What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Using Solar Energy

xvi Advantages & 10 Disadvantages Of Solar Panels

Well, it's prophylactic to say that solar panels have diddled up over the past few decades. They have become soooo pop with homeowners, businesses and at present fifty-fifty the governments are recognising their value.

But we're all asking the aforementioned question … Why?

What's so good about solar panels?
Why are they so pop?
Should I exist getting solar panels? Or is this just one big hype?
Are they really worth the money?

Well, the brusk answer is yes. They are worth it, and I'm going to explicate to you exactly why.

However, we cannot forget the police force of balance. For every advantage there is probably a disadvantage. With this case, it's truthful. You lot may not recall it, but solar panels practise come with their off-white share of disadvantages.

So let's jump straight in, and notice out the advantages and disadvantages (pros and cons) of solar panels.

lukecove
Dec vi, 2021

What Are Solar Panels Used For?

Government and big business corporations are also one of the biggest users of solar panels to generate make clean, renewable energy. Businesses will use solar panels to slash the toll of their operation bills and free up greenbacks menstruum to re-invest in their business.

Governments around the world are taking a big step with solar energy and it is being used to power trains, buses and even the international infinite station.

For homeowners, the demand to have solar panels has go increasingly more popular over the years. This is considering solar panels can be used to generate electricity at home.

People are catching on most the endless benefits of rooftop solar. It'due south exciting to meet how popular it has get over the years.

This electricity can then exist used to ability your electric appliances in your home. Solar tin can power annihilation electrical, from your Television or fridge to your iphone or game console.

Essentially homeowners can go less dependent on the grid. At the same time you tin salvage a significant amount of money on power bills each month.

Power can be stored in solar batteries...

Whatsoever power that is generated by solar panels can likewise be stored using solar batteries.

These can work for both homeowners and businesses and tin can be scaled upwardly. Storing power tin can let complete independence from the filigree, meaning yous solely create and utilize your ain ability.

S olar batteries are also becoming more affordable, also as more popular for people or businesses who use most of their power at night. Also more and more than solar bombardment rebates are becoming available as well.

Why Are Solar Panels So Popular?

Over the past 20 years solar panels have become extremely popular with homeowners, business and the agricultural industry.

There are many different reasons why people are interested in solar but we accept narrowed them down to iii main reasons.

Money

Firstly, the most mutual reason why solar is pop is because of coin.

Solar panels can provide homeowners with a massive saving toward their energy bill (if not completely reduce it altogether).

When people catch wind of their neighbors slashing their free energy bill in half, they simply desire a piece of the pie. By having a reduced energy pecker it means that you lot will complimentary up your greenbacks flow each calendar month to spend on stuff that you similar or your family.

The finance side of solar is the master reason why it has become so popular in today's age.

Environment

The second nearly popular reason is because of the environment.

Solar panels are existence installed to help take a stance against climate change. People are willing to invest their money into something that volition not pollute the planet we alive on. Installing solar panels volition help by generating clean energy that tin also be sold.

This is much better than burning fossil fuels and oils which has a negative effect on the planet. We are realising the sustainability of solar panels which is making them more pop.

Government Incentives

Thirdly, solar panels are getting a proper name for themselves through authorities incentives.

It is pretty difficult to resist when the government is offer to purchase back any excess solar free energy you produce…

Plus lets non forget the massive reduction in the upfront cost, an interest free loan to help reduce the cost fifty-fifty more and and then a STC certificate that can be sold for money!

Fifty-fifty with commercial solar for businesses in that location are rebates and grants being offered every bit incentives to help with the move to solar.

What Makes Solar Panels Worth It?

- In places like Australia & America the sun is shining generally. This means we can capitalise on harvesting the sun's rays to generate our own ability. Having this endless supply of UV light definitely makes getting solar panels worth information technology.

- Government loans and rebates aid with the upfront cost, and make solar extremely affordable for homeowners on any income.

