Solar Energy Debate

571 Words3 Pages
Advantages There are many advantages to solar power. It is completely renewable as the sun is going to be there for a very long time, which is a problem for fossil fuels, and in the long run nuclear power. There is zero noise and zero pollution. Zero Pollution is probably the most important consideration as the current effects from Fossil Fuels are being felt immensely. They’re low maintenance, as there is no moving parts there is no mechanical wear, only an annual cleaning is necessary. Cost wise they will essentially pay for themselves over a few years. Disadvantages Solar energy a renewable, greenhouse gas free and pollutant free source of energy but all this comes at a price. The initial cost of the equipment and installation is very high, costing $8 000 to $20 000 for home installation solar power systems. These high cost are from the semiconductor material and also the installation companies. But solar energy technology still remains a costly alternative to the use of readily available fossil fuel technologies. As the price of solar panels decrease we are likely to see an increase in the use of solar cells to generate energy. A disadvantage of solar panels is they are only functional during the day. The solar panels are useless at night time because no there is no sun ray to be sourced. Pollution can be a disadvantage to solar panels, as pollution can degrade the efficiency of photovoltaic cells. Clouds also provide the same effect, as they can reduce the energy of the sun’s rays. This certain disadvantage is more of an issue with older solar components, as newer designs integrate technologies to overcome the worst of these effects. Opportunities There are wonderful prospects for the solar energy industry. Many technologies have been developed through the use of solar energy, one of the more advanced ones being solar vehicles. Solar vehicles are powered
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