have your own roof or property to install an array in the yard, great! For people who live in apartment buildings, the prospects aren’t so bright, but there may be other solutions including choosing a regional solar power provider.

Every year, there are more industrial-scale solar firms supplying the energy market. There are also various solar-powered devices, chargers, and portable units to be explored. (We’ll talk about those later.)

Disadvantage #2: Relatively higher initial investment and longer ROI

There is indeed a higher start-up cost, and going solar does mean taking the longer view. But the costs are falling dramatically year after year, as panel production and installation increases all across the country. As mentioned above, the cost of purchase and installation dropped below the 2017 prices by 6%, and in 2018, solar costs will range from $11,380 to $14,990 (after tax credits) with an average cost ranging from $2.71 to $3.57/KWh. That changes the equation for many people, and the costs should continue to decline. According to recent stats, generally, the average payback time for a solar power system investment nowadays can be around 5-7 years.

There will always be an initial investment confronting homeowners who want to go solar, but an ever-creative industry is coming up with new marketing strategies to drive the business forward. One of them is a new lease-to-buy option  sponsored by manufacturers and supported by installers in their vast networks. Under these plans, professional installers will come to your home, design the proper solar panel system for your particular needs, install the system and accomplish your interface with your local power company, take care of all permits and licenses, and, in the overall, reduce the cost of getting solar power by about 50% of today’s cost.

Homeowners don’t get the tax rebate that installers and manufacturers do—but the homeowner gets the savings (between 10 and 30% of the present bill) with little and sometimes NO capital costs up front. Most leases run for 20-25 years, and at the end, the owner may renew the lease or purchase the solar unit outright.

Disadvantage #3: Power generation is weather-dependent

Solar energy isn’t the answer to every power problem everywhere in the world. Weather and location on the globe play roles in how efficient a solution can be provided by solar energy. Less sunlight will be available in places with more clouds and rain, and, of course, in northern latitudes, while the sun never sets in the summer, it also never rises in the winter.

Nevertheless, solar power is growing in the U.K. (lots of rain) and in Sweden, one of the lands of the midnight sun. Research from Sweden reveals an interesting fact: While there is less light during the spring and autumn, solar panels are more efficient in cold weather! Who knew? Solar power may never gain huge reductions in power bills in such places, but installations are growing all across the United States, even in the northern tier.

Disadvantage #4: Some potential pollution still exists

Among the cons of solar energy, pollution and environmental impacts are concerning many modern citizens who want to go solar. But all energy production creates some level of environmental impact. It’s unavoidable and nothing’s perfect.

Solar cell production uses a number of toxic metals such as lead, gallium arsenide, and cadmium. But these toxins are used inside production plants where strict environmental controls govern the operation, and none of it enters our environment. There are other impacts, too, like transportation and installation, but again, every power source has that.

The wind may be free energy with no pollution, but someone makes the windmills, and even geothermal power requires pipes, converters, and turbines. The key issue is that solar energy provides power with no direct impact on global warming. It’s a good choice for you to fulfill your social responsibility.

Disadvantage #5: Local customer services are not sufficient

There had been difficulties with sufficient customer service, and part of that came from the more mobile (some would say transient) nature of the solar installation business. All of that has changed over the last few years, along with the industry’s investment in training and what is becoming a nationwide standard of industry best practices with support from the U.S. Department of Energy.

As the solar industry has grown (nearly 300,000 Americans work in the industry, mostly as professional installers), those firms have become much more permanent. And with better-established warranties from manufacturers and service contracts being offered by the installation firms, the quality of the installations and customer services has improved greatly. However, buyers still need to get bids from multiple firms and check out their reputation (you wouldn’t get a new central air system from one unknown company, would you?).

Through an understanding of solar energy, the expansion of the solar industry has been enhanced and accelerated. Although plenty of solar manufacturers, suppliers, or consultancies have appeared in the market, local customer services are not sufficient enough to help professionally solve customers’ questions like personalized solar estimating, financing, installation, or daily maintenance.

But, with the help of constantly advancing modern information and communications technology (ICT) and innovative business models, solar customer services will definitely better satisfy every solar customer’s needs.

Actually, among the pros and cons of solar energy, we can see more pros than cons

After learning about solar energy advantages and disadvantages, even though there are still some cons of solar energy the industry keeps maturing. As we can see in lots of solar news , solar technology advancements like improved conversion efficiency and increased storage capacity continue year after year. The industry itself is investing heavily in excellence and cost-cutting as a result of the competition in the energy industry and for the consumer dollar. New marketing mechanisms are rolling out as fast as the technology, and solar installations are growing throughout the United States because of it.

Meanwhile, solar energy advantages will be with us forever . The sun is an inexhaustible resource, and for that day when our sun does finally give out (about 5 billion years in the future), we won’t have to worry about it. For now and into the future, solar energy will offer many more advantages than disadvantages .

Solar energy is the most accessible type of renewables for the general public

We now have a better understanding of the pros and cons of solar energy. After learning the advantages and disadvantages of solar energy, if we make comparisons between solar energy and other renewable energy resources, we find that:

• The wind is a wonderful source of power in certain locations but not others, and commercial wind turbines span 200 feet or more and can cost millions of dollars. Very few people have a backyard that can accommodate a wind turbine, and even then, wind is inconstant and is preferred to solar in only a few select locations.
• Bioenergy holds great potential if you have massive amounts of biodegradable material, a chemical plant, and no sense of smell. Chemical plants, conversion units, and generators really don’t work well in a home.
• Geothermal energy systems are very efficient and harvest the natural renewable energy of the earth—if you live next to a geyser. A few people in Colorado (and a few more in other places) could take advantage of this resource, but the heat still needs to be converted to energy we can use.
• Hydroelectric power stations require rivers moving down precipitous drops to gain enough momentum to power a dam’s turbines. While new low-dam power generators have been designed to generate power without fast-moving water, you still need to live next to a river to tap its power. Few of us can do this, and each of those generators cost about $1.5 million before the first watt is generated. They’re great for small towns and not so good for homeowners.

Solar energy is the most accessible type of renewable energy for the general public and for an individual to adopt a greener life directly. There are so many options, and more arrive every day. Each new technology is a call-to-action for those who care .

Have you gone solar? Post and share your solar lifestyle with people around the world on Instagram, adding a hashtag #solarenergy!

3 tips for sustainability enthusiasts before going solar

• Switching to solar power is a big decision for those who would buy and install their own units on their homes. As always, you should contact several vendors (they will each represent different manufacturers with different requirements and installation processes—so do some research), and have their designers produce estimates for your particular installation and to help choose the best solar panels for your home. Today, there are trained professionals who can assess your needs and the engineering involved and produce trustworthy estimates. Get several of them. Be sure to get a copy of their warranties, license agreements, and insurance certificates. Get recommendations from their references and really check them out. Additionally, you can learn more details about the solar equipment or installers from review platforms like BestCompany, ConsumerAffairs , and SolarReviews.
• Ask about whether there are incentives or subsidies available for residential solar power installation from your local and state government, and check any federal tax credits as well. It can help to lower your initial solar investment. Obtain more information about the solar companies you may contract with. Many quality companies have joined regional and national professional associations.
• After learning the solar energy pros and cons, you’re clear about the fact that there are many flexible ways to go solar, not limited to a solar power generation system on your rooftop or in your yard. Other stuff like solar kits, solar lights, portable solar panels, solar chargers, and solar water heaters are also great options for you to initiate your solar energy dream and become a sustainability enthusiast.