- Latest technology in solar panel efficiency means that solar panels are designed to get the most out of the sun. This means you tin really take advantage of producing your own energy knowing that you are getting the best performance. It also makes solar more than affordable because you lot can produce more energy for a longer menses of time. Brands similar SolarEdge are leading in technology of solar panels.

16 Advantages Of Solar Panels

1. Reduce the price of your energy bill

The most widely known advantage of solar panels is that they will reduce the toll of your electricity bills.

Past producing your own power through the sunday you lot volition ultimately be ownership less power from the grid. This allows you to spend less money buying energy which leads to saving more coin on your ability bills.

Due to the dominicus's energy being renewable and gratis it means that you lot will not be paying for the energy you generate through your solar panels.

At that place are endless benefits that come from having spare cash each calendar month to spend on your family or other things. Saving money is one of the biggest advantages of solar.

2. Renewable energy source

Solar power is a renewable source of energy. Renewable energy is a source of ability that cannot be used upwardly.

Essentially the lord's day is generating a mass corporeality of power all the time that tin be harvested by your solar panels without running out.

The plus side of solar existence renewable ways that everyone tin can take reward of gratuitous free energy given by the sun.

Nosotros wouldn't have to worry virtually the sunday's power running out, simply instead we tin can enjoy the rays that hit our solar panels and generate gratuitous, clean energy.

Being a renewable source solar power is also clean energy significant the energy doesn't produce any greenhouse gasses emissions.

three. Increment your property value

Because solar panels have and then many benefits for homeowners, installing them on your belongings volition increase its value.

Houses that take solar panels will be more valuable than those that practice not.

This is because one home will be highly dependent on the filigree whereas the other will exist generating its own energy. Enjoying existence free from the shackles of increasing energy prices.

Again this is because solar panels practice accept a high upfront cost and can be seen as a great investment asset.

The money that you spend on solar panels volition be invested into your home besides, y'all may even see a high render on investment from installing solar at your holding.

4. Environmentally friendly

Energy that is produced by solar panels is clean, renewable and has zero-emissions. Solar free energy does not contribute towards greenhouse gasses or fossil fuels unlike other oils and coals.

Essentially this ways that solar panels are environmentally friendly products and volition not harm the planet.

Being environmentally friendly means a lot nowadays, and you tin gain popularity within communities for taking a stance confronting climate change.

It is ane of the well-nigh popular reasons why people have a move towards solar, and is definitely one of the biggest advantages of solar panels.

Homeowners can rest easy knowing their energy is non harming the planet.

5. Broad range of solar products

Another massive advantage of solar panels is the huge range of different solar console products bachelor.

At that place are solar panels that are built for operation for those people who are looking for a high-end system to perform for a long time.

For homeowners who are looking for a good upkeep arrangement and then there is a massive range to exist browsed from equally well.

Thermal solar panels are also available for people who spend nearly of their energy on heating and desire to use solar to help lower the cost.

Solar panels tin be purchased with an all-in-one bombardment system for homeowners who need to store their power to use at night instead.

Having this wide variety of options comes as a massive advantage for homeowners as they tin can go solar panels specific to their requirements and needs.

6. Low maintenance costs

With new technology existence readily available, the maintenance of solar panels are becoming easier and easier.

Warranties are also existence included for massive periods of time making the maintenance of solar panels less and less.

This is not bad because it means homeowners can buy solar without having to fix or check the system every week. Also, low maintenance means low cost.

You won't need to spend anything actress on your solar panels organization to go along information technology working at optimum.

Once in a while information technology'southward recommended to go your solar panels cleaned if they have collected any soil or grit.

7. Homeowners tin become energy contained

The installation of solar panels to your dwelling could allow you to go completely energy independent.

With a good enough system, you could generate enough energy to power your habitation without having to buy ability from the grid.

Not but is this a corking accomplishment, simply it also means homeowners won't have to face up rising electricity prices again.

Generating your own power will exist relieve you a large amount of money. You also would non be afflicted if there was a power cut or whatsoever maintenance by the filigree on their power lines.

