In recent times, much has been talked about about the use of solar energy and all its benefits in general. However, the big question is the use of solar energy beneficial. Does it have any disadvantages? How does it work? Solar energy refers to the use of energy that comes from the sun to convert it into another source of energy that is useful to us, such as electrical energy. Talking about solar energy is talking about thermal energy and photovoltaic energy, which are created from the sun's rays. Although the initial investment that is required to install a renewable energy system is high, once the solar panels or the photovoltaic kit have been properly placed, there is a considerable saving in the electricity bill. Sometimes, depending on the case, one may even get to resell the excess electricity that is generated by the national provider. Knowing the real savings that will be realized is as simple as calculating the annual expenditure with the use of the traditional electricity grid and comparing it to the expense that will be incurred with the installation and maintenance of the solar panels. Once the installation of the panels has been amortized, everything else will be saved. We commented previously that to make the installation of solar panels it is necessary to make an important initial investment. The cost of the same will, of course, depends on the number of solar panels to be installed and the types of solar panels since they are all different. The reality is that although the amortization of this installation is done in a few years, it must have initial money that not everyone has access to (Siegel, 2014). For this reason, other types of cheaper installations have been created, such as solar energy kits. Dangerous components - As with many modern electronic appliances and appliances, solar collector panels have components and systems that can fail. This includes switches, fuses, and wiring. If any of these parts fail, it needs to be replaced quickly with new parts that match the panel's standards and requirements. Failure to comply with this technical standard may result in damage including electric shock and fire. Toxicity - Although much is said that solar energy is completely safe for the environment, the truth is that each solar panel is made of chemical materials such as arsenic and cadmium, in a process that generates many toxic byproducts such as hexafluoride, sulfur, and silicon tetrachloride. These products are not only dangerous for the environment, but also for humans and domestic and wild animals (Philip, 2014). Earthing - Whether one’s solar panel is connected to an existing network or is independent, it must be grounded. If one skips this safety rule, one’s solar panel may have an electrical malfunction and therefore, cause damage to one’s electrical appliances and even a fire. Electricity - The excess electricity generated by a solar panel is usually stored in a battery or a group of batteries that are kept inside the house. This poses serious risks since these batteries are capable of storing up to 600 volts of direct electrical power and can remain charged even after they have been removed from the energy collection system. The mishandling of said parts and the inadequate connection between them and the energy capture system could be the cause of electrical damage, fires, and even the death of human beings and animals. The danger of fire - Fire is a latent risk when it comes to solar panels and solar collection systems, especially since the very different scenarios in which they are placed could contribute to the generation of fire. A loose or poorly connected wiring an inadequate ground connection or the use of spare parts that do not match the specific unit could cause a fire. Besides, spontaneous combustion may occur, either from the parts within the collector or in the surrounding environment, due to the high levels of heat produced by the device. Smoke and toxic byproducts are also produced depending on the areas affected by the fire. The fact of only thinking that we can have electricity thanks to solar rays makes us undoubtedly face a very particular type of system that undoubtedly has several advantages. Some of the most notable are: caring for the environment is the most important advantage and the reason why many people finally decide to shift from the use of traditional electricity to the use of renewable energy. And it is that the renewable energies of general form have the particularity that they do not contaminate. This allows then that every time we are converting the energy of the sun into electrical or thermal energy, we will produce a type of energy that has a very low environmental impact (Rom, 2012). All this is due to the fact that for its production and transformation no fossil raw materials are used at any time that could cause the famous combustion and with it the general contamination. Inexhaustible energy: it is easy to think that when making use of solar energy, we are facing a source of energy that is inexhaustible. The sun comes out every day, although it does so with more or less intensity depending on the month of the year in which we are, that's why one does not have to worry about the amount since it never ends (Friis, 2012). We must also take into account at this point, that even on cloudy days our system can capture the sun's rays to convert them into electricity or heat. Generally, the hours of greatest solar intensity are from 11 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon, more than enough time any day to capture the sun's rays for conversion. Easy installation and maintenance: Although the ideal is always to have the advice of expert technicians, there are some facilities that can be done by the user in their home. These are the so-called solar energy kit, which comes with all the elements and instructions prepared for installation. Even so, we always recommend the advice of a technician since one will know exactly which is the best place to place the solar panels, for example using a solar chart, where one will be marked in which space one receive the sun's rays with greater intensity (Ozzie, 2012). On the other hand, it should be noted that if the correct maintenance is followed, the duration of the installation can be much longer than expected. Generally, maintenance is very simple and is based on being able to check all the elements and give the care they need. Low yields: sometimes, one can find facilities that for different reasons have a very low performance reaching a third of the energy they could produce with one’s system. For this reason, many people have a mixed type of installation, that is, they use solar energy, but when they reach a stop, they connect to the traditional electricity grid. Proper installation: if the installation of the solar panels is not adequate, the investment will be of little use, since all the benefits of solar energy will not be obtained. For this reason, it is recommended to have the advice of an expert to help us with this and to carry out a preliminary analysis of the space where the installation will be carried out since it may sometimes be impossible to install it (Welsh, 2014). Inability to accumulate energy: If one does not have the right accessories to accumulate energy, then the whole installation will be of little use. There will be a saving in the electricity bill, but self-supply, which is why the vast majority of people are thrown into renewable energy cannot be applied. That is why not only need to have to make a good installation but also invest in good storage batteries. We hope that with all this information one has been much clearer about the advantages and disadvantages of solar energy. Although it has some drawbacks, for us it continues to prioritize all the benefits it offers.
Conclusion
Beyond the fact of being able to obtain electricity or heat, the reality is that solar energy has become one of the renewable energies that are most used in the world, mainly for all its advantages and since it is a system that any individual could install in their own house.
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References
Friis, R. H. (2012). The Praeger handbook of environmental health: Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.
Ozzie, Xehner. (2012, September). Alternatives to alternative energy [Interview]: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 68(5), 1–7.
Philip, R. B. (2014). Environmental issues for the twenty-first century and their impact on human health. Sharjah, UAE: Bentham Science Publishers.
Rom, W. N. (2012). Environmental policy and public health: Air pollution, global climate change, and wilderness. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Siegel, F. (2014, June). The poverty of environmentalism: Society, 51(3), 258–261.
Welsh, T. (2014). The future of energy production: U.S. News Digital Weekly, 6(18), 16.