Final words...

If you like this article, please share with your friends who would be interested in learning more about solar energy pros and cons and the uses of solar energy, also to encourage them to go solar together.

You may also be interested in:

• Lower Electricity Bill: Focus on 3 Facets, Start with 15 Proven Tips (Going solar is a highly effective practice if you adopt properly)
• 24+ Types of Modern Solar Lights : Uses, Benefits and Buying Guide (Using solar-powered lights is the most convenient way to adopt solar energy in every human’s daily life)

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• Reuters Events launches North America Energy Transition Summit, uniting the continent’s energy and industry leaders to drive towards a sustainable energy mix
• 7 Reasons Why Solar Energy Is Being Embraced Across the Aisle From Coast to Coast
• Investigating Concerns from Locals Regarding Utility-Scale Solar Development in the Midwest

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Solar Energy Essay

500 words essay on solar energy.

Solar energy is the energy which the earth receives from the sun which converts into thermal or electrical energy. Moreover, solar energy influences the climate of the earth and weather to sustain life. It has great potential which we must use to our advantage fully. Through the solar energy essay, we will look at this in detail and know more about it carefully.

Importance of Solar Energy

Solar energy is very important as it is a clean and renewable source of energy. Thus, this means it will not damage the earth in any way. In addition, it is available on a daily basis. Similarly, it does not cause any kind of pollution.

As it is environment-friendly, it is very important in today’s world. It is so much better than other pollution sources of energies like fossil fuels and more. Further, it has low maintenance costs.

Solar panel systems do not require a lot of solar power energy. Moreover, they come with 5-10 years of warranty which is very beneficial. Most importantly, it reduces the cost of electricity bills.

In other words, we use it mostly for cooking and heating up our homes. Thus, it drops the utility bills cost and helps us save some extra money. Further, solar energy also has many possible applications.

A lot of communities and villages make use of solar energy to power their homes, offices and more. Further, we can use it in areas where there is no access to a power grid. For instance, distilling the water is Africa and powering the satellites in space.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Uses of Solar Energy

In today’s world, we use solar energy for a lot of things. Firstly, we use solar power for many things as small as calculators to as big as power plants which power the entire city. We use the most common solar power for small things.

For instance, many calculators use solar cells to operate, thus they never run out of batteries. Moreover, we also have some watches which run on solar cells. Similarly, there are also radios which run on solar cells.

Thus, you see so many things run on solar power. All satellites run on solar power otherwise they won’t be able to function. Moreover, large desalinization plants make use of solar power if there is little or no freshwater.

In addition, many countries have solar furnaces. We also use solar power commercially and residentially. You will find its uses in transportation service too. In fact, soon, solar powers will also be out on the streets.

Conclusion of Solar Energy Essay

To sum it up, solar energy is a cost-effective means of energy which is quite useful for people that have huge families. When we install solar panels, we can get solar energy which will reduce electricity costs and allow us to lead a sustainable lifestyle. Thus, we must all try to use it well to our advantage.

FAQ of Solar Energy Essay

Question 1: What is solar energy in simple words?

Answer 1: Solar energy is basically the transformation of heat, the energy which is derived from the sun. We have been using it for thousands of years in numerous different ways all over the world. The oldest uses of solar energy are for heating, cooking, and drying.

Question 2: What are the advantages of solar energy?

Answer 2: There are many advantages of solar energy. Firstly, it is a renewable source of energy which makes it healthy. Moreover, it also reduces the electricity bills of ours. After that, we can also use it for diverse applications. Further, it also has low maintenance costs.

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Solar Power 101: Advantages & Disadvantages

Solar power is the conversion of the sun's energy into electricity. With an estimated 173,000 terawatts of solar energy continuously hitting Earth's surface (1), there is more than enough energy to meet the world's current consumption levels of 15 terawatts per year (2). The trick, though, is collecting it.

Solar Power Technology

Solar energy is primarily collected in one of two ways: photovoltaic solar cells and solar thermal.

A photovoltaic cell is basically a semi-conductor connected to two electrical contacts. Photons from the sun are absorbed into the semi-conductor (usually a silicon alloy) and knock loose a few electrons. The electrons then travel through the semi-conductor creating an electrical current (3).

Solar thermal is a system of giant mirrors that reflect and concentrate the sun's rays to heat a fluid, which produces steam to power a turbine that creates electricity (4).

Both methods require a large amount of sunlight. Under optimal conditions, this solar radiation, or insolation, directly strikes a solar panel without any interference. In practice, the amount of solar radiation varies depending on the latitude, time of day and season (which affect the angle of the sun); and atmospheric conditions like clouds, water vapor, and pollution (which scatter the light) (5). This is why dry areas in the mid latitudes of the globe tend to have the greatest solar potential, as seen below.

The same premise holds true for the United States. The Southwest has the highest solar potential because of its dry climate and low latitude.

Solar Power Pros & Cons

Solar power is a renewable source of energy that can be gathered practically anywhere in the world.

Solar power plants don't produce any air, water, or noise pollution and doesn't emit any greenhouse gases (6) Large-scale power plants can disturb local plant and wildlife due to their size, but compared to fossil fuels, still have a lower environmental footprint. Solar power plants also have less safety risks than fossil fuel plants. Once built, solar power plants have extremely low operating costs, since their major input, sunlight, is free.

There are, however, several major disadvantages that historically have kept solar power from becoming a major supplier of energy. Solar panels can't collect solar energy at night and the amount they collect during the day varies based on the season and time of day.

Solar panels aren't very good at converting sunlight to electricity - most solar panels have at best a 20% efficiency rate (7) And their costs are high. For a homeowner wishing to install solar panels on their house in the U.S, the average cost for a typical system is around $20,000 (8) For power plants, solar photovoltaic costs 11 cents per kilowatt hour. Compare this to a conventional coal plant (9 cents per kilowatt hour) and natural gas (6 cents per kilowatt hour) (9).

Costs, though, are plummeting. In 2010, the cost was 21 cents per kilowatt hour, nearly double what it is today (10). In countries such as Germany, Italy, and Spain, the cost of solar power has reached grid parity, having fallen to the same price as purchasing it from the electrical grid (11).

Solar Capacity

Germany has been a leader in solar energy for many years and still retains the top spot for total installed capacity, with 35 gigawatts. According to the International Energy Agency's 2013 figures , here are the top ten countries for total installed solar capacity.

