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Solar PV: Pros & Cons
Pros Pollution-Free - No fuels are used or released in Solar PV systems, making it a pollution free energy generation system. Modular - Solar panels can easily be added to meet demand needs or space limits. Low Operating Costs - Once installed, the greatest operating cost of solar panels is keeping them clean to ensure optimal energy generations. Renewable - Solar panels harnesses the energy of the sun, a free, renewable energy source. NIMBY-Free - Solar panels do not make noise, do not interfere with wildlife and are thin and flat, making them easy to hide on rooftops and out of sight of the Not In My Back Yard crowds that oppose technologies such as Wind Turbines. Rooftop Installation - One of the most appealing features of solar panels are that they can be installed on nearly any building, including residential, commercial and industrial structures. This provides a way to cut costs and potentially generate revenue from excess electricity sales for any building owner. By installing at the site, no additional cost is required to connect the panels to the power grid, as is the case with other renewable energy technologies. Cons Intermittent Power - Since the sun does not shine all day, or even consistently at the same times each day, solar power cannot generate electricity reliably enough to be used as anything other than additional generation. Due to the hours of usual sunshine, it does make an ideal solution for peaking periods. Low Yields - Industry-wide yields on solar panels run at roughly 15% with goals to move to/above 20%. High Price Per Watt - Reduced Efficiency - While the sun shines everywhere around the world, the cost of solar cells and the decreased sunlight make solar panels cost inefficient in many areas around the world. Also, areas in which there is high levels of pollution may see decreased efficiency levels as the sunlight gets somewhat diffused. Incentive Driven - In many cases, demand for solar panel installations is driven by different types of tax incentives, which bring costs closer to those of fossil fuel energy generation. The loss of these incentives coupled with a failure to lower cell cost and/or improve efficiency would devastate the industry. |
 Kill-a-Watt |
