The sun provides enough energy in one hour to meet the energy needs of the whole earth for one year! By installing solar panels we’re able to harness a fraction of that energy to power up our houses and businesses and it already makes a significant difference in the earth’s health status.  Although global warming is one of the biggest and most underrated concerns on our planet, lessening the impact of air pollution is not the only benefit solar power has to offer. It is not without downsides either…

Previously criticized as being costly and ineffective, more and more households and businesses have started to fully rely on solar energy as their main source of electricity as technology and knowledge improves. SunHire has done some investigation on the pros and cons of solar systems.

There are always downsides no matter the energy source you choose to analyse.  SunHire has highlighted the main advantages and disadvantages of solar power in the following points:

Advantages of Solar Energy	Disadvantages of Solar Energy
Renewable	High initial setup cost
Technology Development	Needs space
Reduced electricity cost	Production associated with pollution
Low maintenance costs	Weather dependent
Not dependent on grid	Solar Energy Storage is Expensive
Diverse application
Tax deductible by a business through SunHire

 

Advantages of Solar Energy

1. Renewable Energy Source

Of all the many benefits of solar electricity, the most important factor is that solar energy is totally renewable. It is available every day (permitting it’s a sunny one) and can be harnessed across the globe. Unlike some other energy sources, solar power cannot run out…at least not in our lifetime, or our grand-grand-grand children’s children’s lifetime! According to the guys with thick glasses and long white coats, the Sun will still exist for at least 5 billion years. Therefore, running out of sunlight is not a problem we will have to worry about for many generations to come.

2. Technology Development

Solar power technology advances constantly and will improve even more in the future. Effectiveness of solar power systems can potentially increase with innovations in quantum physics and nanotechnology and double, or even triple, the electrical input of the solar energy. Who knows, hopefully one day we will be able to harness more than just a fraction of the Sun’s energy and get rid of mainstream energy sources altogether before they become depleted.

3. Reduces Electricity Bills

There will be a significant decrease in electricity costs, whether you’re totally off the grid or just skimming off the top with a hybrid solar system. How much you save on your electricity bill depends on the size of the solar system and your electricity usage. For example, if you are a business using commercial solar panels this switch can have huge benefits, because the system size can cover large chunks of your energy bills. We can think of a thousand other things that you can spend your hard earned money on rather than on electricity!

4. Low Maintenance Costs

Solar energy systems generally don’t require a lot of maintenance. You only need to keep them relatively clean, so cleaning them a couple of times per year will do the job. Also, as there are no moving parts, there is no wear and tear. The inverter is usually the only part that needs to be changed after 5-10 years because it is continuously working to convert solar energy into electricity. Apart from the inverter, the cables also need maintenance to ensure your solar power system runs at maximum efficiency. So, after covering the initial cost of the solar system, you can expect very little spending on maintenance and repair work.

5. Not dependent on the grid

Being ‘off the grid’ or partially with a hybrid system not only means that you will save money on your electricity bill, but you will not have to depend on the national electricity supplier, our trusty friend, Eskom. Load shedding, a proudly South African initiative, is a very foreign term to the rest of the World, but remains one of the most talked about issues in the country for more than a decade. By installing a solar panel for your home or business’ electricity supply, you will not be left in the dark when loadshedding is implemented nor do you need to worry about the increase in electricity tariffs that are out of our control as consumers…and totally out of control in general!

6. Diverse Applications

Solar energy is very diverse in application. Solar systems can be used to produce electricity in areas without access to the energy grid, to distil water in regions with limited clean water supplies and to power satellites in space. Solar energy can also be integrated into the materials used for buildings. Not long ago Sharp introduced transparent solar energy windows.

7. Tax deductible for a business through SunHire

If you’re tax savvy you will know that renting to own options on business assets are tax deductible. Therefore, through SunHire only, you will be able to not only afford to save electricity on a monthly basis, but claim the whole asset amount back! Fill in our business application form and switch to solar today!

Disadvantages of Solar Energy

1. Cost

The initial cost of purchasing a solar system is fairly high. This includes paying for solar panels, inverter, batteries, wiring, and the installation. Through SunHire’s groundbreaking rent to own option, owning your very own solar system is now absolutely within reach. We believe that everyone deserves a place under the sun and we can make that possible! Click here to see how you can benefit from our rent-to-own option on solar system

2. Weather-Dependent

Solar systems are dependent on sunlight to effectively generate solar energy. Although solar energy can still be collected during cloudy and rainy days, the efficiency of the solar system drops. Therefore, a few cloudy, rainy days can have a noticeable effect on the energy system. You should also take into account that solar energy cannot be collected during the night. In South Africa, this is not a train smash for solar system owners, because unlike places like Europe or England our sunny days dominate the cloudy ones by far, even in winter. If there is a perfect continent for solar systems, Africa will be it!

3. Solar Energy Storage Is Expensive

Solar energy has to be used right away, or it can be stored in large batteries. These batteries, used in off-the-grid solar systems, can be charged during the day so that the energy is used at night. This is a good solution for using solar energy all day long but it is also quite expensive.