• Germany 35 GW
• China 18 GW
• Italy 17 GW
• Japan 13 GW
• France 4 GW
• Australia 3 GW
• Belgium 3 GW

Most of this capacity has been built with the last five years. This partially explains why energy from solar power is still miniscule compared to other power sources. In the U.S., less than 1% of our energy comes from solar power (7). Italy, which has the highest percentage of power from solar energy, still only gets about 8%. These percentages are certain to rise as more solar capacity is added. China alone intends to install 13 GW of solar power capacity in 2014 (8).

Future Outlook for Solar Energy

In order for solar power to make further gains, the efficiency of solar cells will have to go up, and the price of solar cells will have to go down. The EIA expects nearly 100% increases in solar capacity in the U.S. between now and 2015. This will likely lead to a drop in prices as increased demand stimulates greater production. Meanwhile, there is a wide variety of research focusing on improving solar cell design and working with new materials to make solar cells cheaper and more efficient.

Learn How to Become a Solar Engineer >

(1) http://energy.gov/articles/top-6-things-you-didnt-know-about-solar-energy http://newsoffice.mit.edu/2011/energy-scale-part3-1026

(2) http://books.google.com/books?id=d_2xs3xqSIMC&pg=PA90&lpg=PA90&dq=173000+terawatts+solar+energy&source=bl&ots=Ktbwza6MYF&sig=Qr9ObG9d_qvjBkDwX-KXPNhkXyI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=EekMVKfTPNHyigKkwIGIAg&ved=0CJABEOgBMAk#v=onepage&q=173000%20terawatts%20solar%20energy&f=false

http://energyseminar.stanford.edu/sites/all/files/eventpdf/Solar_Review_MRS_Bulletin%20_2008.pdf

(3) http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=solar_home-basics http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-does-solar-power-work/

(4) http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=solar_home-basics

(5) http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=solar_home-basics http://exploringgreentechnology.com/solar-energy/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-solar-energy/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/10/08/advantages-disadvantages-solar-power/

(6) http://www.wholesalesolar.com/solar-cost.html http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/04/solar-panel-cost-trends-10-charts/

(7) http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/aeo/electricity_generation.cfm http://energy.gov/articles/progress-report-advancing-solar-energy-across-america http://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2014/04/24/solar-is-booming-but-will-never-replace-coal/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_of_electricity_by_source

(8) http://energy.gov/articles/progress-report-advancing-solar-energy-across-america

(9) http://www.fastcoexist.com/3028653/solar-power-is-now-as-cheap-as-grid-electricity-in-these-european-countries http://www.theclimategroup.org/what-we-do/news-and-blogs/solar-energy-achieves-grid-parity-in-germany-italy-and-spain/ http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2335504/commercial-solar-hits-grid-parity-in-germany-italy-and-spain

(10) http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=427&t=3

(11) http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/08/china-installs-equivalent-of-australias-total-solar-capacity-in-six-months

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Solar Energy: An Overview

The advantages of solar energy, the disadvantages of solar energy, solar energy examples, solar energy vs. wind energy, pros and cons of solar energy faqs.

• Sustainable Investing

Solar Energy: Benefits and Drawbacks

Katrina Ávila Munichiello is an experienced editor, writer, fact-checker, and proofreader with more than fourteen years of experience working with print and online publications.

With the growing threat of climate change due to the excessive release of carbon emissions, many nations are looking to clean energy alternatives to replace traditional fossil fuels .

Of all the clean energy alternatives, solar has arguably been the most expensive though prices have been declining. However, after considering the pros and cons along with the expectation that prices will continue to decline , the future of solar energy is looking rather bright.  

The pros of solar energy include that it is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels and has a low impact on the environment and the potential for any country to produce it. The cons are that it only produces energy when the sun is shining, needs a significant amount of land, and that certain solar technologies require rare materials.

Key Takeaways

• Solar energy is becoming an increasingly cost-competitive alternative to fossil fuels.
• Solar energy is a sustainable energy source, has a low environmental impact, and promotes energy independence.
• On the other hand, it is limited by how long the sun is out, may cause a scarcity of materials, and contains hazardous materials similar to electronics.
• Pricey disadvantages of solar energy may be rendered negligible by technological advances that increase efficiency and storage capacity.
• Increasing the incentives for the development of solar energy may be worthwhile.

Sustainability

The advantage of solar energy is that it is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. While fossil fuels have an expiration date that may be fast approaching, the sun is likely to be around for at least a few billion years.

Low Environmental Impact

Solar energy has a substantially reduced impact on the environment compared to fossil fuels. Its greenhouse gas emissions are inconsequential as the technology does not require any fuel combustion. Also, although concentrating solar thermal plants (CSP) are comparatively inefficient in their water usage depending on the type of technology being used, the right technology significantly increases efficiency while photovoltaic (PV) solar cells do not require any water when generating electricity.  

Solar energy technology is becoming an increasingly cost-competitive alternative to fossil fuels, though it remains somewhat expensive in certain markets.

Energy Independence

Since the sun shines across the globe, it makes every country a potential energy producer, thus allowing for greater energy independence and security. Solar energy doesn’t only promise to bring security and independence at the national level; solar panels can be installed on individual homes, providing power that does not depend on being connected to a larger electrical grid.

Intermittency

One of the biggest problems that solar energy technology poses is that energy is only generated while the sun is shining. That means nighttime and overcast days can interrupt the supply. The shortage created by this interruption would not be a problem if there were low-cost ways of storing energy as extremely sunny periods can actually generate excess capacity. As the global capacity for solar power continues to rise, nations like Japan and other global leaders in solar energy technology are focusing on developing adequate energy storage to deal with this issue.

Another concern is that solar energy may take up a significant amount of land and cause land degradation or habitat loss for wildlife. While solar PV systems can be fixed to already existing structures, larger utility-scale PV systems may require up to 3.5 to 10 acres per megawatt and CSP facilities require anywhere from 4 to 16.5 acres per megawatt. However, the impact can be reduced by placing facilities in low-quality areas or along existing transportation and transmission corridors.

Scarcity of Materials

Certain solar technologies require rare materials in their production. This, however, is primarily a problem for PV technology rather than CSP technology. Also, it is not so much a lack of known reserves as much as it is the inability of current production to meet future demand: Many of the rare materials are byproducts of other processes rather than the focus of targeted mining efforts. Recycling PV material and advances in nanotechnology that increase solar-cell efficiency could both help boost supply , but perhaps finding material substitutes that exist in greater abundance could play a role.

An Environmental Downside

The one environmental downside to solar technology is that it contains many of the same hazardous materials as electronics. As solar becomes a more popular energy source, the problem of disposing the hazardous waste becomes an additional challenge. However, assuming the challenge of proper disposal is met, the reduced greenhouse gas emissions that solar energy offers make it an attractive alternative to fossil fuels.

Lower impact on environment

Helps countries become more energy independent

Cost-effective

Occupies large amount of land

Technology not yet widely available

Can still create some harm to environment

The approximate number of terawatts of solar energy that shine on the Earth each day—10,000 times the daily global energy use.

The largest solar energy plant in the entire world is located in Rajasthan, India. The Bhadla Solar Park, which was completed in April 2020, boasts some impressive statistics. The plant occupies 10,000 acres and has an installed capacity of 2,245 megawatts. The total investment in the project is estimated to be around $1.4 billion.

