Why Use Solar Power: The Advantages of Solar Power

Solar power is a reliable and abundant renewable resource. One of the advantages of solar power is that every part of the world receives a predictable amount of sunlight. With a properly installed solar array, even homes in cloudy locations receive adequate sunlight to generate enough electricity for their daily use. Solar electric systems are very popular in Japan and Germany, which receive a fair amount of cloud cover.

Another advantage of solar power is that it does not belong to anyone, it is free for anyone to harvest. It is not tied to inflation and the cost of the fuel will never jump in price. No one country has a monopoly on solar energy. No one will ever go to war over solar energy. Solar modules are being used more and more in developing countries where electrical infrastructure does not exist.

Solar power is a clean resource. It produces zero emissions and harvesting the power from the sun produces no health risks. Although manufacturing PV systems uses energy and produces waste, these are minimal compared to the environmental damages associated with the harvesting, refining and burning of fossil fuels, or the dangers associated with disposing of nuclear waste and the habitat destruction associated with building hydroelectric power dams.

We don't need to build more infrastructure to hardness the power from the sun. Solar arrays can be mounted on existing rooftops of houses, businesses or parking lots.

There are many ways to use the advantages of solar power: passive solar power, thermal solar power and photovoltaic (PV) systems to generate electricity.

You can heat a home through passive solar power heating. Sunrooms are a great way to use the sun's radiation to heat the main living areas of a home. A properly designed sunroom incorporates materials that retain heat well. The correct choice of wall and floor coverings in a sunroom or south-facing room can make a great dent in a home's energy bill. With proper ventilation, sunrooms can also help keep a home cool in the summer.

You can heat the water in your hot water tank with a thermal solar hot water system. The heat from the sun is either used directly or indirectly to heat water in a tank. Hot water tanks are a major energy drain in most homes. The average homeowner spends more money heating water than on other energy uses. Solar hot water heaters pay for themselves very quickly.

You can use photovoltaic (PV) systems to generate electricity. PV systems are made of series of PV cells which are primarily made of silicon, one of the most abundant materials on earth. The silicon cells are infused with boron and phosphorus which help with the flow of electrons. Photons, which are particles of energy from the sun, cause electrons to be released from the silicon atoms. These free electrons are gathered by the metal contacts to form an electrical current. The current flows through a charge controller, then a battery, and an inverter before reaching the appliances in your home.

There are many types of PV cells, with varying efficiencies and production costs. The most efficient commercially available PV cells are monocrystalline PVs, but they also require more energy to produce than polycrystalline PV cells. Newer forms of PV cells include thin-film technology, which are much less costly to produce and are more shade tolerant.
Solar roof tiles are an example of Building Integrated PVs (BIPV). These products are dual purpose, they are part of a building envelope and generate electricity. Less materials translate to less construction costs, and it's better for the planet because less material and energy was used to produce and transport one thing instead of two. Other BIPVs include awnings, carports, windows, skylights and exterior walls.

Since the sun's radiation varies through the course of a day, week and season, PV system must be properly installed to maximize their efficiency. The systems must point to true south and be tilted at a site's specific angle to capture the most solar radiation hitting that spot. As the sun's angle changes by hour, day and season, installers must angle fixed PV systems so that they receive the maximum peak sun hours throughout the year.

PV systems are becoming increasingly more affordable. Governments and utility providers are also encouraging home owners to purchase and install grid-tie PV systems by providing grants and energy rebates.

There are many advantages of solar power: reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, reducing our carbon footprint, and reducing energy bills.