THE THINGS SOLOR COMPANIES CHOOSE NOT TO TELL YOU The cost disadvantage is also being addressed by the solar industry and serious advances are being made toward increasing efficiency and reducing the expense of raw materials, both of which will make solar alternatives more affordable— Location, Location, Location There are so few locations on Earth that do not receive some sunlight that you may not think this is possible, but consider this: there may be some obstructions near your home (landscape, other buildings, etc) that may prohibit proper or optimal sunlight access. Solar panels will continue to produce power on overcast days, but at a reduced rate—in particularly rainy or overcast locations, more panels will be needed in order to operate your household efficiently. Keep in mind that no matter how much sunlight comes your way, your solar system is rendered useless at night and those pesky batteries can run you at least $100 and way up from that! Size of Solar Panels You’ve seen them—they’re massive, unsightly objects on a roof—in order to power your home with solar, a large, unobstructed (see previous disadvantage) that is relatively flat or angled ‘just right’ where sunlight strikes it for about five (5) hours a day or more Roofing Speaking of the size of the solar panels and their size, your roofing considerations must be carefully thought prior to an installation of such magnitude. Once the solar system has been installed, repairs, replacement, and maintenance to an existing roof can become very expensive and labor intensive. If major roof repair is required, the system must be removed—costly! Be sure that your roof is in great condition before the addition of any solar powered system—ideally, your roof should be sound in structure and less than seven (7) years old before an install. How Solar Harms the Environment You may not realize this, but solar energy does employ the use of batteries—if you have an off-grid system, chances are pretty good that you also have a bank of deep cycle lead acid batteries. A lead acid battery’s contents of both lead and sulphuric acid are toxic to the environment’s air, soil and water and are highly poisonous to marine life. Improperly managed, these can lead to a serious environmental disadvantage of solar energy use.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Jun 2013 06:44:30 +0000
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