Is Solar Energy Cost-Effective?

In a country like ours which has so many tropical regions, we must harness the sun’s energy to our advantage. To be able to harness the sun’s energy we require an infrastructure that comprises solar panels, wiring, and inverters among other components. 

There are various advantages and disadvantages to having solar panels installed in your home. Let us look at the advantages first:

• Solar energy is a form of green energy which will automatically lower your carbon footprints.
• Some metering systems will help you sell the excess energy produced from the harnessed energy.
• It can help reduce the costs of your electricity bills over some time.
• Initial infrastructural cost is high but it is a cost-effective method if you live in an area that has exposure to the sun’s rays over long periods.

Other essential factors to consider:

• Installation of the solar panels on top of your house is expensive.
• Proper and regular maintenance of the solar panels is required to ensure they function at peak efficiency.
• Some of the system components may be subject to wear and tear and may have to be replaced after a couple of years.
• If you are in an area where the exposure to the sun is less, then it is not financially viable to invest in such infrastructure.

Several factors decide if investing in a solar energy layout is worth your investment or not. Here are some:

• Geographical area: If you live in a tropical area with a lot of exposure to the sun or high temperatures, it is viable to invest in a solar energy ecosystem so that you can generate some electricity from it. However, if you live in an area where the sun is seen only for a couple of hours, it doesn’t make sense financially to invest in such infrastructure. 

• Site viability: Not every household or site is viable to install solar panels. An engineer needs to do a site visit to approve your house or site. Only then can you consider investing in this infrastructure.

• Usage: The electrical energy produced from harnessing the sun’s energy is less as opposed to other energy harvesting systems. This means that if you completely depend on this infrastructure to run your day-to-day appliances, you might want to not invest in this infrastructure. The energy harnessed from the sun can be used on days when the electricity is not functioning but day-to-day usage is not viable.

• Maintenance: If you are a person who travels to work every day, then there’s a good chance you don’t have a lot of time to spare to maintain these solar panels. Solar panels require regular cleaning and maintenance to work properly with peak efficiency.

Final Overview

There are a lot of companies in the market working towards developing sustainable solutions to replace the use of non-renewable sources of energy. Companies like Alfa Infraprop Private Limited are working towards this goal. They aim at making our nation a green and sustainable nation.

Home-owners and site owners must consider both the pros and cons of investing in solar energy harvesting infrastructure before taking a call.