Many people who have become energy independent tin say that it's a massive advantage of solar panels.

viii. Excess solar tin can be sold to the grid

Any excess energy that is not used in your home tin can be sold to the grid for extra cash.

Not only this, you lot are providing your local customs with make clean, renewable energy. This helps yous and your community have cleaner energy supplied to your grid past pulling energy from the sunday.

Some homeowners will purposely upgrade their systems just to sell excess energy back to the grid.

The government offers some actually good Feed-In Tariffs available for homeowners to get rewarded for any backlog power they don't apply.

These tariffs usually vary from state to state. The two master tariffs are stock-still rate and fourth dimension varying. The price per KW is decided by these two tariffs, and is a great way to help pay off your organisation quicker.

One time the organization is paid off yous will see the return on investment from your solar panels. Solar panels could actually generate y'all free money, which is a massive advantage.

nine. Return on investment

Solar panels are a actually good investment to make, and homeowners volition be able to get the money they invested back within time.

Although solar panels have a loftier upfront investment cost, the coin that gets saved each month on power bills volition help toward paying off that cost of the system.

An easy way to look at it would be: If you saved a big sum of money on your energy bill, then you can put that money towards roofing the cost of your organisation.

Once the solar arrangement is paid off you will still be saving money on your energy bills. Therefore, you are now making a render from the initial investment made on your solar panels.

10. Go rewarded by the government

Government rebates are a great advantage of solar panels.

Being able to sell your energy dorsum to the authorities for cash is enticing for homeowners to make the move to solar. With pressures on governments to motility towards greener solutions, all future rewards are looking bright.

Rates may start to become more than profitable and rebates becoming easier to get. However, this may not last forever.

Although these rebates differ from land to state they all offering a big reduction in the toll and about volition besides offer a no involvement loan scheme.

These government incentives actually make solar energy more affordable. This is a step in the right management and helps get-go time buyers secure solar.

11. Power tin can be stored and used at night

Some all-in-i systems come up with solar batteries included like Eastward nphase (I've really done a full review on this here) . These solar systems let you store power y'all generate during the mean solar day and use it at night instead.

This would benefit homeowners that apply a majority of power at night. Similar to commercial businesses like supermarkets or schools.

When you shop power you become independent from the grid. Rather than buy energy, you can use the energy that has been stored.

This could provide even further savings for homeowners. Information technology'southward best invested with loftier end solar panels to run across the full benefits of solar bombardment storage.

High end solar panels tend to take a higher operation and generate more free energy, meaning you tin shop more power quicker.

12. Solar panels take Long lasting warranties

Companies that blueprint, test and manufacturer and solar panels include long lasting warranties with their products.

This shows that they have a lot of confidence in the performance of solar panels and that they are guaranteed to reach a minimum performance for a catamenia of time.

Long lasting warranties are a big benefit of solar panels because they show that they won't break or cease performance within the first x+ years installing them. Companies like Jinko, LG and SunPower offer great warranties.

Homeowners can feel like moving to solar is less risky, because they are covered by the solar panels warranties.

It also ways they tin work out their estimated saving given that there are no issues with the solar panels.

13. Solar panel engineering is condign more than advanced

I've seen this a lot over the past 5 years. Solar panel applied science is taking huge leaps in advancements to let for some really awesome features. I'd say most important in particular is the availability for flexible solar arrangement designs .

The reason why I similar this so much is because y'all can design a system effectually your free energy bill. Depending on when you employ the near free energy, you can identify panels to capture the well-nigh sunlight during that time, maximising on your self consumption and giving you the highest possible savings.

Other features include full visibility and tracking of your system so you know information technology's performance and SMART features which can learn when you utilize the most energy and starting time to export this to the grid or other places like a battery or electrical car.

14. Price of solar panels are condign more affordable year after year

Solar panels are becoming more and more affordable every year. There is a race towards making solar panels affordable whilst besides maintaining the quality of the solar panels.

Every bit yous can encounter by the graph created by Solar Choice, the price of panels is decreasing every single year.