The largest solar park in the United States is known as the Solar Star park near Rosamond, California. The power station consists of two separate installations named Solar Star-1 and Solar Star-2, with respective capacities of 314MW and 265MW. Like the plant in India, the location was selected due to its large exposure to the sun and minimal rain.

Both wind and solar energy are two of the fastest-growing sources of renewable energy . Both energy sources help to cut down pollution and offer alternatives to fossil fuels, however, there are notable differences between the two.

The turbines that power wind energy are less harmful to the environment than solar panels. Furthermore, they produce more electricity than solar panels and can be installed offshore. Unlike solar, wind energy can be harnessed both day and night. However, wind is an unpredictable energy source. Turbines are also quite noisy, and, like solar panels, require a lot of land space thus don't make sense for densely populated areas.

Ultimately, solar panels are the more powerful and predictable source of energy. They require less space, are less noisy, and can be installed on rooftops, etc. in densely populated areas.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Using Solar Energy for Your Home?

Using solar energy for your home will save you money, increase your home value, help you become energy independent, and will decrease your carbon footprint. However, the large solar panels may alienate potential buyers. Furthermore, some HOA agreements may not allow you to install solar panels on your home.

Do Solar Panels Increase Your Property Taxes?

Because installing solar panels increase the value of your home, they can also increase your property taxes. However, many states offer exemptions for residents. Check your county clerk's website for the most accurate, up-to-date information.

Can You Still Have a High Electric Bill With Solar Panels?

In nearly every case, installing solar panels will lower your monthly electric bill.

Are There Tax Benefits for Solar Panels?

Yes. The federal solar investment tax credit, enacted in 2006, provides a 26% tax credit for solar panels installed on residential and commercial properties.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory. " Annual Technology Baseline Electricity Data Overview ."

Solar Energy Industries Association. " Water Use Management ."

Union of Concerned Scientists. " Environmental Impacts of Solar Power ."

National Renewable Energy Laboratory. " Land Use by System Technology ."

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. " Shining Brightly ."

NS Energy. " Bhadla Solar Park, Rajasthan ."

NS Energy. " Solar Start Projects, California ."

SEIA. " Solar Investment Tax Credit ."

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Solar Energy

Solar energy is created by nuclear fusion that takes place in the sun. It is necessary for life on Earth, and can be harvested for human uses such as electricity.

Earth Science, Engineering, Physics

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Solar energy is any type of energy generated by the sun . Solar energy is created by nuclear fusion that takes place in the sun. Fusion occurs when protons of hydrogen atoms violently collide in the sun’s core and fuse to create a helium atom. This process, known as a PP (proton-proton) chain reaction, emits an enormous amount of energy. In its core, the sun fuses about 620 million metric tons of hydrogen every second. The PP chain reaction occurs in other stars that are about the size of our sun, and provides them with continuous energy and heat. The temperature for these stars is around 4 million degrees on the Kelvin scale (about 4 million degrees Celsius, 7 million degrees Fahrenheit). In stars that are about 1.3 times bigger than the sun, the CNO cycle drives the creation of energy. The CNO cycle also converts hydrogen to helium, but relies on carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen (C, N, and O) to do so. Currently , less than two percent of the sun’s energy is created by the CNO cycle. Nuclear fusion by the PP chain reaction or CNO cycle releases tremendous amounts of energy in the form of waves and particles. Solar energy is constantly flowing away from the sun and throughout the solar system . Solar energy warms Earth, causes wind and weather , and sustains plant and animal life. The energy, heat, and light from the sun flow away in the form of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). The electromagnetic spectrum exists as waves of different frequencies and wavelengths. The frequency of a wave represents how many times the wave repeats itself in a certain unit of time. Waves with very short wavelengths repeat themselves several times in a given unit of time, so they are high-frequency. In contrast, low-frequency waves have much longer wavelengths. The vast majority of electromagnetic waves are invisible to us. The most high-frequency waves emitted by the sun are gamma rays, X-rays, and ultraviolet radiation (UV rays). The most harmful UV rays are almost completely absorbed by Earth’s atmosphere . Less potent UV rays travel through the atmosphere, and can cause sunburn. The sun also emits infrared radiation , whose waves are much lower-frequency. Most heat from the sun arrives as infrared energy. Sandwiched between infrared and UV is the visible spectrum, which contains all the colors we see on Earth. The color red has the longest wavelengths (closest to infrared), and violet (closest to UV) the shortest. Natural Solar Energy Greenhouse Effect The infrared, visible, and UV waves that reach Earth take part in a process of warming the planet and making life possible—the so-called “greenhouse effect.” About 30 percent of the solar energy that reaches Earth is reflected back into space. The rest is absorbed into Earth’s atmosphere. The radiation warms Earth’s surface, and the surface radiates some of the energy back out in the form of infrared waves. As they rise through the atmosphere, they are intercepted by greenhouse gases , such as water vapor and carbon dioxide.

Greenhouse gases trap the heat that reflects back up into the atmosphere. In this way, they act like the glass walls of a greenhouse. This greenhouse effect keeps Earth warm enough to sustain life. Photosynthesis Almost all life on Earth relies on solar energy for food, either directly or indirectly. Producers rely directly on solar energy. They absorb sunlight and convert it into nutrients through a process called photosynthesis. Producers, also called autotrophs , include plants, algae, bacteria, and fungi. Autotrophs are the foundation of the food web . Consumers rely on producers for nutrients. Herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and detritivores rely on solar energy indirectly. Herbivores eat plants and other producers. Carnivores and omnivores eat both producers and herbivores. Detritivores decompose plant and animal matter by consuming it. Fossil Fuels Photosynthesis is also responsible for all of the fossil fuels on Earth. Scientists estimate that about three billion years ago, the first autotrophs evolved in aquatic settings. Sunlight allowed plant life to thrive and evolve. After the autotrophs died, they decomposed and shifted deeper into the Earth, sometimes thousands of meters. This process continued for millions of years. Under intense pressure and high temperatures, these remains became what we know as fossil fuels. Microorganisms became petroleum, natural gas, and coal. People have developed processes for extracting these fossil fuels and using them for energy. However, fossil fuels are a nonrenewable resource . They take millions of years to form. Harnessing Solar Energy Solar energy is a renewable resource , and many technologies can harvest it directly for use in homes, businesses, schools, and hospitals. Some solar energy technologies include photovoltaic cells and panels, concentrated solar energy , and solar architecture . There are different ways of capturing solar radiation and converting it into usable energy. The methods use either active solar energy or passive solar energy . Active solar technologies use electrical or mechanical devices to actively convert solar energy into another form of energy, most often heat or electricity. Passive solar technologies do not use any external devices. Instead, they take advantage of the local climate to heat structures during the winter, and reflect heat during the summer. Photovoltaics Photovoltaics is a form of active solar technology that was discovered in 1839 by 19-year-old French physicist Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel. Becquerel discovered that when he placed silver-chloride in an acidic solution and exposed it to sunlight, the platinum electrodes attached to it generated an electric current. This process of generating electricity directly from solar radiation is called the photovoltaic effect, or photovoltaics.

