10 Advantages of Solar Energy...
The following is a partial list of the advantages of solar energy you might experience as a property owner. Keep in mind this analysis only considers the advantages generated from the production of electricity – there are even more advantages if you also consider incorporating solar thermal installations, passive solar, solar lighting, or from using a host of other solar products:
1. You Can Make Money
One of the best advantages of solar energy, and the one that is primarily responsible for the rapid growth of solar installations in Europe over the past several years is that you can make money from the sun.
As a result of Feed In Tariff policies in place in much of Europe, you can build sell the electricity, and that income can last for 20 years or more.
For each dollar you can reduce your electrical bill, your house can increase in value by up to $20.
Even if you don't build the solar yourself – in some markets solar companies might be willing to lease your roof or land to install their solar installation. In some cases a joint venture arrangement is also a possibility.
2. You Can Save Money
If you use the electricity yourself, instead of buying it from the grid, you can save money, which is just as good as making money. This advantage alone is propelling the rapid adoption of solar energy in the USA and many other markets around the world.
3. Solar Energy Is Abundant
The sun will be around a lot longer than oil, coal or gas will be.
Some of the materials used to make solar cells to convert the solar energy into electricity, such as the more exotic composite materials may run out over time, but the basic elements used to make solar cells (e.g., silicon and aluminum) are all abundant and recyclable.
4. As Long As There is Light – It Works
The amount of sunshine can vary depending on where you are or what the weather is like, but as long as there is light (even a small amount) PV cells can still produce electricity.
5. Sunshine Is Free
Solar energy is free. Sure, there is an initial capital cost to install a system that will convert the electromagnetic energy and photons sent out by the sun into electricity, but once you have made the investment and the sun keeps shining you will be producing electricity. No one will be sending you a bill for sunshine.
6. Environmentally Friendly
Solar energy powers the environment and life on the planet so there's no energy source more earth-friendly. Compared to the burning of fossil fuels, which release greenhouses gases, carcinogens and carbon dioxide, solar cells don't release anything harmful into the air as they convert the sun's energy into electricity. If you want clean air – one of the important advantages of solar energy is that it will help get us there.
7. Solar Energy Is Cost Effective
While a solar photovoltaic panel is still relatively expensive, it will pay for itself over time from the sale of electricity or from saving you money by reducing the amount of electricity you'll have to buy. The time it takes you to recover your net investment (investment less incentives) is known as the payback period. Generally, the payback period for solar installations is getting shorter and shorter.
Note: Solar hot water panels have been greatly improved in recent years and, with lower cost, payback times for domestic systems can no be as short as five years.
In some geographical areas producing electricity from the sun already costs less per kilowatt hour of electricity produced than producing it from fossil fuels.
As coal, gas, oil and nuclear energy fuel prices continue to rise solar energy will become even more cost effective. There is a start up cost, but then it starts paying for itself. Once you break even, everything after that is profit. Compare this to paying a monthly bill and getting no return on investment.
8. Solar Energy Is Clean
Solar energy is a clean alternative to fossil fuels and nuclear power It’s silent. Solar power can be captured anywhere without creating noise pollution that might otherwise up set neighbors and wildlife. Thus, no danger of damaging our already damaged environment further and you can be part of the Green initiative, lower your carbon footprint, and save our planet from harmful greenhouse gases.
9. Greatly Reduced Contribution to Global Warming
One of the greatest advantages of solar energy, of course, is that there are no carbon dioxide, methane or other emissions that warm the atmosphere. However, manufacturing, transporting and installation of solar panels are necessarily accompanied by some of those emissions.
10. Falling Costs
The financial costs of producing solar cells and solar hot water panels are falling as technology develops and economies of scale in the manufacturing, distribution and installation of solar energy projects expands. Unfortunately, incentives to adopt solar energy are falling a bit faster – which provides an economic incentive to adopt sooner rather than later.
This is happening at a time when costs for nuclear plants, coal and gas plants and the fuels they require are increasing in cost.
