About Solar Energy : Top 10 Advantages of Solar Energy

Solar panels, which convert sunlight into usable energy, are a sustainable energy source that can be used to generate electricity.

Solar energy can be divided into two categories.

Using a photovoltaic (PV) cell made of semiconductor material, solar photovoltaic (PV) panels transform solar energy directly into a form of energy that can be used.

Solar thermal electricity is produced by CSP (concentrating solar power), which focuses energy from the sun into a heat receiver, converting it from heat to mechanical energy and then to electrical energy from the sun.

1. Renewable Energy Source

Solar energy is the most environmentally friendly source of energy available, and this is the most significant of all the advantages of solar panels.

It can be harvested in all parts of the earth and is available on a 24-hour basis every day of the year.

We will never run out of solar energy, unlike some of the other energy sources we use.

Solar energy will be available as long as we have access to the sun, which means that sunlight will be present to humanity for a minimum of 5 billion years after the sun when scientists predict that the sun will cease to exist.

Every day, the Sun radiates or puts out a tremendous amount of energy into the atmosphere.

Radiant energy has been sustaining life on Earth for thousands of years and is considered to be one of the most significant sources of energy for all living things.

Renewable energy, such as solar resources, is becoming more and more common for this energy to be transformed and used as a substitute for fossil fuels in various applications.

Many technologies are available to harvest it directly to generate solar electricity for usage in homes and companies worldwide.

The amount of solar energy accessible at any given location on the planet is determined by the time of day, the day of the year, and the location's latitude where the energy is collected.

According to the shape and orientation of the object that is collecting energy, the quantity of energy it collects can be altered even more.

When it comes to measuring solar radiation, insolation is the quantity of solar energy that enters the Earth's surface.

2. It helps you save money on your electricity bills.

Your energy expenses will decrease because you will be able to meet a portion of your energy requirements with the electricity generated by your solar system.

The amount of money you save on your utility bill will be determined by the size of your solar system and the amount of power or heat you use.

For example, if you own a business that uses commercial solar panels, making a move can have significant financial benefits since the bigger system size can cover substantial portions of your energy expenditures.

Furthermore, you will be saving money on your electricity bill, but there is also the prospect of receiving reimbursements for the excess energy that you sell back to the grid.

If you generate more electricity than you consume, you are said to be self-sufficient (considering that the solar panel system is linked to the grid).

Solar energy, particularly in Australia's sunny climate, can assist you in significantly lowering the operating costs of your property.

There are various elements to consider when determining how much money one can save by using solar energy.

The following are the most important:

• Your average energy consumption.
  

  Looking at the back page of your most recent power statement will allow you to discover how much electricity you consume quickly.

  Kilowatt-hours (kWh) will be used to represent the quantity of electricity you consume each day.

  To determine how much one can save with Solar Power and which system is best for you, you must first determine how much you can save.

  Solar energy systems in the 5kW range or more are typically required for larger properties or families with higher energy consumption than the average household.

• Usage patterns are essential.
  

  Solar energy systems create power during daylight hours.

  Any extra electricity generated is released back into the grid except if you possess a solar battery or another area where you can store the excess electricity.

  Your energy provider will issue you a credit for the power you exported, and this credit can be used to reduce your electricity expenses.

• The rate at which your feed-in tariff is applied.
  

  The majority of consumers who sign a contract with their energy supplier will be offered an 8 cents per kilowatt-hour charge for Solar Power that is sent back into the power grid.

  It is essential to check with the power company to find out what tariff rates are available.

  If at all possible, it is recommended that you shop about to get the most competitive prices available.

• The scale of the solar energy system that you choose to build.
  

  When comparing the output of smaller and larger solar energy systems, a 5kW unit will provide substantially more power than an equivalent 2kW system, for example.

  Installing a large solar energy system significantly impacts how much money you save over the year.

  It is critical to select a sufficient system to cover your power use while also reducing your payback period and increasing your return on investment.

• The location of your residence.
  

  Your geographical location will impact the amount of electricity produced by your solar energy system and, consequently, on how much money you can save.

  A Solar Energy System placed in Queensland, for example, will produce more Solar Energy than a Solar Energy System put in Melbourne of the same size.

3. A wide range of applications

Solar energy can be utilized for a variety of applications.

Using solar energy, you may generate electricity (photovoltaics) and heat (solar thermal).

Solar power can be used to generate electricity in remote areas without connection to the electrical grid, to distil water in areas with limited access to distilled water, and to operate satellites in space, among other things.

