Going solar can provide you significant long-term savings and ensure that you get all of your electricity from a renewable energy source. While installing solar requires a significant front end investment, it pays for itself quickly.
Solar provides the most versatile renewable energy source since you can install it anywhere. While wind power requires specific placement and wind flow to produce enough electricity to run a home, essentially every US home gets enough sun to effectively use solar. Unlike biomass, it can provide all the electricity for a home. Most uses of biomass extend only to heating a home or its hot water.
Pros and Cons of Solar Energy
Pro Installing solar on your home gives you energy independence. Many people acquire a system that produces enough energy to continually power their home. This lets them go off the grid.
Pro You can never run out because solar is the only absolutely renewable energy source. Wind does not work in all areas because some places are too crowded with buildings and some areas simply aren’t windy enough. The sun is expected to live another 5 billion years at a minimum, so you can expect it to provide you with energy for the life of your home.
Con It costs a hefty initial investment to install solar. In Texas, a nine-kilowatt system plus installation labor costs about $30,000. This cost gets quickly mitigated though by federal and state financial incentives. The other mitigating factor is how quickly it pays for itself.
Pro The reduction of your electricity costs depends on the system size and your electricity use. If you make more energy than you use, you can sell it back to your local electric company if it participates in buybacks or surplus purchases. Some homeowners completely eliminate their need to remain on the grid.
Pro You can use solar in many ways, including electricity generation, heat, water distillation and as building supplies. Solar panels even power satellites in space.
Pro Solar systems have no moving parts resulting in lower maintenance costs. Many solar panel manufacturers provide warranties of 20 to 25 years. The inverter will need replacement every five to ten years.
Pro Constant developments in technology have the potential to double or triple the effectiveness and output of solar power systems.
Pro Early systems were more weather dependent. Today’s systems have powerful batteries that can store energy to provide electricity on cloudy and/or rainy days. You can also add thermodynamic panels to your system to remain off the grid.
Pro While you need numerous panels to collect enough energy, you do not usually use the space that solar panels use. Most solar systems get installed on the home’s roof, so while they do use a lot of space, it’s space you probably were not already using.
Con There is no way to produce electricity without some contribution to pollution. Solar is no different. Transporting the materials creates a tiny bit of greenhouse emissions. Manufacturing photovoltaics produces a small amount of hazardous by-product.
If you are willing to invest in a system, solar energy can pay for itself in less than 10 years of use. After that, you enjoy free energy.