Today, photovoltaics is probably the most familiar way to harness solar energy. Photovoltaic arrays usually involve solar panels , a collection of dozens or even hundreds of solar cells. Each solar cell contains a semiconductor , usually made of silicon. When the semiconductor absorbs sunlight, it knocks electrons loose. An electrical field directs these loose electrons into an electric current, flowing in one direction. Metal contacts at the top and bottom of a solar cell direct that current to an external object. The external object can be as small as a solar-powered calculator or as large as a power station. Photovoltaics was first widely used on spacecraft. Many satellites , including the International Space Station (ISS), feature wide, reflective “wings” of solar panels. The ISS has two solar array wings (SAWs), each using about 33,000 solar cells. These photovoltaic cells supply all electricity to the ISS, allowing astronauts to operate the station, safely live in space for months at a time, and conduct scientific and engineering experiments. Photovoltaic power stations have been built all over the world. The largest stations are in the United States, India, and China. These power stations emit hundreds of megawatts of electricity, used to supply homes, businesses, schools, and hospitals. Photovoltaic technology can also be installed on a smaller scale. Solar panels and cells can be fixed to the roofs or exterior walls of buildings, supplying electricity for the structure. They can be placed along roads to light highways. Solar cells are small enough to power even smaller devices, such as calculators, parking meters, trash compactors, and water pumps. Concentrated Solar Energy Another type of active solar technology is concentrated solar energy or concentrated solar power (CSP). CSP technology uses lenses and mirrors to focus (concentrate) sunlight from a large area into a much smaller area. This intense area of radiation heats a fluid, which in turn generates electricity or fuels another process. Solar furnaces are an example of concentrated solar power. There are many different types of solar furnaces, including solar power towers , parabolic troughs, and Fresnel reflectors. They use the same general method to capture and convert energy. Solar power towers use heliostats , flat mirrors that turn to follow the sun’s arc through the sky. The mirrors are arranged around a central “collector tower,” and reflect sunlight into a concentrated ray of light that shines on a focal point on the tower. In previous designs of solar power towers, the concentrated sunlight heated a container of water, which produced steam that powered a turbine . More recently, some solar power towers use liquid sodium, which has a higher heat capacity and retains heat for a longer period of time. This means that the fluid not only reaches temperatures of 773 to 1,273K (500° to 1,000° C or 932° to 1,832° F), but it can continue to boil water and generate power even when the sun is not shining. Parabolic troughs and Fresnel reflectors also use CSP, but their mirrors are shaped differently. Parabolic mirrors are curved, with a shape similar to a saddle. Fresnel reflectors use flat, thin strips of mirror to capture sunlight and direct it onto a tube of liquid. Fresnel reflectors have more surface area than parabolic troughs and can concentrate the sun’s energy to about 30 times its normal intensity. Concentrated solar power plants were first developed in the 1980s. The largest facility in the world is a series of plants in Mojave Desert in the U.S. state of California. This Solar Energy Generating System (SEGS) generates more than 650 gigawatt-hours of electricity every year. Other large and effective plants have been developed in Spain and India.

Concentrated solar power can also be used on a smaller scale. It can generate heat for solar cookers , for instance. People in villages all over the world use solar cookers to boil water for sanitation and to cook food. Solar cookers provide many advantages over wood-burning stoves: They are not a fire hazard, do not produce smoke, do not require fuel, and reduce habitat loss in forests where trees would be harvested for fuel. Solar cookers also allow villagers to pursue time for education, business, health, or family during time that was previously used for gathering firewood. Solar cookers are used in areas as diverse as Chad, Israel, India, and Peru. Solar Architecture Throughout the course of a day, solar energy is part of the process of thermal convection , or the movement of heat from a warmer space to a cooler one. When the sun rises, it begins to warm objects and material on Earth. Throughout the day, these materials absorb heat from solar radiation. At night, when the sun sets and the atmosphere has cooled, the materials release their heat back into the atmosphere. Passive solar energy techniques take advantage of this natural heating and cooling process. Homes and other buildings use passive solar energy to distribute heat efficiently and inexpensively. Calculating a building’s “ thermal mass ” is an example of this. A building’s thermal mass is the bulk of material heated throughout the day. Examples of a building’s thermal mass are wood, metal, concrete, clay, stone, or mud. At night, the thermal mass releases its heat back into the room. Effective ventilation systems—hallways, windows, and air ducts—distribute the warmed air and maintain a moderate, consistent indoor temperature. Passive solar technology is often involved in the design of a building. For example, in the planning stage of construction, the engineer or architect may align the building with the sun’s daily path to receive desirable amounts of sunlight. This method takes into account the latitude , altitude , and typical cloud cover of a specific area. In addition, buildings can be constructed or retrofitted to have thermal insulation, thermal mass, or extra shading. Other examples of passive solar architecture are cool roofs, radiant barriers , and green roofs . Cool roofs are painted white, and reflect the sun’s radiation instead of absorbing it. The white surface reduces the amount of heat that reaches the interior of the building, which in turn reduces the amount of energy that is needed to cool the building. Radiant barriers work similarly to cool roofs. They provide insulation with highly reflective materials, such as aluminum foil. The foil reflects, instead of absorbs, heat, and can reduce cooling costs up to 10 percent. In addition to roofs and attics, radiant barriers may also be installed beneath floors. Green roofs are roofs that are completely covered with vegetation . They require soil and irrigation to support the plants, and a waterproof layer beneath. Green roofs not only reduce the amount of heat that is absorbed or lost, but also provide vegetation. Through photosynthesis, the plants on green roofs absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen. They filter pollutants out of rainwater and air, and offset some of the effects of energy use in that space. Green roofs have been a tradition in Scandinavia for centuries, and have recently become popular in Australia, Western Europe, Canada, and the United States. For example, the Ford Motor Company covered 42,000 square meters (450,000 square feet) of its assembly plant roofs in Dearborn, Michigan, with vegetation. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the roofs reduce stormwater runoff by absorbing several centimeters of rainfall.

