Solar Energy Source: Pros and Cons

The solar energy source is the most unique renewable energy source in the world and the main source of all available energies on earth. Solar energy can be converted directly and indirectly into other forms of energy. Generally, the energy emitted by the sun is about 3.85 x 1026 J/s.

The sun as one of the most infinite, clean and affordable energy sources can revolutionize the future of energy and fuel.

The sun, as a natural nuclear reactor, releases tiny particles of energy called photons, which travel 150 million kilometers from the Sun to Earth in approximately 5.8 minutes. These particles are sufficient to produce solar energy annually and meet global energy needs.

History of Solar Energy

The use of solar thermal energy dates back thousands of years ago, but it was first used in 1866 to generate steam. The first patent for a solar collector was obtained by the Italian Alessandro Battaglia in Genoa, Italy, in 1886. The solar technology to generate electricity was first used in 1968, in Italy and the first modern parabolic trough was first used in 1984 in the United States.

Looking at the history of solar-powered technologies, some technologies have a very old history, while some have been recently used. In addition, some technologies have been fully commercialized and are available, while in many cases the presented projects are still in the research phase and are not available. Therefore, to evaluate the age of technologies and their availability, we must examine them separately.

Although solar energy and its benefits have been well known in centuries, the high cost of such systems in primary phases on the one hand and the supply of cheap crude oil and natural gas, on the other hand, have blocked the development of these systems. With rising oil prices in 1973, industrialized nations have had to pay more attention to the issue of energy production in other ways (other than fossil fuels).

Pros and Cons of Solar Energy

Using solar energy as a renewable energy source requires knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of this energy:

Benefits

Renewable: Sunlight is considered a renewable energy source because it will not run out in the foreseeable future. As long as the sun is shining, it is possible to use solar energy – scientists have estimated the sun’s life to be about 5.6 billion years.

Abundant: The solar energy supply is beyond imagination. The Earth’s surface receives 120,000 terawatts of sunlight, which is 20000 times more than what is needed by the whole world.

Sustainable: Sustainable resources meet today’s energy needs without endangering the needs of future generations. Solar energy is sustainable because it can never be overused.

Eco-friendly: The use of solar energy does not cause pollution. Although there is some pollution from the construction, transmission, and installation of solar power plants, it is very low compared to conventional fossil fuel power plants. Solar energy is clean and reduces dependency on non-renewable sources.

Available: Solar energy is found all over the world, and this energy is not limited to the countries near the Equator. For example, we can say that Germany has the highest solar power capacity in the world.

Low electricity costs: Residential homeowners can sell their surplus electricity and receive tariffs or bill credits. This means that homeowners can dramatically reduce the cost of their electricity consumption using solar energy-producing facilities.

All-purpose: Solar energy can be used for a variety of purposes. It can be used to generate electricity in places where there is no electricity grid or to distill water in Africa or even generate the electricity needed by satellites in space. Solar energy is also known as “People’s Energy”, indicating that the ability to grow solar cells depends on the need level of customers.

Silent: In some applications of the sun’s energy, there is no moving part. For example, photovoltaic cells have no sound. Certainly, this technology is much more favorable than other green technologies such as wind turbines.

Low maintenance cost: Since the parts are not movable, maintenance costs are very low. For example, home solar cells only need to be cleaned two times a year.

Developing technology: Many scientific advances are constantly being made. New innovations and advances in nanotechnology and quantum physics have the potential to increase solar cell output by up to 3 times.

Disadvantages

Costly: The driving forces needed to develop solar energy are rooted in a country’s planning system. This planning can be a good incentive for solar sources to compete with other available sources. It should be noted that the reason for the need for government planning and support is that the initial cost of setting up solar equipment is expensive and that individual investors need financial facilities to purchase and install solar cells.

Intermittent: Solar energy is an intermittent source. Sunlight is available at certain times of the day. Daily weather forecast is also difficult. Therefore, to generate the electricity needed, solar energy is not the primary and main source for this purpose.

Costly energy storage: Solar energy storage systems, such as batteries, help to keep the power flow even and stable. But these technologies are very expensive.

Pollution: Although solar power is definitely pollution-free, there are some problems. Some of the materials used in the process of making solar cells, such as nitrogen trifluoride and sulfur hexafluoride, emit greenhouse gases.

Rare materials: Some solar cells require materials that are expensive and rare. This holds true for thin-film solar cells that are based on either cadmium telluride (CdTe) or copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS).

Space requirement: When it comes to determining how much energy is to be obtained from a particular area, the power density parameter, or watt per square meter (W/m²), is considered an essential factor. The low power density of the solar power plant indicates that much space is needed to build the solar power plant.