The Pros and Cons of Solar Power

Are you thinking about installing solar power at your home? Solar panels can offer lots of benefits, including lowering your energy bills and reducing your carbon footprint. However, before investing in solar technology, it's a good idea to consider its suitability for you and the costs involved. We take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of solar power.

 

Advantages of Solar Power

There are many advantages to installing solar power at your property, including saving money on your bills and helping the environment.

Lower Power Bills

When you have solar panels, you are effectively generating your own energy. This means you don’t need to buy power from the grid and you can power your own appliances without any out-of-pocket daily expenses. If you have the capacity to store energy, such as a battery, you can also use your own solar power overnight.

Reduce Carbon Emissions

Most of the time, when you purchase energy from the grid in Australia, that power will have been produced by coal. Burning coal creates carbon emissions which have a significant impact on the planet, contributing to global warming and climate change. When individual households choose to generate their own power with solar panels, it reduces the reliance on the coal fired grid and lowers your carbon footprint.

Sell Excess Power

Solar panels are great at producing energy- so good, they can sometimes produce more than the average household needs. If you are generating excess power through your solar panels, you can sell it back to the energy grid and receive compensation called a 'feed-in tariff'. These tariffs are set by energy retailers and help offset the cost of your power bills.

Low maintenance

Once you install solar panels, you don't need to do a lot to keep them operating well. Every six months it's a good idea to give them a clean to make sure they can work as well as possible.

There is also the option to have them professionally inspected every few years by the supplier or a recommended maintenance company.

 

Disadvantages of Solar Power

Although solar power comes with many benefits for households, there are some potential downsides to consider before installing solar panels on your property.

Upfront costs

While solar power can save you money in the long run, there is the original expense of installation to consider. Paying for the panels can be expensive for households on a budget, and it can take months before the investment starts to pay off in lower bills. However, there are subsidies and government programs to help- check out the options in your state.

Suitability of your property

You might love the idea of solar panels, but unfortunately they are not suitable for everyone's property. To work efficiently, solar panels need plenty of sun exposure, which can be tricky if you live in a high density area overshadowed by other buildings. Check if your property is the right fit for solar panels before committing.

Loss of efficiency over time

Like any technology, solar panels wear out with time. Although they are built to withstand the elements and to continue working for years, their efficiency will deteriorate in the long run and they may eventually need replacing.

Expensive to store energy

Today, most people who install solar panels want to be able to rely solely on their own generated power, which requires the use of batteries for energy storage. However, batteries are still very expensive compared to the lowering costs of solar panel technology.