Solar energy can be included in the materials used in the construction of structures.

The fundamental distinction between solar thermal energy and solar PV can be located in their respective operating concepts.

Solar PV is centred on the photovoltaic effect, which occurs when a photon (the fundamental unit of light) impacts a surface made of a special material, causing an electron to be released into the atmosphere.

On the other hand, solar thermal is a method of heating fluid by utilizing sunshine (relying on the specific application, it can be other fluid or water).

A small number of materials referred to as semiconductors (like silicon -polycrystalline, monocrystalline, amorphous- and cadmium telluride) exhibit the photovoltaic effect when exposed to light.

These materials, which include silicon (monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and amorphous-), and cadmium telluride, can generate an electric current when illuminated after undergoing specific chemical procedures.

These semiconductors are formed into thin layers that adhere to the central component of solar cells, which is the fundamental element of the solar PV system and generates a direct current.

4. Low Maintenance Costs

Solar energy systems, in general, do not require a great deal of maintenance.

Cleaning them several times per year will suffice because they only need a minimal amount of maintenance to keep them looking good.

If you are in doubt, you may always rely on specialized cleaning agencies, which provide this service for between £25 and £35 per hour.

The majority of reputable solar panel manufacturers offer warranties of 20 to 25 years.

In addition, because there are no moving components, there is no tear and wear on the system.

When replacing solar panels, the inverter is typically the sole component that needs to be replaced every 5-10 years.

It is constantly transforming solar energy into heat and electricity (solar thermal vs.

solar PV).

In addition to the inverter, regular maintenance of the cables is required to ensure that your Solar Power system operates at peak performance.

As a result, once the original cost of a solar system has been covered, you can anticipate spending very little on maintenance as well as repair work.

At the end of the day, the majority of residential solar panel systems require very little maintenance.

5. Technological Advancement (TA)

Technology in the solar energy business is continually evolving, and advancements will continue to be made in the foreseeable future.

Innovators in nanotechnology and quantum physics may be able to boost the efficiency of solar panels while also increasing the electrical input of Solar Power systems by a factor of two or three.

Solar energy can be harnessed through three primary technologies: photovoltaics (PV), which convert light directly to electricity; focusing Solar Power (CSP), which utilizes heat from the sun (thermal energy) to power utility-scale electric turbines; and the solar heating and cooling (SHC) systems, that gather thermal energy to give hot water and air heating or conditioning (or both).

6. Reduce the amount of pollution

Solar energy emits little pollution.

Solar panels emit no pollutants.

However, they do so at the expense of the environment throughout the manufacturing and construction processes.

Compared to the damage caused by conventional energy sources, these environmental costs are insignificant: burning fossil fuels emits around 21.3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year.

Using the sun to produce more and more of our electricity implies that we are emitting fewer and fewer hazardous emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels.

Solar panels generate electricity without emitting any hazardous pollutants.

The greater the number of houses and companies that use solar energy, the fewer poisonous emissions from fossil fuels are released into the atmosphere.

7. Solar energy is effective in a wide range of climates.

Many people feel that solar energy will not be effective in colder climates.

That is not correct.

The truth is that solar panels perform better in colder conditions since excessive heat might limit the output voltage of the panels.

However, while long hours of direct sunlight exposure would help a solar-powered system create more electricity, current panels are extremely efficient.

They can still produce electricity in low-light conditions, which is beneficial.

Someone who lives in Seattle, for example, may only require a little larger solar array than someone who lives in Southern California to achieve the same outcomes.

The bottom line is that solar energy may be used anywhere there is daylight.

Is it possible for solar panels to function in the winter? The lengthier answer is that solar panels do work in the winter weather.

Still, their production is lower than during the height of summer due to various factors, the most obvious of which is that days are shorter and the snow can temporarily restrict or shut down the output.

Solar panels are usually more effective when the temperature is lower.

8. Solar energy is now more inexpensive than it has ever been.

The cost of installing a solar energy system has decreased dramatically.

The cost has decreased by 9% between 2016 and 2017, and prices continue to fall.

Solar energy is less expensive compared to conventional energy in a large number of markets throughout the world.

Financial incentives, such as tax breaks and state regulations, are available to make adopting solar more accessible for a wider range of individuals and organizations.

A range of solar financing options are also available, ranging from no-down-payment leases to home renovation loans, all of which make solar more accessible.