This is excellent to see and gives a glimpse into the time to come toll of solar panels which is forecast to keep coming more and more affordable.

Still, there was an increase in panel costs due to a shipping crisis in 2021, mainly due to the effects of COVID19. You tin can read about this issue here .

15. Options to charge your electric vehicle from your solar panel system

This is going to become a massive do good of solar panels within the side by side six months. At the stop of 2021 we've seen a huge fasten in the demand for home EV charging systems which tin can connect and charge from your solar panels.

Impressively enough, you can get this set up which will maximise your returns from your solar organization and your electric car.

You will exist getting a total charge of free free energy from the sun. There are also some really good solar EV chargers on the market in Commonwealth of australia, including the Zappi home charger .

This offers smart features which can begin charging merely when you start to consign energy to the grid or waste matter information technology on export limits.

16. Solar energy was appear the cheapest grade of electricity in history

Wooo! Go solar. That's correct, solar energy was declared the cheapest form of electricity in history. There has never been a cheaper way to produce high quality, light-green energy. This was found by the International Free energy Agency dorsum in October 2020.

It was highlighted that solar energy is significantly cheaper than coal and gas. Information technology'due south safe to say, solar panels have a very bright future alee being the cheapest form of energy in the world right now.

Don't miss out on the blitz, become a part of the customs and take advantage of the cheapest form of electricity. That means it'south cheaper than your free energy supplier 😆…

10 Disadvatanges Of Solar Panels

one. Loftier upfront cost

The first initial investment for solar console installation is quite loftier, and not everybody will exist able to afford them. Although nosotros could argue that solar panels are the most affordable they've always been… Still they exercise come with a price tag.

Unfortunately this is a downside to solar panels however the future is bright as prices are coming down.

Solar panels right now are fairly expensive, still with new government schemes and the latest technology the price is becoming more than and more affordable.

2. The size of organization is dependent on your available space

Available space is a big factor in solar panel installation. If your roof is not big plenty, then information technology means that you may have to downsize your system or rethink about getting solar altogether.

Solar panels are still fairly large products pregnant they crave a big infinite to be installed. The size disadvantage means that they cannot exist placed into small areas, and actually require a big roof.

This is important for those who are looking to hereafter proof their home with a big enough organization to last years.

Some systems however do provide flexible designs for smaller roofs.

3. Requires sunny weather to piece of work best

Free energy can simply be generated when sunlight is hitting the face of the panel and being converted. Therefore if at that place is no sun, there will be no energy beingness produced.

Although solar panels can nevertheless generate power on cloudy days (equally information technology's the UV light that generates the free energy) they perform best on sunny days. If yous are in a location that doesn't go much sun, it's probably best to look at other options for get a system that overcomes shading issues.

Your solar panel performance will be negatively affected if there is non enough sunlight hitting the panels on rainy days.

Simply remember, luckily in Commonwealth of australia we become a lot of sun so information technology makes it worthwhile for the states, fifty-fifty for those in Melbourne.

4. Manufacturing of solar panels can impairment the surround

Although solar panels produce clean, renewable energy, the process it takes to manufacture them can harm the environment. Mass production of solar panels may result in fossil fuels being burned and plastic waste.

Unfortunately, this is i of the overlooked disadvantages of solar panels. They are not eco-friendly to mass manufacture. Then over again, you lot can ask what is these days? This is quite a shame because solar panels represent a big motility to fight the climate crisis.

This does become a disadvantage for solar panels although they themselves produce light-green, renewable free energy. Overall, I'd say that they still exercise more good than they do bad.

five. Low energy conversion rate

Even the nearly avant-garde solar panels yet only catechumen effectually 20-25% of the sun's energy into power. It goes to show how much opportunity there is to develop amend engineering science to optimise the total force of the lord's day.

However, there are many things that demand to be considered like the direction of the panels and location.

Jinko solar panels have claimed the globe record a few times. Then have Canadian solar panels. You can read my full guide on the most efficient panels of 2021 here.

