The disadvantage of solar energy must be properly considered.

The disadvantage of solar energy you have to study and then you can invest.

The initial cost of solar is high and access to sunlight has limitations. Climate varies and it becomes difficult to forecast the future generation of electricity.

Atmospheric conditions have a big influence. They use exotic and expensive materials. When manufacturing solar panels pollution takes place.

Efficiency is low which makes it expensive to store extra power. You need much space and solar panels do not look good when installed.

Study all the disadvantages. Then one can make the decision whether to save money and reduce the long-term carbon footprint or not.

The main solar energy disadvantages:

1) Capital cost is a major disadvantage of solar energy;

The biggest disadvantage of solar panels is the initial cost. The price of the panels, as well as the installation thereof, is very expensive.

It is difficult for many residential owners to meet the initial cost requirements.

The high capital cost though is offset by very low running cost. It is further reduced in countries where the governments assist with subsidies.

2) Sunblock;

Obstacles like trees or other sun-blocking objects can be in the way.

You can remove obstacles. Use standalone structures away from the house. Rearrange solar panels and put it into a different position.

In all instances, assure the use of correct wiring.

3) Intermittency;

At certain times limitations to sunlight exist. Climatic variations also have a big influence on constant providing of solar power.

Access to a variety of backup systems is available. When on the grid, the grid provider can be the backup.

When off-grid, batteries and diesel or petrol generators are the providers of backup.

It is a big drawback though solar panels are daylight and the sunshine only solution. When it is dark a solar panel is actually useless.

Still, we keep the glass “half full”, because sunlight is forever free.

4) Variation in climate contributes to the disadvantage of solar energy;

We can use solar energy in all types of climates, but in colder climates, the sun hours are very limited.

The number of hours of sunlight determines the size and number of solar panels to provide energy.

Less sunlight will need more panels and the initial investment can become very high.

5) Forecasting solar panel generation;

Knowing the exact amount of electricity your solar panel system will produce is not easy. This is due to the fact that we never know future weather conditions. Spot on forecasts remains impossible which is a big disadvantage of solar energy.

There are unknown weather conditions, variation in sun hours and seasonal change. Also, windy, foggy and cloudy days which make it impossible to know the exact power output of the panels.

Proper recording of weather condition in the past is important. Then you can do proper forecasting for future weather patterns.

Isometric maps are available indicating the average sun hours in the area you live in.

When using these maps it is possible to get a realistic idea of the number of solar panels to install.

This helps to overcome the disadvantage of solar energy.

6) Atmospheric conditions;

Longer periods of heat and humidity have an effect on the efficiency of solar cells. In some cases, the cells delaminate causing a further degrading inefficiency.

Pollution is a big disadvantage of solar energy;

Pollution affects the efficiency of a solar panel. This is a major disadvantage for businesses that want to install solar in polluted areas.

7) Exotic materials;

Certain solar cells like thin-film panels use materials that are rare and expensive.

They use either copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) or cadmium telluride(CdTe). Both types are very expensive.

8) Pollution when manufacturing;

Solar panels provide clean friendly energy. During the manufacturing process, they generate a significant amount of pollution.

Silicon extracted from raw materials produces large quantities of greenhouse gases. In the past, they dumped t these toxic chemicals into streams and fields near factories.

Stringent rules from governments require manufacturers to recycle these harmful chemicals. This is to prevent toxins from spreading. It can endanger the lives of people and animals and destroy nature.

9) The low efficiency of solar panels;

The efficiency of solar panels is quite low. It varies between 17 and 40%. When you look at solar panels with efficiency more than 35% it becomes costly.

Due to the lower efficiency, you need a lot of panels to generate the required amount of electric power. This leads to a large increase in installation cost.

To compare though, a typical coal-fired power plant efficiency is around about 33%.

With the rapid growth of the solar industry, fast changes in technology took place. Efficiency increased and pricing improved, it decreases the disadvantage of solar energy.

New types of solar panels like the thin film and spray on solar lead to a large improvement in levels of efficiency.

Air pollution, clouds, and fog also have a big influence on the efficiency of solar panels.

10) Solar Panels need Space;

Due to the low efficiency of solar panels, you need large areas to install enough solar panels.

Roofs can become too small and it becomes necessary to use stand-alone structures.

Larger plants for businesses and factories need several acres of land. In big cities land is expensive and it becomes a big disadvantage of solar energy.

11) Energy Storage is Expensive and another big disadvantage of solar energy;

Maintaining your batteries can is a big disadvantage of solar energy. Batteries can last for six years or more.

This is a cost we know about and we can plan for future costs.

Cost battery bank maintenance is a fraction of the cost if you keep on using the on the grid supplier.

Although the storage of solar energy can be expensive, it ensures the smoothing out in demand. It ensures the stable provision of solar power.

Fair correspondences exist between access to solar energy and our energy demand. Our demand for electricity peaks in the middle of the day. This is also the time of day when ample sunshine is available.

It reduces the amount of energy you have to store.

12) Solar panels do not look good;

It is especially so if the color of the solar panels does not match the color scheme of your house.

The modern trend is to make panels more attractive. With the right elevation above the surface, the panels blend in. It becomes much more bearable to look at while you save lots of money for years to come.

To conclude:

After considering the disadvantage of solar energy you should know the possibilities.

Remember each specific property is unique. You have to consider solar energy disadvantages.