Pro’s And Cons Of Going Solar At Your Home

I have talked about our ‘addiction to oil’. And while it’s true that only major, international action can permanently stop that, and the greenhouse effect with it, we can and should of course all do our part. That’s why I’d like to go into the pro’s and cons of having your own solar power generated at your roof top through a set of PV-panels (photo-voltaic panels). It’s becoming more and more common, and in my village there are quite some people who have it. But do you know everything that’s involved in installing and maintaining such an installation? I didn’t… But now I do, and I’d love to tell you.

So, let’s get started! I’ll start with the pro’s, then do the cons, and finally give some points to remember.

Pro’s

*It’s good for the environment. This is very obvious, but still, I think this is for many people one of the main reasons to go solar. The sun’s rays are freely available, and by using them to power your home and your appliances, power plants don’t have to burn so much carbon-based fuels for you.

*It saves money. After the initial investment, of course. But once you’ve made that investment, you use less energy from power plants, and have to pay less to those power plants. If your solar panels are big enough, you might even earn some money!

*Low maintenance. Solar panels have no machinery, there’s almost no maintenance involved, and what little maintenance there is, is usually covered by the warranty

*Tax friendly. Many governments provide tax breaks or tax credits for citizens if they buy solar panels. This can easily prevent financial problems when buying solar panels.

Cons

*The initial costs are large. Buying solar panels and having them installed at your home costs a lot of money, and while you may get that money back after a couple of years from the energy savings, the large initial investment can be prohibitive.

*Efficiency depends on your location and the climate. If you live very northerly, or in a place with very few hours of sun, solar panels will be much less efficient then when you live somewhere in the middle of the desert.

*Works only when the sun shines. Quite obvious, but important to remember. You’ll always need a connection to the energy grid, or a large set of batteries for cloudy days, and nights.

*You’ll need a large, well-lit area to have any real effect. So, that usually means a large roof which points to the south. Small roofs, or only a single panel somewhere on your balcony will probably not gain you anything.

Something else to think about

Solar panels give your house an entirely different look. Previously, many solar arrays were square, and were mounted on top of your actual roof, as can be seen in the picture at the top of the page. Recently, solar tiles have been taken into production as you can see here. It will probably have less of an impact on your house, but still, it might be something to think about.

Well, I guess this has turned into a pretty complete list. I hope this way, you can make an educated decision, should you ever decide to go for solar energy. I must say, I see what the problems are, but personally, I believe that they can all be overcome. Sure, some disadvantages may be inconvenient, but I think they can quite easily be overcome.

Pieter is the author of The Home of Energy, a blog and, in the future, a forum. Here, all information concerning developments in the energy world is collected and commented upon, and you will be able to join!

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