The abundant availability of solar energy provides great opportunities for the growth of the solar power industry. Moreover, solar technology can use solar energy for multiple purposes, such as generating electricity, heating water, providing a comfortable interior environment, etc. However, the most attractive feature offered by solar power is that it is completely sustainable and leaves zero carbon footprint.
Despite the benefits of solar power systems, industries face multiple problems producing and setting up solar panels. The most common challenges are discussed in this blog.
Solar Radiation Intensity
One of the greatest barriers to the widespread use of solar electricity is the intensity of the sun’s radiation. The intensity keeps changing according to the geographical location of a place. The poles receive the least amount of solar radiation each year, while the equator receives the most. Climates that are dry receive more solar radiation than those that are cloudy. Moreover, the amount of usable solar energy that is incident at any given area depends greatly on its latitude and climate.
Solar Panel Efficiency
Solar panels use photovoltaic effects to convert sunlight into usable electricity. However, the panels are able to convert only 17% to 19% of the captured light into electricity. This means nearly 80% of the solar energy gets wasted during the process. Therefore, industries need to develop solar panels that offer high efficiency so that more units of power can be generated from every single panel in the solar system.
Reliability
Another significant issue faced by solar panel manufacturers is the reliability of solar electricity. A solar panel can produce electricity merely for a maximum of 12 hours daily. Moreover, it reaches its maximum output briefly around noon when the sun’s rays are highly intense.
To solve this issue, solar manufacturers provide trackers to rotate the solar panels in the direction of the sun. However, this system also depends on the intensity of sunlight, which is maximum during noon. Another way to get access to solar power when the sun is not out is storage batteries, which charge during the day to provide an uninterrupted power supply at night.
Requirement of Land
Although solar panels can be installed on rooftops to meet domestic power requirements, large-scale solar power production requires a vast land area free from shading. This brings challenges for small countries with limited open areas or large countries with open areas reserved for farming or agriculture. However, to solve this problem, manufacturers have developed solar panels that can be installed on water bodies.
Environmental Concerns
Although solar power generation creates zero pollution, the manufacturing process of solar panels and storage batteries leads to environmental degradation. Nitrogen trifluoride, a common byproduct of solar cells, is more dangerous than carbon dioxide. However, manufacturers all around the world are labouring hard to develop more environmentally friendly ways to develop solar panels.
Conclusion
Similar to any industry, solar also faces multiple challenges. However, leading manufacturers like Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy are taking steady steps to tackle all the problems relating to solar power generation to restore the disturbed atmospheric balance.
Originally published at http://realestateandepc.wordpress.com on October 27, 2022.
No comments:
Post a Comment