6 Common Solar Power Myths
If you’ve ever considered using solar power to power your home, but changed your mind, you may have been dissuaded by one of these common myths. Get the truth here…
While solar power can be a great way to save money on electric bills, as well as reducing pollution and lowering our dependence on fossil fuels, many people are still somewhat skeptical about this alternative source of energy.
A number of myths about solar power keep people from realizing its true potential. The article below discusses these myths in some detail, so that you can make a more fully educated decision as to whether solar is right for you.
1. There’s Not Enough Sunshine In My Area for Solar
America is bathed in sunlight. Solar works, even in the Pacific Northwest or the Northeast where cloudy days are more frequent — you’ll just need a bigger system…. Bear in mind, you don’t need a crystal-clear, blue sky to generate electricity. Even on cloudy days, solar electric systems easily generate 10 to 20 percent of their full capacity.
2. The Cost of Solar Is Too High
The costs associated with home solar electric systems have plummeted in recent years, mostly because of industry streamlining. In fact, solar has never been cheaper.
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……………………………………………The challenge with solar is that prepaying your electric bill requires a huge chunk of change. Because you have to pay for 30 to 50 years of electricity upfront, solar often appears outrageously expensive, at first glance.
Fortunately, in many areas, installers will lease you a system. And they’ll install a system on your home free of charge. You’ll simply pay them for the electricity the system generates for a set period, usually about 15 to 18 years. In this case, customers’ electricity bills are often cheaper than what they would have paid to utility providers throughout the life of the lease.
When the lease is up, the solar system will be yours, and all of your electricity will be free from that point on. You could easily benefit from another 15 to 20 years of free electricity, although you might need to install a new inverter.
3. Solar Module Production Takes More Energy Than It’ll Ever Produce
The energy payback for a solar electric system, including modules, inverters and associated equipment, typically ranges from one to two years.
…………………………………………..No matter where you are, you’ll never see net-positive energy from electricity produced by coal, oil, natural gas or nuclear power plants.
4. Solar Energy Requires Significant Changes in Lifestyle
Although demand will, at times, exceed the output of your solar electric system, if your system is tied to the grid (as are the vast majority of solar electric systems), your local utility will meet excess demand.
Even better: When a system produces a surplus in many states, that electricity will feed back onto the grid. If you need that electricity to meet your demands, it will be yours, free, within your billing period….
Remember: You can power whatever you want, whenever you want if you install a grid-tied system.
…………………………………………..5. I Should Wait for More Efficient Modules to Come Onto the Market
Solar module efficiency is improving, and some exciting new technologies are in development….
……………………………………………………..6. Solar Systems Rely on Ancient Battery Bank Technology
The vast majority of solar homeowners choose grid-tied systems, which require no batteries….
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Read the full article at Mother Earth News…
