kirsten vanstone's List: Solar Energy

• One kilowatt-hour  (kWh) equals the amount of electricity needed to burn a 100 watt light bulb for  10 hours.
• A 1 kilowatt home  solar system installed costs about US$9000 (before any rebate programs). Prices  up to $15,000 are also possible as are lower prices depending upon a) the kind  of PV System, b) country of purchase c) how the system is purchased and d) the  surface to which the system is attached. Convert from US dollars to your local  currency to find an approximate equivalent cost in your country.
• Yes, Solar Modules  do produce electricity even on cloudy days, some 10-20% of that on sunny  days (it can vary outside this range though). Solar Systems not connected to the  electricity grid are "sized" to take account of this variation. Systems attached  to the electricity grid balance their overall energy supply with supplies from  the electricity grid.

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• Solar Energy Pros:

• Solar panels give off no pollution, the only pollution produced as a result  of solar panels is the manufacturing of these devices in factories,  transportation of the goods, and installation.

• The production of energy from the use of fossil and some renewable fuels  (e.g. wind turbines) can be noisy, yet solar energy produces electricity very  quietly.
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    One of the great pros of solar energy is the ability to harness electricity  in remote locations that are not linked to a national grid. A prime example of  this is in space, where satellites are powered by high efficiency solar  cells.

     
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    The installation of solar panels in remote locations is usually much more  cost effective than laying the required high voltage wires.

     
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    Solar energy can be very efficient in a large area of the globe, and new  technologies allow for a more efficient energy production on overcast/dull  days.

     
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    Solar panels can be installed on top of many rooftops, which eliminates the  problem of finding the required space for solar panel placement.

• Solar Energy Cons:
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    The major con of solar energy is the initial cost of solar cells. Currently,  prices of highly efficient solar cells can be above $1000, and some households  may need more than one. This makes the initial installation of solar panels very  costly.

     
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    Solar energy is only able to generate electricity during daylight hours. This  means for around half of each day, solar panels are not producing energy for  your home.

     
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    The weather can affect the efficiency of solar cells.

     
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    Pollution can be a con of solar energy, as pollution levels can affect a  solar cells efficiency, this would be a major con for businesses or industry  wishing to install solar panels in heavily polluted areas, such as  cities.

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