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What Can Go Wrong with Solar Panels?
Wed 23 May 2007 - 16:38
What Can Go Wrong with Solar Panels?
By Richard Chapo
Solar panels are unique among energy platforms in that they are fairly simple. Still, you can have issues with them, so let's point out common problem areas.
Solar energy is the most promising source of renewable and sustainable energy on the horizon. It is both clean and easy. But it is not perfect. Many of the articles and advertisements you see that tout solar energy leave out the potential problems. The problems with solar panels can be categorized into issues with materials/cost and issues with efficiency/space.
Solar panels are expensive to install, about $7 per watt of needed output or $700 per 100 watts. If you consider that most single-family homes use several thousands watts per day, then the cost is clearly high. For apartment and condo complexes, the amount of wattage used increases exponentially, and the use of solar panels would probably not be sufficient. Maintenance costs must also be factored in as a potential problem when considering solar energy. All this being said, installation costs can be serious offset with government incentives including rebates and massive tax credits.
Solar panels are made from fragile materials - semiconductors and glass. They must be maintained and occasionally elements must be replaced. Even with Plexiglas shields, the panels are subject to severe weather conditions and can be damaged by winds, hail, lightning or other inclement conditions. Solar panels are not practical in areas prone to hurricanes, which means you need to take them down if hurricane warnings are issued. Flying solar panels are not good for one's health!
Another issue with solar panels is efficiency. Each one is only 8 to 15 percent efficient. Therefore, single solar panels do not produce enough power in and of themselves. They also do not work well enough if the sunlight is even partially obstructed. Houses are rarely at the ideal angle for maximum exposure, which further cuts efficiency. Trees and other houses can create unwanted shade. Long stretches of bad weather can render the solar panels nearly useless. These efficiency issues have been addressed by creating solar arrays. But solar arrays are part of the space problem because they take...well, a lot of space. There have been recent breakthroughs in solar technology that bounce their efficiency rating up to 40 percent. Once on the market, solar will become a power player in the energy market.
A solar array is the linking of many panels to creating a bigger unit. This obviously takes up more space. As mentioned above, large buildings would not have enough room to place the amount of solar panels needed to generate their electricity. Power companies could overcome this by creating their own solar power generators. But to generate enough energy to meet the United State's electrical needs, solar panel farms would be needed and these would take up about the space of New Mexico's desert. So, while it is unlikely that solar power will ever be the sole source of our power due to the obvious constraints, it is likely that we will move more towards a mixed-use system where the traditional electrical grid is supplemented by solar power and both systems compensate for the problems of the other.
Rick Chapo is with http://www.SolarCompanies.com - learn more about solar panels.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Chapo
http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Can-Go-Wrong-with-Solar-Panels?&id=575738
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