Have you been thinking about changing your power source over to renewable energy? I have also listed some of the Solar Energy Cons. A person can’t sincerely arrive at an honest conclusion without acknowledging the advantages and minuses. You should check into every aspect of changing over before approaching to your ultimate conclusion.There are more Pros that are not listed here that may or will not be essential to you depending upon your stance regarding the environment.

* Solar energy is a renewable resource. It doesn’t induce pollution while you generate it.
* Sunlight, unlike fossil fuels is all over, all though it is not evenly dispensed throughout the world. Solar energy can be made anywhere, even when there are no local utility supplier, therefore you are able to have power in inaccessible areas.
* With the correct resources, the components necessary to construct a solar system can be bought or produced rather inexpensively
* The nicest matter about solar power is that it’s costless to all.
* The engineering in use to implement solar radiation as energy to get electricity, heat, and mechanical power currently exists
* Solar systems possess no moving elements and can last numerous years.
* You don’t require fuel to be delivered to your home, and you will never run out.
* Granted the correct data, it’s almost always possible to forecast the amount of power a solar energy system will give.
* The systems are silent and becoming more and more unnoticeable.
* You will be able to qualify for financial incentives from the government to assist with paying for your system and also get tax breaks while it is in use.
* Using solar energy means one less home burning fossil fuels, and reduces the creation of greenhouse gas.

Solar Energy Cons

I’ve listed the Cons for using Solar Energy as well. Although there aren’t many disadvantages, they should still be weighed in.

* If you don’t know where to get the components at a discount, the original costs can be kind of high.
* Solar panels can require a lot of space. That’s why the roof is the optimal location for them to be set up.
* You can’t generate solar energy at nighttime, so you need a way to store it. Batteries are a good energy storage choice. With the right information, you can purchase batteries for as low a $10 apiece or even free!
* Bad weather conditions can impact the amount of energy generated.

As you can see the Solar Energy Pros overbalance the Solar Energy Cons. If you are worried about the environment and you also acknowledge the income saving potential of using solar power, then this can be a good path for you to choose. I think that someday in our lifetime, solar power will become a more popular choice. By harnessing the power of sunshine, the Earth could change for the better one home at a time. Besides, our grandchildren will appreciate it.

Solar water heaters can be used to heat swimming pools and spas.

In a solar pool-heating system, the existing pool filtration system pumps pool water through the solar collector, and the collected heat is transferred directly to the pool water. Solar pool-heating collectors operate just slightly warmer than the surrounding air temperature and typically use inexpensive, unglazed, low-temperature collectors made from specially formulated plastic materials. Glazed (glass-covered) solar collectors are not typically used in pool-heating applications, except for indoor pools, hot tubs, or spas in colder climates. In some cases, unglazed copper or copper-aluminum solar collectors are used.

In residential applications where the goal is usually to extend the swimming season into spring and fall, heating a swimming pool with solar energy requires a solar collector that is 50% to 100% of the surface area of the pool. In general, adding more square footage lengthens the swimming season and allows owners to use the pool in colder weather. A pool cover or blanket significantly reduces heat loss in a cost-effective manner and helps maintain warm temperatures for long periods.

A solar pool-heating system costs between $2,000 and $10,000 to buy and install, depending on size. Costs run between $7 – $12 per square foot depending on system design and collection type. This provides a return on investment between 1.5 and 7 years, depending on the cost of the auxiliary energy being displaced.

Maintenance of solar pool-heating systems is minimal. The systems are pre-engineered and can be sized for any pool by simply adding additional solar panels to obtain an adequate solar collector area.

The only moving part on a solar pool-heating system is the diverting valve. This valve controls when the water circulates through the collector loop. If the collector temperature is sufficiently higher than the temperature of the water in the pool, water is diverted from the filter systems through the collector loop. The water bypasses the solar collectors during the night or cloudy periods. Some smaller systems are operated manually or with timers. Larger systems are operated by electronic sensors and controls.

Just as solar energy can heat the water for a building, it can also heat and cool the air.

Space Heating

A solar space-heating system can consist of a passive system, an active system, or a combination of both. Passive systems are typically less costly and less complex than active systems. However, when retrofitting a building, active systems might be the only option for obtaining solar energy.

