Advantages and disadvantages of solar energy

The sun’s position on a house in summer and winter.
Source: Image courtesy of RISE

Advantages

• Solar thermal plants and photovoltaic cells do not produce greenhouse gases.
• Photovoltaic cell technology requires little maintenance.
• Photovoltaic cells can be placed on rooftops for home and certain commercial/industrial use, which leaves land (such as backyards) free to be used for other purposes.
• Photovoltaic cells are ideal for electrical generation in remote locations.
• Australia receives lots of sunlight!

Disadvantages

• It costs a lot more to generate electricity from solar cells and thermal plants than it does from fossil fuel. However, the more solar cells and thermal plants that are bought and used, the lower their costs will be over time.
• The generation of electricity from solar energy is only as reliable as the weather. If you have a rainy day, that simply means less sunlight can be collected. Other factors such as the position of the sun to the solar panel, or cloud cover could also impact the amount of electricity generated.
• Some solar-generated electricity has to be stored to have a continuous supply, for example at night. This can be done by storing the electricity in batteries, or using the energy to pump water to a storage dam where it can later be released using a hydroelectricity power plant.