Green roofs and cool roofs can also counteract the “ urban heat island ” effect. In busy cities, the temperature can be consistently higher than the surrounding areas. Many factors contribute to this: Cities are constructed of materials such as asphalt and concrete that absorb heat; tall buildings block wind and its cooling effects; and high amounts of waste heat is generated by industry, traffic, and high populations. Using the available space on the roof to plant trees, or reflecting heat with white roofs, can partially alleviate local temperature increases in urban areas. Solar Energy and People Since sunlight only shines for about half of the day in most parts of the world, solar energy technologies have to include methods of storing the energy during dark hours. Thermal mass systems use paraffin wax or various forms of salt to store the energy in the form of heat. Photovoltaic systems can send excess electricity to the local power grid , or store the energy in rechargeable batteries. There are many pros and cons to using solar energy. Advantages A major advantage to using solar energy is that it is a renewable resource. We will have a steady, limitless supply of sunlight for another five billion years. In one hour, Earth’s atmosphere receives enough sunlight to power the electricity needs of every human being on Earth for a year. Solar energy is clean. After the solar technology equipment is constructed and put in place, solar energy does not need fuel to work. It also does not emit greenhouse gases or toxic materials. Using solar energy can drastically reduce the impact we have on the environment. There are locations where solar energy is practical . Homes and buildings in areas with high amounts of sunlight and low cloud cover have the opportunity to harness the sun’s abundant energy. Solar cookers provide an excellent alternative to cooking with wood-fired stoves—on which two billion people still rely. Solar cookers provide a cleaner and safer way to sanitize water and cook food. Solar energy complements other renewable sources of energy, such as wind or hydroelectric energy . Homes or businesses that install successful solar panels can actually produce excess electricity. These homeowners or businessowners can sell energy back to the electric provider, reducing or even eliminating power bills. Disadvantages The main deterrent to using solar energy is the required equipment. Solar technology equipment is expensive. Purchasing and installing the equipment can cost tens of thousands of dollars for individual homes. Although the government often offers reduced taxes to people and businesses using solar energy, and the technology can eliminate electricity bills, the initial cost is too steep for many to consider. Solar energy equipment is also heavy. In order to retrofit or install solar panels on the roof of a building, the roof must be strong, large, and oriented toward the sun’s path. Both active and passive solar technology depend on factors that are out of our control, such as climate and cloud cover. Local areas must be studied to determine whether or not solar power would be effective in that area. Sunlight must be abundant and consistent for solar energy to be an efficient choice. In most places on Earth, sunlight’s variability makes it difficult to implement as the only source of energy.

Agua Caliente The Agua Caliente Solar Project, in Yuma, Arizona, United States, is the world's largest array of photovoltaic panels. Agua Caliente has more than five million photovoltaic modules, and generates more than 600 gigawatt-hours of electricity.

Green Chicago Millennium Park in Chicago, Illinois, United States, has one of the most expansive green roofs in the world almost 100,000 square meters (more than a million square feet). Vegetation at ground level covers 24.5 acres of an underground parking garage, and includes gardens, picnic areas, and an outdoor concert facility.

Solar Decathlon The Solar Decathlon is a biannual international event presented by the U.S. Department of Energy. Teams compete to design, build, and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar-powered house.

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Related Resources

The Pros and Cons of Solar Energy

Weigh the major factors to determine if solar is right for you.

David Kuchta, Ph.D. has 10 years of experience in gardening and has read widely in environmental history and the energy transition. An environmental activist since the 1970s, he is also a historian, author, gardener, and educator. 

• Wesleyan University, University of California, Berkeley

• Sarah Lawrence College
• New York University
• Renewable Energy
• Fossil Fuels

Once an expensive and minute portion of energy generation around the world, solar electricity has boomed over the past decade. Growing demand for solar energy is in part due to its proven success: Photovoltaic (PV) cells inside solar panels convert the sun's electromagnetic radiation into electricity, which they can either send into a home or into the electricity grid. This process is seen as a promising and crucial tool in developing a sustainable energy system.

But for many, questions remain: Is it worth the cost, in both economic and environmental terms? What is holding solar back from widespread adoption? This article addresses the most significant strengths and weaknesses of solar energy, and how people can decide whether switching to solar is right for them.

Pros of Solar Energy

For both individual home owners and developers of utility-scale power plants, solar energy is the lowest-cost energy in almost every part of the world. Government incentives make it even more attractive as an investment. Once installed, its near-zero operating and maintenance costs mean it is displacing fossil fuels like coal and natural gas. And its zero emissions and renewable fuel source (the sun) can reduce air pollution and the emission of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change.

Affordability

Solar is now the cheapest form of electricity in almost every part of the world. Solar electricity costs dropped by 90% between 2009 and 2020, and it is now cheaper to build a new utility-scale solar power plant than it is to keep an existing coal power plant running. And with rising demand for solar energy and increases in the scale of production, solar power is expected to follow the so-called Swanson's Law, which states that the cost of solar panels decreases by 20% with every doubling of their production. In 2010, one kilowatt-hour of solar electricity cost around 37 cents. By 2030, it is projected to cost 2 cents—and by 2050, one-half of one cent.

Most of the cost of solar energy is in the installation, but since sunshine is free, "solar resources generally produce zero (or even negative) marginal cost energy.” Marginal cost is the cost required to produce one additional unit of a product. Managers of electricity grids often purchase electricity from suppliers based on marginal cost, which is why solar energy often out-competes coal in energy markets. While coal generated 45% of energy in the United States in 2010, a decade later that share was down to 19%.

Government Incentives

Federal tax credits allow homeowners to deduct a percentage of the cost of installing solar panels from their annual income tax burden. As of early 2021, that credit was 26% of the cost of a solar PV system. State incentives also exist, depending on the state, and electric utilities also may offer rebates which are excluded from income taxes. Owners of solar PV systems can also receive payments for renewable energy certificates (RECs), which utilities or other corporations may purchase to offset their carbon emissions. Federal tax credits also apply to homeowners for installing storage batteries at home to store the energy produced by their solar panels.

Low Maintenance

Once installed, maintenance of solar panels is minimal, which is one reason why solar's marginal cost is so low. Rain cleans most solar panels. And while snow can cover solar panels and impede energy conversion, snow melts off the panels' sloped glass relatively quickly, and the albedo (reflected light) off of a snowy roof or field increases the solar radiation that panels can collect. Solar inverters, which convert the DC electricity that the panels produce into the AC electricity that gets sent into homes and onto the grid, last between 10 and 15 years before they need replacing. The panels themselves are often guaranteed by manufacturers to have a lifespan of 25 years, as they have no moving parts. Solar panels decline in efficiency at a rate of about 0.5% per year. Even if the degradation rate was double that, solar panels would still operate at 74% after 30 years.

Zero Emissions

According to the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a rooftop solar system that provided all of an average household's electricity needs over the lifetime of the system can prevent 200 tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. That's the equivalent of taking four gas-powered vehicles off the road every year, or 54,000 fewer miles driven every year.

While the manufacturing and final disposal of solar panels does come at an environmental cost, the solar energy industry is not subject to environmental disasters involving massive loss of life and cleanup costs. There is no such thing as solar spills, solar blowouts, solar well fires, solar meltdowns, solar mine cave-ins, solar pipeline explosions, solar runoff, solar tanker collisions, solar train derailments, or solar refinery leaks. Indeed, as a result of solar energy helping reduce the reliance on coal, carbon emissions from coal in the electricity sector have declined by more than 50% since 2007.

Cons of Solar Energy

Despite being the least expensive form of energy today, hurdles remain to the widespread adoption of solar energy. As mentioned above, the solar industry has grown ten-fold in the past decade, yet it still represents less than 5% of the world's electricity generation. Solar energy is inherently variable, it can be expensive, and the initial production and ultimate disposal of solar panels can have high environmental costs. The barriers to solar energy are coming down, but progress still needs to be made for solar to fulfill its promise of supplying truly sustainable energy.