Passive Solar Space Heating

Passive solar space heating takes advantage of warmth from the sun through design features, such as large south-facing windows, and materials in the floors or walls that absorb warmth during the day and release that warmth at night when it is needed most. A sunspace or greenhouse is a good example of a passive system for solar space heating.

Passive solar design systems usually have one of three designs:

• Direct gain (the simplest system) stores and slowly releases heat energy collected from the sun shining directly into the building and warming materials such as tile or concrete. Care must be taken to avoid overheating the space.
• Indirect gain (similar to direct gain) uses materials that hold, store, and release heat; the material is located between the sun and living space (typically the wall).
• Isolated gain collects solar energy remote from the location of the primary living area. For example, a sunroom attached to a house collects warmer air that flows naturally to the rest of the house.

For more information about passive solar space heating, visit the EERE Passive Solar Heating, Cooling, and Daylighting page.

Active Solar Space Heating

Active solar space-heating systems consist of collectors that collect and absorb solar radiation combined with electric fans or pumps to transfer and distribute that solar heat. Active systems also generally have an energy-storage system to provide heat when the sun is not shining. The two basic types of active solar space-heating systems use either liquid or air as the heat-transfer medium in their solar energy collectors.

Liquid-based systems heat water or an antifreeze solution in a hydronic collector. Air-based systems heat air in an air collector. Air-based solar heating systems usually employ an air-to-water heat exchanger to supply heat to the domestic hot water system, making the system useful in the summertime. Both of these systems collect and absorb solar radiation, then transfer the solar heat directly to the interior space or to a storage system, from which the heat is distributed. An auxiliary or backup system provides heat when storage is discharged. Liquid systems are more often used when storage is included.

Here is a summary of the many different types of active solar space-heating systems:

Medium-temperature solar collectors are generally used for solar space heating. Solar space heating systems operate in much the same way as indirect solar water-heating systems, but they have a larger collector area, larger storage units, and more complex control systems. They are also usually configured to provide solar water heating and typically provide 30% to 70% of the residential heating, or combined heating and hot water, requirements. Active solar space-heating systems require more sophisticated design, installation, and maintenance techniques.

• A very economical, but specialized space heating system is based upon use of transpired air collectors, mounted as an exterior cladding on a south-facing wall. These systems are used for ventilation preheating. This system heats only outdoor air. These collectors are unglazed, and a blower or fan is used to draw air through perforations in the wall to deliver ventilation air into the building. Solar ventilation air preheating systems are generally used in commercial and industrial applications that require large quantities of ventilation air, including: a) buildings that require much outdoor ventilation, such as warehouses, large manufacturing plants, and airplane maintenance hangars; b) crop drying; and c) pre-heatingof boiler combustion air.

Space Cooling

Cooling and refrigeration can be accomplished using thermally activated cooling systems (TACS) driven by solar energy. These systems can provide year-round utilization of collected solar heat, thereby significantly increasing the cost effectiveness and energy contribution of solar installations. These systems are sized to provide 30% to 60% of building cooling requirements using solar, with the remainder usually dependent on TACS fueled by natural gas. The TACS available for solar-driven cooling include absorption systems and desiccant systems. Generally, solar cooling is not used because of the high initial costs of TACS and the solar fields needed to drive them.

• Solar absorption systems use the thermal energy from a solar collector to separate a binary mixture of an absorbent and a refrigerant fluid. The refrigerant is condensed, throttled, and evaporated to yield a cooling effect, which is then re-absorbed to continue the cycle. Double-effect absorption systems (which use the heat twice in series) are about twice as efficient as single-effect systems, but require significantly higher input temperatures. Because of the high temperature requirements of absorption cooling systems, evacuated-tube or concentrating collectors are typically used.
• Solar desiccant systems use thermal energy from the solar collector to regenerate dessicants that dry ambient air; they then use that dry air in indirect and/or direct evaporative stages to provide cooled air to the load. The solar heat is used to regenerate the desiccant, driving off the absorbed water. Some systems use flat-plate collectors at intermediate temperatures.

Solar energy systems with battery storage are being used by businesses and residences all over the world to power a wide range of building equipment, lighting, appliances, computers and communications equipment. In general, these systems are best for applications in which backup power must be instantly available without interruption (for example, to power computers). They are also good for remote applications in which utility power is not available and a generator is not desirable.

