A Closer Look at Solar Energy Negatives
Solar Energy Negatives
do exist so we need to be aware of them if
we are considering either purchasing home
solar energy systems or to become part of
a grid connected somehow to solar energy power
plants. What are the most common Solar Energy
Negatives, which we know of?
The first one (and the most well-known) of
the Solar Energy Negatives is that all solar
energy systems are very costly to manufacture
and set up in the initial start-up stage.
To get a net energy gain from our solar energy
systems, it is necessary to continually use
these solar energy systems for an estimated
three years. Such a net energy gain means
that after three years, we start receiving
more energy than was required to manufacture
the raw materials for and set up the solar
energy systems. Unless you can afford to wait
that long to recoup your investment, you might
be tempted not to lock in your funds into
solar energy systems if those are the conditions.
The fact that it is still cheaper to use traditional
sources of electricity (particularly coal,
wood and fossil fuels) makes it difficult
to justify the very high initial investment
needed for acquiring solar energy systems.
This problem is made harder by the inability
of solar energy proponents to secure favorable
government initiatives (like subsidies) which
could help solar energy systems become affordable
for power generation and power transmission
purposes – as is being used by the traditional
power utilities now. Solar Energy Negatives
like these make it difficult to get more people
to buy into the idea that solar energy systems
can be economically feasible to own, operate
and benefit from.
One solar energy proponent believes that we
ought to become politically strong in order
to enact legislation that will promote development
and research into solar energy systems and
technologies. For this to succeed, the movement
needs a strong base of support from the public
so that legislators and government administrators
will be able to create, implement and enforce
legislation mandating continuous use of solar
energy systems. Another political tool that
can help the public gain from a switch to
and continuous use of solar energy systems
is the tax break system by which consumers
and corporations can gain reductions in taxes
by switching to and using solar energy systems.
People have to see how they can personally
benefit from solar energy systems for them
to become enthusiastic about using these.
One other way to motivate people to adopt
continuous use of solar energy systems is
for them to realize that such systems actually
help guarantee the survival of future generations
by lowering (and hopefully eliminating) fuel
emissions (which are believed to be causing
the environmental and climactic changes we
are presently experiencing. These environmental
and climactic changes are expected to worsen
if we refuse to act on the need to switch
to continuous use of solar energy systems.
There are no other ways open to us –
we must change or be wiped out by the results
of so many decades of fossil fuel usage. That
is a fact accepted by most scientists now,
regardless of their differences with one another.
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