In most cases, it is smarter to just use solar energy during the day and take energy from the grid during the night (you can only do this if your system is connected to the grid). Luckily your energy demand is usually higher during the day so you can meet most of it with solar energy. But if your goal is getting off the grid totally, these batteries are included in our rent-to-own option through various trusted installers. Click here to see out list of high quality, approved installers.

4. Uses a Lot of Space

The more electricity you want to produce, the more solar panels you will need, as you want to collect as much sunlight as possible. Solar PV panels require a lot of space and some roofs are not big enough to fit the number of solar panels that you would like to have. An alternative is to install some of the panels in your yard but they need to have access to sunlight. If you don’t have the space for all the panels that you wanted, you can opt for installing fewer to still satisfy some of your energy needs. Click here to fill in the application form for a solar system on your own home’s roof today.

5. Associated with Pollution

Although pollution related to solar energy systems is far less compared to other sources of energy, solar energy can be associated with pollution. Transportation and installation of solar systems have been associated with the emission of greenhouse gases.

There are also some toxic materials and hazardous products used during the manufacturing process of solar photovoltaic systems, which can indirectly affect the environment. Nevertheless, solar energy pollutes far less than other alternative energy sources.

Switch to Solar Today!

There are pros and cons to solar energy, but if this article has sparked your interest, you can check out our rent-to-own guide that will help you finance your very own solar system. You do not have to break the bank in order to harness the power of the sun!

 

Sustainable energy is a buzz word that has been around for a while, but with the combination of growing technology and increased environmental awareness, it is now more relevant than ever. Harnessing the power of the sun through solar energy has become a very popular method of powering up our households and businesses. Whether it is to help make a difference in our environments or our pockets, solar power is here to stay. It is only natural to wonder how solar power works.

 

SOLAR POWER TERMS

To know how solar panels work there are some words and terms to get familiar with:

The Grid is the electricity supplied nationally by Municipalities in South Africa and by various utility companies elsewhere.

Kilowatt (kW) is a unit of power. 1,000 watt (W) equals 1 kilowatt (kW)

Kilowatt hour (kWh) is a unit of energy. It is the number of kWs used per hour – stated in other words, it is the amount of energy used to keep a 1,000 W appliance running for an hour. For example, a 100 W light bulb would use 1 kWh in 10 hours; a 2,000 W appliance would use 1 kWh in half an hour; a 50 W item would use 1 kWh in 20 hours.

Renewable energy comes from sources that cannot run out (such as the sun) or can be easily replaced (such as new vegetation being planted). Renewable energy is carbon neutral and does not produce carbon compounds and greenhouse gases when consumed. Renewable energy does not pollute the environment: it causes no air, land or water pollution.

A grid-interactive PV system is still connected to the national grid, although it draws clean energy from solar panels. This system can feed clean energy directly into the grid, lowering your dependence on the grid and decreasing your electricity bill. It also charges solar batteries for use during power failures.

Deep-cycle batteries store energy from the sun for use when the sun is not shining. They are called “deep cycle” because they can survive long periods of being repeatedly and deeply discharged to almost their entire capacity.

Photovoltaics (PV) is the conversion of light into electricity using semiconducting materials that exhibit the photovoltaic effect, a phenomenon studied in physics, photochemistry, and electrochemistry. The photovoltaic effect is commercially utilized for electricity generation and as photo sensors.

Semiconductors are materials which have a conductivity between conductors (generally metals) and nonconductors or insulators (such as most ceramics). Semiconductors can be pure elements, such as silicon or germanium, or compounds such as gallium arsenide or cadmium selenide.

Direct current (DC) is one-directional flow of electric charge. An electrochemical cell is a prime example of DC power.

Alternating current (AC) is an electric current which periodically reverses direction and changes its magnitude continuously with time in contrast to direct current (DC) which flows only in one direction.

 

SOLAR POWER EXPLAINED

Sunlight is converted into electricity through the photovoltaic (PV) effect. These solar cells are struck by sunlight on the semiconductor material, electrons are released and an electric current is generated. Several solar cells are connected to form a PV or solar panel. The more solar panels are connected, the higher the electricity output. Direct current (DC) electricity is produced by solar panels, rather than alternating current (AC) electricity. An inverter needs to be connected to these solar panels in order to change the current from DC to AC electricity which renders it useable on the grid. Solar panels are responsible for clean energy and can be used to replace or augment the national grid power or even generators. The diagram below explains how the UV light from the sun are converted into energy to create electricity to power up household appliances:

 

Source: https://investsolar.co.za/how-do-solar-panels-work/

 

BENEFITS OF GOING SOLAR:

1. Saves cost on electricity received from the grid.
2. Contributes to a healthier, more sustainable environment.
3. Not being dependent on the national grid, means that you do not experience power outages like your ‘on the grid’ neighbours.
4. Increases the value of a property.

DOWNSIDE OF GOING SOLAR:

The high initial cost of setting up a solar panel is a deal breaker for most household owners. And this is exactly where SunHire comes in to save the day! With SunHire’s asset finance program you can rent to own your own unit.

Follow the link to see HOW IT WORKS and how you can harness the power of the sun without breaking the bank.