	Component
	Solar Panel
	Inverter
	Battery
	ChargerBattery
	Auto-Transfer

An inverter is necessary for applications in which the DC power from a battery must be converted to AC. Although a small amount of energy is lost in converting DC to AC (typical inverter efficiencies are in the range of 90 to 95%), an inverter makes PV-generated electricity behave like utility power to operate everyday AC appliances, lights, and electrical equipment. Please note that you will need a special type of inverter if you want a battery backup system. For safety reasons most grid-tied inverters are designed to shutdown completely if there is a power failure

Solar energy systems with batteries operate by connecting the PV modules to a battery, and the battery, in turn, to the load. During daylight hours, the PV modules charge the battery. The battery supplies power to the load whenever needed. A simple electrical device called a charge controller keeps the batteries charged properly and helps prolong their life by protecting them from overcharging or from being completely drained.

Batteries make solar energy systems useful in more situations, but also require maintenance. The batteries used in PV systems are similar to car batteries, but are designed for deep cycling use in which a larger percentage of the capacity of the battery is used each night (and then fully charged up each day). Batteries designed for PV projects pose the same risks and demand the same caution in handling and storage as automotive batteries. The fluid in unsealed batteries is highly corrosive, levels should be checked periodically, batteries must be appropriately ventilated, and batteries should be protected from extremely cold weather. In practice we have found that when properly maintained batteries last for about 5-8 years, after which their capacity is significantly diminished.

A solar generating system with batteries supplies electricity when it is needed. The amount of electricity that can be used after sunset or on cloudy days is determined by the output of the solar energy modules and the storage capacity of the battery bank. Including more modules and batteries increases system cost, so energy requirements (both in terms of peak loads and the average duration of the loads) are carefully studied to determine optimum system size. A well-designed system balances cost and convenience to meet the needs of the particular application, and can be expanded if those needs change. Nevertheless, battery backup PV systems are typically more expensive, and have higher maintenance costs than simpler grid-tied systems.

There’s nothing wrong about being organized for emergencies. In the present economy, nothing is certain: jobs, food, even utilities. Because of this fact, people are now opting for solar powered homes. You don’t need to be wealthy and famous to use solar energy since the solar systems are more within your means these days.

There are advantages in using solar energy for homes. How much are you spending for electricity bills every month? Many residents have empty pockets because of the expensive electricity expenses. One way to lessen your bills is by going with solar power.

You don’t need any wiring if you use solar energy systems. For illustration, for your garden lights and water features, you can make use of solar energy. Most of the devices have night sensors and you no longer have to be concerned about turning them off. Solar lights are easily to be had and you will just need to take them out and set them in the right location where you want to get some good light.

Solar energy is environment friendly. It is an excellent form of renewable and clean energy. You won’t contribute to pollution unlike fossil fuels. By using solar energy systems like the solar cooker, solar thermal systems, and solar generators, you can cook without emissions.

During the opening phase of using solar energy, you will need to pay out money. Just think of it as an investment where you can profit in the long run. With less than $500, you can already use solar energy in your home. Solar energy is free of charge since you will use the sun’s power to make electricity. You can make use of solar lights, solar panels, etc. Don’t cut off your conventional electricity supply even when you’re already using solar energy. It’s not always sunny all throughout the year and so you will need conventional electricity during rainy days. The paramount thing about solar power is that you can reduce your monthly electric bills. If you can switch your home into a full solar energized house, you can surely profit significantly and you will not be anxious even if fuel prices grow.

Power outages usually take place when there are troubles but as long as you have solar power, you can benefit from using electrical appliances continuously. For those who are interested in solar energy, you can start off with undemanding projects like the water features and lights in your garden. These features are simple to develop and you won’t need any wiring.

In all you find here on Earth, there are advantages as well as drawbacks. True enough, solar energy has many advantages but you also need to look into the disadvantages. You need to think over things first before you consider opting for a solar powered home.

These days, you can easily acquire solar power gadgets like flashlights, pool purifiers, ventilators, mosquito inhibitors, heaters, fountain pumps, radios, lighting, and many others. Get ready to spend for the solar energy devices but don’t be troubled. After several months, you will start saving a lot of cash on your monthly bills. Think of it as a one-time investment and in the future, you can unquestionably benefit. buy solar panel with payday loan service