Correcting Misconceptions about Solar Panels

Lets recap the truth about solar panels. The sun is undoubtedly the single greatest source of energy in the solar system, and man as of late has learned how to harness it for generation of electricity through the use of solar panels. Solar power is growing every single day, with experts slowly learning how to make efficient solar panels that can gather as much sunlight as possible. Yet there are still many people who remain skeptical about solar energy, believing several misconceptions ranging from unreliability to costs.  If they could only be clarified on these misunderstandings, then there’s a good chance they’ll be requesting solar quotes by now.

Solar Panel Reliability

One of the more prominent fallacies about solar energy is that it is unreliable. People who refuse to acknowledge the potential of the sun as a reliable source of energy dismiss solar energy as intermittent and thus, cannot be relied upon for long-term consumption. The truth is solar energy is constant as the sun rises every single day, especially for a country like Australia that gets a lot of sunlight.

The issue of reliability can also be associated with the misconception that solar energy is only practical in warm countries. Again, this misconception is far from the truth. In fact, solar panels are more efficient in converting sunlight to electricity under lower technology. A prime example would be Germany, which is not exactly know for it sunny weather yet leads the world with more than 7GW installations recorded in 2010.

Solar Panel Costs

Solar panels placed in rooftops are often mislabeled as anti-poor, with a recent electricity industry report claiming that poor people were partly paying for people who can afford solar panels. The said report noted that households with solar panels consume less electricity and thus, pay a smaller percentage of total network costs.

In truth, there is no study which proves that rooftop solar reduces total electricity demand. Although the use of solar panels by millions of households and businesses across Australia may have contributed to the reduced electricity demand, other factors like closures of manufacturing plants and increased public awareness on the urgency to be energy efficient may prove to be more significant.

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Remaining On- Grid

Countless home owners as well as business owners who are contemplating on installing solar power systems fear that they will be cut off from the electricity grid once they have invested on this renewable electricity infrastructure.  But what they don’t realize is that most solar panel systems installed at homes these days are still connected to the main electricity grid.  This means that they can still access electricity delivered by power stations particularly during instances when conversion efficiency of the solar panels is poor.

Homes and offices that remain on-grid can be assured of stable power supply. The generated electricity from the solar cells can offset the electricity accessed from the grid. Thus families and workers can enjoy uninterrupted electricity all the time.

Solar panels and systems can only improve our electricity infrastructure, enabling us to get cheap and constant energy all the time.  Now that these concerns have been clarified, why not request for solar panel quotes and consider installing solar panels in your home?

The Author

I took an interest in the Australian energy sector close to ten years ago and since then have monitored the trends, technologies and direction of the Australian Energy Market. I was drawn to the Australian solar market in 2008 and since then have worked heavily in the field. I am partnered with national and international solar energy companies, from manufacturers of solar panel and inverter technology, online software developers that introduce tools to quote, monitor and manage solar power systems and media organisations who like myself, closely monitor the solar and renewable energy sector.