Although, I also want to stress that solar panel efficiency shouldn't be the most of import thing. Especially when you're talking virtually one-2% difference. Actually, I'd be more concerned virtually the installation or warranties.

six. Cannot be used at night

No energy can exist produced past your solar panels at night which essentially means your solar panels tin just generate energy 12 hours of a total twenty-four hours. Without any sunlight hitting the solar panels then there will be no energy produced.

This is a disadvantage of solar panels but may be something that is overcome in the future with new technology. There are already talks about an 'anti solar panel' that is able to produce power at night.

7. Solar panels are fixed at their installed location

Panels that are installed on your roof are pretty much installed there for good.

Unless you are looking to pay extra to have your arrangement dismantled, de-wired and transported to some other location then solar panels are stuck in one position.

Solar systems are not mobile at all, which ways if you purchase solar but decide to sell yous will have to leave your arrangement behind.

9. Disposal of onetime solar panels can be harmful to the environment

Unfortunately, when nosotros dispose of old solar panels it requires them to exist melted downwardly which can produce some harmful chemicals in the process.

Not only this, but it tin can be harmful to the local area that this occurs in. More often than not you will see solar panels back at landfill sites which is meliorate than burning.

One expert thing is that commonly solar panels volition last around 15-25 years so there isn't an abundance of old panels causing bug.

10. Your energy could be getting wasted on consign limits

One frustrating matter in Commonwealth of australia is that some locations will become slapped with a solar export limit. Usually this is effectually 5kW however in decorated areas you might even go hit with a 0kW export limit meaning any of your excess energy is completely wasted.

The reason backside this is because if it's a really sunny day and everyone who has solar begins to consign, there will exist besides much energy and the lines might break. I've written a full summary on export limits you can read here .

It all depends on how many people in your surface area already have solar. Yet, i easy way effectually this is to buy a solar battery and store your energy or invest in a EV motorcar and solar charger.

Other Factors To Take Into Consideration

We are using more energy than x years ago

Something not many people consider when buying solar panels. I've had heaps of old customers rip off their installation from 10 years ago and supervene upon it with a much bigger and better system. Just because, they are now using double (if not triple) the amount of energy compared to 10 years ago.

Think about it, ten years ago we barely had smartphones. Present, we have a smartphone for every user in the house, plus kitchen appliances like air fryers, toasters. Microwaves.

Don't forget well-nigh the laptops, tablets, headphones all consuming energy to charge at the same time. This is a lot more energy than 10 years ago…

And of course remember about the mode the futurity is moving. We are heading into the digital age so it'due south all-time to hereafter proof your domicile and buy a organization that will still be big enough in 10 years.

Solar is condign increasingly more pop and common

Incentives and rebates provided past the authorities may not really last forever. This is another proficient reason to take reward of these rebates and incentives correct now.

Due to the cost of solar panels condign more affordable, there may come a time in the future where the authorities reduces the rebates and incentives that they offering.

Information technology'southward best to jump on the wagon now to take advantage earlier they're gone!

The time to come of solar panels and solar free energy is very bright

The future of solar is actually bright, it's being used in all aspects of the world. NASA is using information technology for space exploration or solar farms to produce mass free energy.

Commonwealth of australia is using solar for transport, solar farms and now homeowners are taking advantage to slash their free energy bills.

It was actually annouced in 2020 by the International Energy Agency that solar power is the cheapest form of electricity.

Conclusion

And so there you have it. 16 pros of solar panels and ten cons.

Personally, I would still say there are more than advantages for solar panels than disadvantages.

All the same is proverb this, it makes yous realise that maybe they are not as amazing as everyone says.

Although, I do admit I own a solar panel organisation and its the best investment I've ever fabricated. I would cull solar panels over no solar panels whatever day!

Allow me know your thoughts in the comments. If you lot tin can think of whatsoever more pros and cons, please share them with the residue of us! 😁

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Written By:

Luke Cove
Managing Director
Lightning Solar & Electrical

local brisbane cec installer