Home Solar Power Advantages and Disadvantages

     Converting to home solar power is a hot topic in 2008. Everywhere in the news there is something about global warming, ice caps melting, oil prices going up, energy costs skyrocketing, etc. What can you do as a homeowner to protect yourself from these increasing home expenses? One option is installing home solar power systems.

Convert Home To Solar Power - Make A Difference

     If you live in a location of the U.S. that can take advantage of solar power, you might consider converting some if not all of your home's energy needs to solar. Even if you do not live in an area where you can completely convert your home to solar, you can support public policies to encourgage those in other areas to install residential solar power. Why? Because for every kilowatt that someone in another part of the country can save, your energy bill where you live can either not rise as fast or remain steady or even perhaps go down.

Residential Solar Power Advantages

1. Solar energy for all practicable purposes will never run out. It is completely 100% renewable.



2. Once beyond the production of solar panels and support frames etc. there are no adverse environmental impacts with using solar power.



3. Sunlight is free, it is everywhere - albeit limited in some places for certain parts of the year - and no one owns it. There would be no wars or territorial battles over sunlight. It keeps on shining no matter what government entity is in power.



4. Systems and technology already exists to make a difference now. For example, solar hot water heaters are already being in used in homes. Pools are already heated by solar panels, and some homes are already not using any power from their local electic company - they are completely off the grid.



5. Solar power is very versatile, it can used to produce electricity for lights and motors and other electrical devices and appliances, hot water, and heat.



6. Home solar units are quite portable from the manufacturer to your home making them easy to get.



7. Solar power systems for the home have very low maintenace requirements, are inherently designed to last a long time, quiet, and getting smaller and easier to "hide" on your property.



8. There are many local, state and federal grants available providing tax incentives to homeowners who install residential solar power systems. Additionally, there are some Utility companies around the U.S. that provide rebates and buyback programs for homeowners who install solar systems.

Residential Solar Power Disadvantages

1. Because the sun either doesn't shine enough, or is very weak in the sky, residential solar systems are not appropriate for every locale in the U.S. With this being the case, mass general support for solar energy will be limited mostly to those who can use it. In other words, it will take longer to get policies and programs that require solar systems to be installed passed by local, state and national governments.



2. While solar power is long lasting and makes sense to many people, nobody wants the big solar panels in their view. As an Urban Planner, this term is known at NIMBY - Not In My Back Yard. Unfortunately, until public attitudes about solar power farms changes, it will make developing photo voltaic cell stations expensive and hightly political - to the point of holding up progress for the sake of opinion, feelings, emotions versue the real good they can provide to impact the U.S. glutton for disposable energy.



3. While there are incentives to purchasing and installing residential solar power, the upfront costs are expensive which will keep many who would want to make a shift to a solar home from doing so.



4. Solar power technology only effectively works when the sun is shining. As such, storing electricity for times of no sunlight requires enormous battery space. More than probably needed space and resources are needed to produce and harness solar power because solar panels are only somewhere around 28% efficient for converting the sun's rays into usable forms of electricity and heat.

     With these pros and cons now presented, it is likely that solar power is going to continue to become an increasingly important part of the U.S. energy industry. The question is, are you going to wait to do something about it, or are you going to get started with converting your home to solar power today.

     Written By Dale Stouffer. Dale graduated from UC Davis with a bachelors in environmental policy analysis and planning. He has a passion for conservation and drives a Toyota Prius.