Businesses, schools, and government organizations that install commercial solar panels may also be eligible to claim investment tax credits or take advantage of accelerated depreciation.

As per a report, solar became affordable due to processes known as learning curves and virtuous cycles.

Until recently, harnessing the sun's energy was prohibitively expensive, and it was primarily utilized for satellites.

For example, in 1956, 1 watt of solar energy capacity cost $1,825, making it the most expensive energy source.

(At the moment, utility-scale solar can be purchased for as minimal as $0.70 for every watt.)

As a result of the initial demand for satellites, the industry experienced a so-called "virtuous cycle." The greater the volume of panels made for satellites, the lower their price became, and the greater the number of panels embraced other niche applications.

With further technological advancements and the development of economies of scale, solar energy was able to make its debut as a viable general-purpose source of energy in the late 1990s.

Since 1976, every doubling of solar energy capacity has resulted in an average decrease in the price of solar panels of 20.2%.

Fossil fuels, on the other hand, are incapable of keeping up with this pace.

This is because fossil-fuel power plants must purchase mined fuels to function.

In coal-fired power plants, the cost of delivering coal accounts for around 40% of overall expenses.

Taking advantage of the fact that sunlight and wind are free allows the price of harnessing their energy to fall dramatically as technology advances and the sector grows.

9. Solar energy is a nonpartisan source of energy.

Solar energy isn't only for hippies anymore.

It is being welcomed by people from all walks of life and across all political ideologies.

Solar energy systems are being installed by homeowners of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds, Fortune 500 and oil corporations, as well as governments and educational institutions around the world.

Solar is being financed by mainstream banks.

State-level revolutionary solar policies have been pushed by lawmakers, and they have gained traction.

However, even though solar energy has unquestionable environmental benefits, it is increasingly being adopted because it makes sound financial sense.

10. Solar energy has a positive impact on the entire electricity grid.

Surplus solar energy can be utilized by the traditional utility grid worldwide, reducing the burden on the system as a whole.

Depending on local regulations, the solar owner might be compensated for their contribution, as in some international markets like Japan and parts of Europe, where feed-in tariffs are in effect.

Net metering policies are in place in the majority of states in the United States.

Solar users who generate excess electricity are compensated for this surplus by receiving credit against their electrical grid consumption at night, which is a billing system known as net metering.

The installation of solar panels on a residential or commercial property helps minimize the overall electricity consumption on the electrical distribution system.

Solar owners can offset their power consumption with the power generated by their solar panels in various ways, including self-consumption of all of the electricity generated by their solar panels or net metering.

The use of solar energy reduces the strain on the transmission infrastructure.

One of the principal costs on your electricity bill is the supply fee, which covers the cost of acquiring the actual power that you consume.

The other is the transmission and distribution price, which covers the cost of delivering that electricity to your home.

When solar panels are installed, they help minimize the requirement for power production and procurement, reducing the quantity of electricity transported via transmission and distribution lines.

This has the potential to be highly beneficial on a large scale.

When an increasing number of people in a given area requires increasing power, the transmission and distribution network might become overburdened.

The transmission grid's poles and wires behave similarly to pipes in that they can only carry a certain amount of electricity before being overloaded.

Once these wires hit their maximum capacity, the utility will be forced to invest considerably in constructing new poles and wires to fulfil the increased demand for electricity.

Installing solar lowers demand, minimizing or delaying the need to construct new transmission lines, resulting in millions of dollars in cost savings over the long term.

Top 10 Advantages of Solar Energy Summary

Aside from individuals, governments and large corporations are among the largest users of solar panels to generate clean, renewable energy.

Commercial solar energy systems will allow businesses to reduce the cost of their operating bills while also freeing up cash flow to reinvest in their operations.

Using solar energy, governments worldwide are making significant strides, and it is being utilized to power everything from trains to buses to the International Space Station.

With each passing year, the necessity for solar panels among homeowners has grown more and more popular.

Because solar panels may be utilized to produce electricity at home, this is a viable option.

Rooftop solar is becoming increasingly popular as people realize the numerous advantages it provides.

Watching how popular it has been over the years has been a fascinating experience.

After that, you can use the electricity to power the electrical gadgets in your home.

Solar energy may be used to power any electrical device, from your television or refrigerator to the iPhone or video gaming console.

To put it another way, homeowners can become less reliant on the power grid.

At the same time, you may expect to save a large amount of money on your monthly electric costs.