f solar panels aroused curiosity ten years ago, now they are commonplace, so you will hardly surprise your neighbors with such innovations. This technology has been here for decades. For instance, astronauts have been using solar-powered satellites since 1960. Passive solar heating systems that convert solar energy into heat instead of electricity have been used in the USA since 1940. However, it hasn’t become mass consumption goods due to a high price tag and not always suitable conditions. So, one can argue whether it is really necessary, or you should save money to order a cheap essay writing service when required and make other purchases.
The Necessity Of Solar Panels
A private house can boast of various advantages, one of which is the ability to modify it in different ways. For example, you can equip it with sources of alternative energy. If you go green, then solar panels are currently the best way to provide yourself with environmentally friendly electricity. However, if you are not much into ecology and want to install these panels to save money, you should calculate electricity costs. To establish a solar panel system’s required capacity, you need to calculate how much electricity you use. It is worth taking receipts for electricity for the year to determine the total number of kilowatts spent during this period, so you get the approximate yearly electricity consumption.
A solar system for one private house can pay off in about five years, while the service life of photocells is 20-25 years. However, the batteries will have to be replaced in 5-7 years, depending on their quality. So far, there is no decrease in the prices of supplied electricity anywhere globally; therefore, the system will have time to pay off at least 4-5 times during photocells’ service life in a solar panel.
Pros Of Solar Panels
Today solar panels can be considered the most promising energy source for the near future, both for large enterprises and private houses. Thus, let’s highlight the key advantages.
Inexhaustibility
The very first advantage is the inexhaustibility and availability of this energy source. The sun is almost everywhere in the world, and it is not going to disappear soon. Well, if the sun disappears somewhere, you will hardly start worrying about the uselessness of your solar panels and the inability to get electricity this way.
Eco-friendliness
Another advantage and one of the key reasons why some people install solar panels is eco-friendliness. Today, many people start worrying about the world’s ecological situation and choose healthier and more eco-friendly solutions. Thus, environmentally friendly energy sources like wind turbines or solar panels become a must-have. You can see the same situation with electric vehicles. However, solar panels are much quieter than wind turbines, and it can be considered one more advantage.
Durability
Solar panels can boast of wear resistance since there are no moving parts unless you use drives that turn the solar cells towards the sun. However, even with such a scenario, solar panels can last up to 25 years. Thus, if your panels are of top-quality, they will not lose their effectiveness within this time frame, so you will not have to worry about replacing some elements. And who knows what level the technologies will reach in a quarter of a century? The chances are high that you will be able to use these solar panels for the rest of your life.
A Constant Source Of Energy
Having installed such an energy source for your home, you deprive yourself of worries that the energy supplier will suddenly cut off your home from the power supply for technical reasons. You are the only person who controls your electricity supply system. You will face problems neither with sudden price increases nor energy transportation. After your solar power system pays off, you will receive essentially free energy into your home. Besides, if you have enough space for installing a large number of solar panels, you can do it. The modularity of the panels allows you to increase the power of the system if necessary.
Cons Of Solar Panels
Despite all the advantages, solar panels have various drawbacks that must be evaluated when choosing an energy source. One should weigh all pros and cons before buying to be ready to face all possible moments. Solar panels are used more often as a supportive source rather than the main one.
Initial Big Investment
Perhaps, one of the biggest deterrents that don’t allow most people to use solar panels is the necessity to spend a pretty penny on their installation. At the same time, a conventional connection to the central power grid is pretty cheap. The payback period for investments in the power grid with solar panels is very vague since everything depends on factors that a consumer cannot influence.
Low Level Of Efficiency
One square meter of a solar panel with an average capacity produces only about 120 watts of power. It is not enough even to work normally on a laptop. Solar panels have significantly lower efficiency in comparison with traditional energy sources, about 14-15%. However, it is a conditional drawback since new technologies are constantly increasing this indicator.
Dependence On Weather Conditions
Solar panels lose their effectiveness during cloudy weather or fog. Besides, the efficiency of solar cells decreases at low and extremely hot temperatures. Therefore, it is still necessary to support solar panels with some main energy sources or use hybrid solar panels.
