| What are the advantages and disadvantages of solar | | | | - More and more local governments are offering |
| energy? What exactly is solar energy? Basically, solar | | | | energy credits, rebates, and tax incentives for |
| energy just means energy that is collected from the | | | | alternative energy. |
| sun and used is to generate power such as electricity. | | | | A few of the disadvantages (no one ever seems to |
| This is just a short guide listing the benefits and | | | | talk about these...) are: |
| downsides of using solar energy to power your home. | | | | - Requires a large area to set up a solar panel system |
| Some of the advantages are: | | | | if you wish to power your entire home with solar |
| - After the initial set up costs, it's FREE power once | | | | energy. |
| you install a solar energy system on your home. Either | | | | - Solar cells only produce DC (direct current) and alot |
| you'll cut your electric drastically or the electric | | | | of energy can be lost when converting to AC |
| company will PAY you if you generate enough | | | | (alternate current) when you use an inverter so you |
| electricity. When's the last time your power company | | | | can use the power generated. |
| offered you money? | | | | - Needs direct/indirect sunlight to work. And they don't |
| - Environmentally friendly. This is what "going green" | | | | work at night so you'll need a battery backup system |
| and helping the environment is all about. You are | | | | or be tied into your local power grid for power at night. |
| conserving fossil fuels for future generations and not | | | | - The costs associated with initial set up of a solar |
| contributing to the pollution of the environment. | | | | energy system. Professionally designed and installed |
| - Solar cells (the part in the solar panels that actually | | | | solar panel arrays can cost up to $20,000 for a single |
| captures the sunlight and makes it into energy) require | | | | home. |
| no maintenance once set up. | | | | |