High Upfront Costs

Despite cost drops—residential solar systems dropped by almost two-thirds from 2010 to 2019, according to the International Energy Agency—installing solar panels on a home is still expensive, given that much of the cost of installation is for labor and hardware. While federal and state tax credits can significantly cut the upfront costs of a solar system, lower-income consumers may not owe enough in taxes in order to take advantage of those credits. Of course, one must own property upon which to install panels, which excludes many renters. Community solar programs allow solar customers to either spread the upfront cost between many members of a solar farm or subscribe on a monthly basis to a community solar provider with no upfront costs at all.

Foot-Dragging Among Utilities

Another barrier is high capital costs that impact utilities' sometimes slow embrace of solar energy, which can lead to customers facing unanticipated obstacles and delays. The nation's century-old grid was built to flow electricity in one direction—from utilities to consumers. In the long run, adding solar to the grid stabilizes it and lowers electricity costs, but the upfront costs for grid modernization are substantial, and delays in connecting new customers can occur.

Variability Based on Sun Exposure

It should come as a surprise to no one that the sun doesn't shine at night, that some days are cloudy, and that winter days are shorter than summer ones. Solar energy is inherently variable and not always available when it is needed. As solar energy becomes a larger and larger part of the world's electricity supply, grid planners and managers need to find creative ways to integrate variable renewable electricity into the power system. They rely on highly detailed weather forecasts to be able to predict how much energy will be available in the coming days and hours, which makes solar energy more predictable. Expanding the geographic range of a grid also allows grid managers to draw electricity from areas and time zones where the sun is shining and deliver it to areas where it is not.

Increasingly, grid managers and home owners can store their solar-generated electricity into large batteries to help smooth out solar's variability. New grid-scale batteries continue to set records for the largest battery in the world. In March 2021, Apple announced it was constructing a battery capable of storing 240 megawatt-hours of energy generated by its solar farm in California. That's enough energy to power over 7,000 homes for one day. 

At the end of 2019, 28% of new solar installations were paired with a battery. Energy storage in one form or another is a leading solution to integrating variable renewable energy sources like wind and solar, but the storage industry is perhaps a decade behind the solar industry in terms of developing a mature technology with agreed-upon industry standards and scalable manufacturing.

Immovability

If you move, it's unlikely that you'll be able to take your solar panels with you. Investing in solar is usually a long-term commitment, and it can take 7 to 10 years for an owner's initial investment to pay itself back. This presents obstacles for people whose living arrangements are more mobile, such as renters, or for homeowners with rooftop solar who decide to sell their home. Solar panels can add value to a home, according to Zillow Research, yet not all potential home buyers want solar panels on their next home, or are even knowledgeable about how to negotiate their purchase.

Environmental Impacts

While solar panels emit zero greenhouse gas emissions as they produce electricity for consumers, the production and disposal of those panels do have environmental impacts that need to be addressed. These include the extraction of raw materials, the production of wastewater and hazardous waste during manufacturing, land-use issues in the siting of solar arrays, and the recycling of panels no longer in use. By 2050, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) estimates that 6 million metric tons of solar e-waste will be produced annually.

Recent attempts to address these challenges include efforts by the Green Electronics Council to raise sustainability standards by creating “EPEAT ecolabels” for solar PV modules and inverters; laws in the European Union, Washington State, and elsewhere requiring the proper recycling of solar panels; changes in manufacturing process that reduce the amount and toxicity of waste materials; increasing the traceability of materials and practices in the entire solar supply chain; and co-location practices that integrate agriculture and solar panels rather than panels eliminating valuable agricultural land.

Is Solar Right for You?

Investing in solar energy may be the second-largest investment in your lifetime, after purchasing a home. It can be as expensive as purchasing a new vehicle, yet last years longer and be much less familiar. Knowing the pros and cons means less sticker shock and fewer surprises when speaking with a solar installer. It also pays to shop around, as costs and options can vary. Fortunately, there are many different ways of going solar, and the long-term economics are in your favor.

The biggest problem with solar energy right now is the pollution and greenhouse gas emissions associated with panel production, transportation, and installation. The manufacturing process also uses some toxic materials, like silicon tetrachloride, that are bad for the environment.

Upfront, a home solar system can cost between $15,000 and $25,000 depending on the size of the setup. The idea is that it pays for itself over time because solar is the cheapest energy type.

If solar panels aren't ideal for your home because you don't get enough sun, consider wind power. A home wind turbine can cost as much or more than a home solar system, but has the potential to be even more efficient if placed in a particularly windy area.

Whiteman, Adrian, et. al. " Renewable Capacity Statistics 2021 ." International Renewable Energy Agency, 2021, p. 20.

" Lazard's Levelized Cost of Energy Analysis—Version 14.0 ." Lazard , 2020, pp. 7-9.

" Future of Solar Photovoltaic: Deployment, Investment, Technology, Grid Integration and Socio-Economic Aspects ." International Renewable Energy Agency, 2019, p. 28.

" The Importance of a Performance-Based Capacity Market to Ensure Reliability As the Grid Adapts to a Renewable Energy Future . ISO New England Inc. , 2015, p. 5.

" Annual Energy Outlook 2021: Electricity ." U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2021, p. 1.

“ Homeowner's Guide to the Federal Tax Credit for Solar Photovoltaics .” U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy,

Jordan, Dirk C. et al. " Compendium Of Photovoltaic Degradation Rates ." Progress In Photovoltaics: Research And Applications , vol. 24, no. 7, 2016, pp. 978-989., doi:10.1002/pip.2744

“ What Is the Energy Payback for PV? " National Renewable Energy Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy.

" U.S. Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions, 2019 ." U.S. Energy Information Administration .

" Global Energy Review 2021 ." International Energy Agency, 2021, p. 23.

" Solar Energy: Mapping the Road Ahead ." International Energy Agency, 2019, p. 13.

Wiser, Ryan H. et al. " Hybrid Power Plants: Status of Installed and Proposed Projects ." Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2020, p. 15.

Mikhitarian, Sarah. " Homes With Solar Panels Sell for 4.1% More ." Zillow , 2019.

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• Are Solar Panels Worth It? Assessing Solar Potential
• Wind Turbines vs. Solar Panels for Home — Which Is Better?
• What Is Solar Energy? Definition, How It Works, and Pros and Cons
• Solar Incentives Explained: Tax Credits, Rebates, and Other Incentives
• How Does Solar Battery Storage Work?
• Solar Panels for Your Home: Frequently Asked Questions
• Who Invented Solar Panels? Discover the History of Solar Energy
• How to Charge Your Electric Car With Solar Panels: Top Considerations
• Solar Trackers Explained: How It Works, Pros and Cons
• What Are Bifacial Solar Panels? Overview, How They Work, and Outlook
• What Are Solar Trees? How Do They Work?
• What Is Community Solar?
• A Guide to Solar Panel Installation
• Should You Get Solar Panels for Your Shed?
• Going Off-Grid With Solar Panels: Everything You Need to Know
• Do Solar Panels Increase Home Value? Understanding Solar Home Sales

Knowledge Base

Guide for students: how to write a persuasive essay on solar energy 1.

