Solar Power
My family is thinking about installing solar panels in our roof, so recently I have been thinking about how this would affect me and the advantages and disadvantages. Energy shortages are an important problem that we all need to consider. Energy sources such as fossil fuels will eventually run out, and we need to become ready to rely on renewable energy sources such as water, wind, and solar power. Solar power is of most interest to me because water and wind can be expensive for personal use and not always reliable because there isn't water and wind everywhere. But sunlight will never run out and it can be found no matter where you are (unless you're somewhere really cloudy like Seattle, where there wouldn't be as much sunlight; or the south pole because there is only a couple of hours of sunlight per day). Solar energy can be useful in places where other sources of energy are not available, such as in space. There are many important cost advantages to solar energy:
Solar cells provide cost effective solutions to energy problems in places where there is no mains electricity. Solar cells are also totally silent and non-polluting. As they have no moving parts they require little maintenance and have a long lifetime. Compared to other renewable sources they also possess many advantages; wind and water power rely on turbines which are noisy, expensive and liable to breaking down.
Advantages of solar energy
Solar energy may be expensive in the short term because silicon is so expensive to produce, but over time it may become a more viable source of power. As technology improves and solar energy depends less on silicon, it can become more common and more likely to replace traditional sources of energy. Solar power is good because it pays for itself in the long run:
Solar powered lights and other solar powered products are very easy to install. This is because there are few wiring issues and little need to ever dig supporting trenches.
Solar power is good because anyone who has access to sunlight could use it and it would save money in the future.
