As I was surfing the web for information regarding home solar power system, many sites that I came across mentioned mainly the advantages of getting free energy from the sun. I decided to do a blog post focusing on the negative side of the spectrum.
The following is a list of 4 damning disadvantages of using a home solar power system.
1) High initial starting cost.
The initial investment on a solar system can be very high. You need to set a budget for the Photovoltaic (PV) cells, charge controller, DC disconnect, batteries, meter gauges, power inverter, cables etc.
How much money are we talking about? If you were to engage a professional solar contractor, be ready to invest upwards of $40,000 or more.
2) Reliability issues.
A home solar power system will only work when the sun is shining. As you may already guess, there is no “on” and “off” switch for the sun. You are at the mercy of [tag-tec]Mother Nature[/tag-tec].
If you want electricity at home on a dark and gloomy winter day, you will need the support of a battery bank.
Not any location can use solar power. Solar energy may make very good sense in Arizona, but may not be very practical in Seattle, Washington. Reliability is not a strong point for solar energy.
3) Going through government Red Tape and annoying your neighbors.
In some district, you need a permit to build a solar array for your home. You have to spend time to get around the building codes.
When was the last time you dealt with a government agency? My guess is, it was a frustrating and time wasting experience. Bureaucrats are a big hassle and interacting with government officials are not the things that I look forward doing.
Some solar arrays do not look very nice. It looks out of place and ugly. Nobody really wants to look at it. If the solar panels are yours and you are reaping benefit from it, then it is okay. If the panels are your neighbors’, that’s another issue all together. In some area, putting up solar panels is prohibited all together.
4) Maintenance and upkeep.
A residential solar collector is not a “set and forget” system. It has to be maintained regularly for it to work properly.
You can either do the maintenance yourself or pay someone to do it for you. If it is a DIY system, you may have to do the upkeep yourself. There is some danger in doing this. You might fall off the roof!
So are you still keen to build your own home solar system? The list above is not to deter anyone from using renewable energy at home. It is just my thoughts, and I tried to look at it from both side of the spectrum. It is not all bad, there are equal advantages too. Many people have written about it.
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