I. The Art of Writing a Persuasive Essay

The power of persuasion.

Can you imagine having the ability to modify a person’s perception, influence their judgment, or even incite them to take action? This is the potential of a well-written persuasive essay. This form of writing isn’t merely about presenting facts; it’s about crafting your argument in a way that convinces your reader to align with your viewpoint.

Techniques and Tactics

Creating persuasive content is a product of employing an assortment of methods and tactics, not a magical spell. Using rhetorical questions, language that triggers emotions, and arguments grounded in evidence are all techniques at your disposal. Their effective use will elevate the persuasiveness of your essay.

II.Defining a Persuasive Essay

Definition of a persuasive essay.

A persuasive essay is a genre of academic writing where the writer is tasked with expressing a point of view on a particular topic and supporting this position with reasoned arguments and substantiating evidence.

Purpose of a Persuasive Essay

The main aim of a persuasive essay is not to provide information or tell a story. It is designed to convince the reader to subscribe to your point of view. It’s about influencing them to perceive things from your perspective.

Characteristics of a Persuasive Essay

Persuasive essays possess a unique structure and composition. A clear position, rational reasoning, robust evidence, and emotional resonance are some of the distinct characteristics of this type of essay.

III.Key Components of a Persuasive Essay

• Introduction

Your persuasive essay’s introduction should captivate the reader. It must seize the reader’s attention, provide a concise preview of the content to follow, and present your thesis statement, a succinct encapsulation of your primary argument.

It’s possible you’re contemplating, “I wish there were someone to write my essay .” However, mastering the craft of the persuasive essay isn’t only beneficial for your academic success. It’s a skill that will serve you in many aspects of life beyond college, and with patience and practice, it becomes an integral part of your communication and influencing toolbox.

• Body Paragraphs

The main part of your essay is formed by the body paragraphs. Each paragraph presents a distinct argument in support of your thesis, backed by well-researched evidence such as data, anecdotes, or expert testimony.

Counter-argument

Incorporating a counter-argument and subsequently refuting it can fortify your essay. It demonstrates that you have considered differing viewpoints, but still resolutely stand by your position.

The conclusion is where your essay comes to an end. It reiterates your thesis and main points, leaving the reader contemplating the influence of your ideas. It should inspire the reader to take action or reconsider their existing viewpoint.

IV.The Process of Writing a Persuasive Essay on Solar Energy

Research and understanding.

The initial step is conducting thorough research. Grasp the intricacies of solar energy, its pros and cons. Consider the arguments supporting and opposing its use.

Some key research topics include:

• The concept of solar energy
• The advantages and disadvantages of solar energy
• The practicality of solar energy as a predominant energy source

Formulating a Thesis Statement

After gaining a comprehensive understanding of solar energy, construct a precise and compelling thesis statement. It serves as the cornerstone of your essay, and therefore, it needs to be robust.

Creating an Outline

The next step is to formulate an outline. This acts as a guide for your essay, ensuring you incorporate all your significant points and evidence.

A typical outline for a persuasive essay looks like this:

• Captivating hook
• Background information
• Thesis declaration
• First argument + supporting evidence
• Second argument + supporting evidence
• Counter-argument + rebuttal
• Restating of thesis
• Recap of arguments
• Final reflections/call to action

Writing a persuasive essay can be a challenging task, which is why some students resort to the best paper writing services for help. But remember, there’s a unique sense of accomplishment and skill growth when you author it yourself. It’s all part of your academic journey.

Writing the Essay

With your research, thesis, and outline in place, you can begin writing. Don’t strive for perfection in the first draft. Simply let your thoughts flow. Refining and editing can always be done later.

Revising and Editing

Finally, review and edit your essay. This stage ensures that your essay is coherent, free from mistakes, and most importantly, convincing.

In conclusion, authoring a persuasive essay on solar energy provides an opportunity to contribute significantly to a vital conversation. Not only can you alter opinions and incite action, but you also enhance valuable skills in the process. Acquiring proficiency in the art of the persuasive essay is a skill worth possessing, and there’s no better time to start honing it than now.

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Home — Essay Samples — Environment — Solar Energy — The Power of Solar Energy: Mechanisms, Benefits, and Future Prospects

The Power of Solar Energy: Mechanisms, Benefits, and Future Prospects

• Categories: Solar Energy

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Words: 622 |

Published: Mar 8, 2024

Words: 622 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

The mechanisms of solar energy, the benefits of embracing solar energy, challenges to overcome, looking towards a solar-powered future.

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Advantages and disadvantages of solar energy

Solar energy is one of the most beneficial sustainable forms of energy that human beings can use for a variety of purposes. It is a thoroughly renewable form of energy and can be used by the entire human race till the end of time. There are several different uses of solar energy in our day to day life, such as cooking food in solar cookers, using solar energy for generating electricity as well as heating waters in large reservoirs for saving electricity and resources. It is a very simple technology which can cut short on the cost of energy consumption and make the earth a better place for us to live in.

Pros and cons of solar energy:

Advantages of solar energy.

• Solar energy is available for absolutely free of cost. Even though there are equipment and devices required for the generation of solar energy from the rays of sun, the cost is very low as compared to what we spend on fulfilling our energy needs.
• One of the advantages of solar energy is that it can be used in the rural and remote areas as well. In these places, it is usually very expensive to deploy the electricity power grids and solar energy can be generated in ample amount here.
• Solar energy can be extensively used for the purpose of charging devices which consume very little amount of energy, such as calculators and solar cell batteries.
• This is probably the greatest benefit of using solar energy that it does not cause any kind of pollution. Even though the equipment, collectors and devices used are manufactured in big factories, there is no pollution generated during the process of generating solar energy from the heat coming from the rays of sun.
• Solar energy is an infinite source of energy and we will never run out of it till the end of the world. On the other hand, other resources and oil reserves will last for as long as 40-50 years from now.
• Solar energy is a renewable source of energy which can never get out of stock.

Also read: Biotechnology: pros and cons

Disadvantages of solar energy

• Solar energy can only be harnessed for various activities during the daytime when there is ample sunlight available.
• The cost of deploying panels, collectors as well as solar cells for the generation of solar energy is very high and the manufacturing cost of the collectors and devices is also quite high.
• Even though solar power stations are easy to build but the amount of energy harnessed here is very less in output as compared to the conventional power stations of the same capacity.
• There are large acres of land required for the deployment of solar energy plants and for capturing the energy coming from sun. Large collectors are arranged together with each other so as to gather huge amount of energy.
• In places when there is no ample amount of solar energy available, it is very difficult to produce electricity from sun’s energy.

Conclusion:

As we can see, solar energy is really the future for us. Although it has few cons, but these can be overcome easily with the advancement in technology. Our governments need to invest more in solar energy so that new technologies like smaller panels and collectors which won’t require much space could be invented.

Essay submitted by high school student Maria.

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