The energy from the sun reaching the earth per day ranges
from about 600 Btu (British Thermal Unit) / square feet for Northern Europe to
about 2000 Btu/square feet for arid regions near the equator. More energy from
sun strikes the earth in one hour than all energy consumed on the planet in a
year! A summer day’s sun at noon provides a square, meter of land with a power
input almost a kilowatt. One might wonder why solar energy has not replaced the
conventional energy sources, not even a significant fraction. So there are
definitely some pros and cons of solar energy. In this article I will
discuss about the pros as well as cons of this vast energy source.
Pros of Solar energy
No pollution
There is no pollution while producing energy from the solar
panels. Only pollution we can talk about is the pollution that can happen while
making the solar panels.
Great for household use
Theoretically the sunlight falling on a typical single house
can easily provide from one third to one half of the heating needs of that
house anywhere in hot countries even in the cooler climates and even when there
is persistent cloudiness.
Zero dependence on the fossil fuels
The dependence on the fossil fuels can be reduced a great
deal. In one day the solar energy falling on India alone is greater than the energy in their present annual coal consumption.
Reasonable Cost
One installed the cost of electricity production is very low
though the cost of producing solar cells are high. And in the remote areas the
installation cost will be comparatively very low.
Solar panels can be set up in the house roof tops. So there
is no requirement of finding spaces for installing the solar panels.
Availability
Most of the areas of the world are exposed to the sun’s rays
and capable of using this energy very easily.
No transportation cost of fuels
No need of transportation of fuels from one place to
another. The fuel is everywhere!
The harnessing of electricity is very much easy in the
remote areas when these areas are not connected to the national grid.
Cons of Solar energy
Cost
The solar energy has not been the prevailing one because of
its cost. The primary reason is clearly the cost of solar energy based technology,
especially in comparison to the lower priced commercial fuels.
Some adverse environmental effects of solar energy
Large scale utilization of solar energy is associated with
adverse environmental effect. To produce an electrical equivalent of 10 terra
watt of solar electricity a land area as big as 220000 square kilometer will be
required. An area of this size cannot be covered with solar energy collecting
devices without making any adverse environmental effect.
Storage of captured energy
The devices for storing solar energy are of low efficiency
and high costs. This can cost thousands of dollars for a buyer to set up a
solar panel in houses as well as in factories.
Though there are some cons of solar energy in the near future we must find a way to properly utilize solar energy because the fossil fuel storage are at the verge of getting finished. And the harm occurred due to the use of these solar energy is irreparable. So Solar energy pros and cons should be properly studied.
Please Read:
Please Read:
- Renewable Energy: the great green hope for clean environment
- What are the cheapest sources of non-conventional energy - Biomass
- Solar Air Heater Classification and Advantages
- Solar pond pump-features of solar fountain pump
- Hydroelectric Power Facts - Advantages and Disadvantages
- Alternative energy sources graphical representation
- Biomass - pros and cons
Nice article i also have blog on same niche visit my website
ReplyDelete