Solar Energy Advantages Disadvantages

There are many benefits to be gained from using solar energy to supply the human requirements of energy but what are the solar energy advantages disadvantages and how can we overcome the problems to make solar energy the practical energy source of choice?

When we think of solar energy we assume it is a recent technology developed after the invention of solar panels but the reality is that nature has been converting solar power for years and we are just beginning to catch up with it. Wind energy, wave power and wood and coal are all forms of solar energy converted into other types of energy source. Wind is produced when solar energy heats up an area of the planet and the warm air rises. This causes colder air to rush in to fill the gap and the colder air creates wind as it travels to the site.

Wave energy is generated largely by wind rushing across the surface of the sea and the friction on the surface of the sea gradually builds up waves as the sea is dragged by the wind. Wood is produced by a plant capturing the suns energy and using that energy to grow and produce the wooden trunk of a tree which we may then cut down and use as fuel. Oil is the result of millions of years of plant growth and decomposing of the plant material which eventually turns into oil.

So nature got there first in collecting solar energy and converting it into other forms. What we are now attempting to do is to short circuit the processes and convert direct sunshine into energy which can be done either as capturing heat energy or converting sunlight into electrical energy with solar panels.

The quantity of solar energy hitting the earth each day is enormous and far greater than the energy we use so by finding the right solar energy capture systems and installing them in the most efficient areas we could reduce our use of fossil fuels considerably.

The disadvantage of collecting solar energy is that the cost can be quite high compared to the cost of a similar amount of conventional carbon based energy. The difference is that once a solar panel system is installed it should go on producing electricity or heat energy for many years with little maintenance or further cost.

The advantages of solar energy are that it s there every day and it does not need to be mined or pumped out of the ground. We simply have to collect solar energy and convert it to a more easily usable form. The more efficiently we can manufacture energy collection systems and the more we can improve their efficiency the better the case for solar power will become.

If we can take a long term view of energy costs these natural solar energy collection systems will win hands down but in a modern world where results are expected immediately people are less inclined to look at long term benefits of solar energy use.