PV Gap

Misty Said:

What are the disadvantages of solar power?

We Answered:

Solar batteries produce electricity by a photoelectric conversion process. The source of electricity is a photosensitive semiconducting substance such as a silicon crystal to which impurities have been added. When the crystal is struck by light, electrons are dislodged from the surface of the crystal and migrate toward the opposite surface. There they are collected as a current of electricity. Solar batteries have very long lifetimes and are used chiefly in spacecraft as a source of electricity to operate the equipment aboard. See Solar EnergyDay, in chronology, period of time required for one rotation of a celestial body, especially the earth, on its axis. This period is shorter or longer depending on whether the sun or another star is used as a reference point; thus, the sidereal day—the time it takes for the earth to rotate once relative to a star not the sun—is 4 min shorter than the mean solar day. The solar day, measured by the interval between meridian passages of the sun, varies in length because of the variation in speed of the earth in its orbit. In consequence, the length of the solar day is averaged over the period of a year, and the mean solar day thus obtained is used for all civil and many astronomical purposes. Each type of day is divided into exactly 24 hr that vary in length proportionately to the respective type of day

Darryl Said:

what are the disadvantages of solar power on the enviroment? if any?

We Answered:

I take your question to mean that you are referring to solar photovoltaic cells.

Other than the pollution that is created in the manufacturing of solar photovoltaic cells there is no disadvantage to the environment.

The big problem with solar photovoltaic cells is that the cost is very high for the very small amount of electricity that you get out of them.

Accurate cost data for solar photovoltaics is very hard to come by. Probably because the salesmen do not want the companies to give out that information because it is very unfavorable.

One of my colleagues installed a solar photovoltaic system on his house several years ago so I do have his cost data from his experience.

The sustem cost a little over $30,000 installed.

My colleague financed the system with a loan at 6% interest. That is an interest cost of $1,800 per year.

The annual production of electricity has been approximately 4,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year.

That is a cost of 45 cents per kilowatt hour just based on the interest cost alone.

That does not even include the costs for maintenance and depreciation which are substantial additional costs.

A cost of 45 cents per kilowatt hour is very expensive. If the utilities raised their electric rates that high there would be nationwide protests.

Essentially solar photovoltaic systems are very expensive status symbols for the wealthy.


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Nellie Said:

Can anyone list 3 disatvantages and 3 disadvantages of solar power?

We Answered:

Advantages:
1. Solar is an inexhaustible resource.
2. The direct solar-->electricity conversion does not produce greenhouse gas as a byproduct
3. Solar energy production can be utilized on many different scales from residential to large-scale output for industry. It does not require a centralized power plant and logistics

Disadvantages:
1. Solar energy is dependent on sunlight and therefore unfeasible at night, and impractical during Winter in polar latitudes.
2. The manufacture and logistics of installing solar cell technology creates waste that must be managed effectively.
3. Solar cells must be cost-effective enough to create economic opportunity. Costs such as hardware, installation, and maintenance must be offset by the savings on energy costs.

Robert Said:

Disadvantages of Solar Power?

We Answered:

The biggest disadvantage is the initial cost, not only of the panels, but also of the installation.
while it would seen that the lack of sunshine would seem to be a problem, it is only a problem when you are trying to live off from the grid,
then storage becomes a more expensive problem.
Solar is not the best in the northern hemisphere, because of the lack of sunshine in the winter, but they also have excessive sunshine in the summer.
Another problem is that you are expected to put in a full array of panel to connect to the grid, where if hooking up one small 100 watt panel on every house was hooked into the grid, the possible shortage of electricity would be greatly reduced.