Considering Free Solar Electricity? Solar Energy Advantages Disadvantages You Need To Know

Now is the time to get serious about solar energy.  Fossil fuel energy sources are being rapidly being depleted.  The financial costs of electricity usage are increasing rapidly despite the current recession.  Demand is at an all-time high.  Also, pollution from non-renewable resources are threatening the planets' future as it reeks havoc on our personal health.  Consider all the allergies and breathing problems created in the last 20 years.

The Obama administration is making a push for the Country to start conserving energy and to begin to convert to alternative forms of energy.  This is forward thinking and incentives for Americans to use more solar and wind power are just around the corner.

Since the sun is free, the possibility of free solar electricity would be the ultimate goal.  However, we know that the tools needed to harness the sun rays will always come with an initial cost.  There are solar energy advantages and disadvantages to be considered also.

Saving money is always an advantage.  After the initial cost of purchasing an in home solar power system is recovered, the cost of your energy source, the sun, is free.  Maintenance costs of the system are nominal when compared to replacing conventional heating and cooling systems. Solar operating costs are not affected by supply and demand like for oil and gas.  Also an indirect financial benefit may be lower health costs since there are no toxic gases or fumes associated with solar energy.

As I just indicated, solar energy is environmentally friendly.  Since it produces no pollution, we are actually reducing pollution by using it.  A solar electric system could potentially eliminate over 30 tons of greenhouse gas emissions over its lifetime.

Another advantage of a solar electric system is that it can operate independently of the local utility providers. If your home loses power because of a storm you can continue to operate.  This fact recently hit home very unexpectedly  when an ice storm knocked down thousands of power poles and lines.  Many neighbors lost electricity from  up to 4-6 weeks!  A few of the stores could operate on a limited basis only because they had generators.  Personal back-up generators were being shipped in from all over the country.

Overall moving toward a renewable energy economy would seem to be for the best, but there are some disadvantages as well.

Solar panels will give a home an unconventional look which would be considered a disadvantage by some. Potentially large areas of land are needed for large scale solar projects.  It would seem almost impractical to try to energize large plants or factories at this point with solar energy because of the sheer land space needed to produce an adequate amount of electricity.

Overall, the advantages of going green outweigh the disadvantages.  The question is one of practicality.  It would naturally make more sense to start in residential homes as opposed to commercial venues.

The cost of producing solar panels are decreasing and for do-it-yourself types it can be downright cheap.  There are numerous guides that make the manufacture of homemade solar panels a weekend project at a materials cost of less than $200.  A small price to pay in your quest for free solar electricity.