7 Solar Power Myths Put to Shame
Written by Brittany Mauriss and Taylen Peterson
If there’s one thing green bloggers can’t stand, it’s a half-cracked solar misconception. So let’s get a few things straight. Here are the solar myths and the facts that put those myths to shame.
#1 – Myth: Solar systems only work in really hot areas of the world
Photo Credit: About.com
Busted: Not only can solar systems work in most areas of the world, but Germany, the world leader in solar energy, lies farther north than most states in the EU. While solar panels will be able to gather more energy in super sunny areas, solar energy works even for people in Alaska, where the sky is crazy dark for months at a time. So whether you live in crispy Arizona or the cold, dark corners of the upper Midwest, solar power is always possible!
#2 – Myth: More pollution is generated manufacturing solar panels than can ever be offset by solar energy
Photo Credit: Washington Independent
Naysayers are really getting sneaky with this one. Studies show that the average PV system only takes one year to offset the pollution generated by its own production. So your 30 years of fruitful renewable energy will produce totally clean power for approximately 29 of those years. Not bad at all. Plus, think about all the dirty energy that you’re not producing with conventional fossil-fueled electricity. For each clean kilowatt of solar electricity you generate, that’s 9 grams of sulfuric oxide, 16 kilograms of nitrous oxide and 600-2,300 kilograms of carbon dioxide that you – just you – are not pumping into the atmosphere. I thank you, and my future babies thank you.
#3 – Myth: Solar power is way too ridiculously expensive
Photo Credit: Pure Cash
Busted (sort-of): We’re not going to jerk you around on this one. While home solar power is still not as cheap or easy as sticking with the status quo, it does pay for itself with a little patience. Every time the industry sees another breakthrough in cell efficiency and a rise in consumer demand, solar inches that much closer to your front door. Quite the opposite holds true for traditional energy sources, however, as they will continue to increase in price and become harder and harder to come by. Think about it – with federal incentives and rebates available in every state, now is the time to get your hands on some hot photovoltaic action!
#4 – Myth: Solar power cannot contribute enough energy to meet the nation’s needs
Photo Credit: Map-a-Watt
Busted: The good thing about our sun is that it’s really, really big. All parts of our country receive enough sunlight to power both commercial and residential electricity. But OK, OK, suppose that our pristine coal mining towns of Illinois refuse to besmirch their scenic countryside with unsightly solar panels. In such a case, we’ll need to take a half-step outside the box. Good thing that a 100-by-100-mile patch of land in Nevada could generate enough solar electricity to power the entire United States of America. And that ain’t no myth.
If that area were broken up by state, that’s still only 17-by-17-mile plots of land. That space is available today in every state via rooftops, parking lots and abandoned industrial sites across the country. Whichever way you slice it, solar power makes crystal clear common sense.
#5 – Myth: If covered with solar panels, the Sahara Desert could power all of Europe
Photo Credit: BLDGBLOG
Busted (sort-of): A long running rumor, this idea was mentioned by Arnulf Jaeger-Walden of the European Commission’s Institute for Energy. He stated that less than half of 1% of the desert would need to be covered in order to power all of Europe, showing that on the surface, this myth is possible. However, the odds of it happening are quite slim. Fighting back preservation groups, getting permission from one or more countries in Northern Africa (along with continued cooperation), securing a grid in place for bringing that energy across the Mediterranean Sea and between all the countries, and determining how to govern and use that energy across multiple sovereign countries are all roadblocks to this actually happening. Our prediction? Not happening anytime soon. Look for countries to continue supplying their own alternative energy.
#6 – Myth: Solar power systems are simply unreliable
Photo Credit: WIRED
Busted: Check it out – solar electric systems run silently and contain no moving parts. Those two attributes alone give them a one-up on your sputtering old Chevy. Solar systems are rigorously tested and certified by various government and private organizations.
While you’re at it, consider motive. As part of the global green energy movement, major solar manufacturers build these systems to try to offset the (quite possibly irreversible) effects of global warming. They’re not out there to make a quick buck, seeing as parts and training are incredibly expensive. Talk to any solar installer about their work and they’ll share their passion for industry trends, exciting new developments and a love for actually educating homeowners about the intricacies of solar. It takes a special kind of contractor to care so much.
#7 – Myth: You can create your own solar panel through DIY websites
Photo Credit: Hack N Mod
Busted: Theoretically, it is possible to create your own solar panels with the proper tools and skill sets. For the average handyman, however, these two things are mutually exclusive. In order to receive the proper training needed to complete these “step-by-step” guides and obtain the tools for the job, you will have spent as much, if not more, time and money than if you had just hired a professional solar installer in the first place.
In summation, solar rules all.
THE END
Posted on October 22nd in Solar Information by Taylen.
October 22nd, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Yehey for Solar Energy! It’s true that solar energy does have the least capacity to harm the environment unlike other alternative sources of energy that may indirectly disturb ecological balances.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:14 am
Been using solar electric for 30 years now and I can honestly say it does work. Same output today as when I installed it. I started with 500 watts in 1981 and that section still makes 500 watts. It has worked so well I added another 2000 watts two years ago so now I am close to 0 watts from the grid. I live in North Arkansas now . When I lived in Alaska we installed solar power to our remote telcom sits and it works well there to.
October 26th, 2009 at 10:11 am
This is a great blog post. Solar power has been getting so much publicity lately that it seems people are looking for ways to bash this great form of renewable energy. Exposing these myths for what they are is one of the needed steps to increase wide scale adoption of solar power.
Great blog post – we’ve bookmarked it and we’ll be back for more!
October 26th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
A fine work on solar myths. More and more people are waking up to the fact that solar on their home or business makes good business sense as well as being green.
This myth busting takes a good whack at setting that straight. Very well written article, not some spam SEO crap. Great Job!
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Your myth 7 is a little bit off. It would certainly require a substantial amount of knowledge to build a photovoltaic system from scratch, but all it takes to fix damaged panels is to use an ammeter to identify working cells and the solder the working cells back together. This is something I could have done years ago when I was in high school.
The second issue is that the picture you show is a solar hot water heater. That implementation, or a truly passive solar heater, are things that can easily be constructed at home by your typical DIYer. Passive solar is incredibly basic, and old, technology. Simple South facing windows are the most basic form of passive solar systems.
Otherwise a good article. The energy information administration conducting a study and found that PV panels offset their production energy and emissions in 6-7 years, though if you found a study that says 1 year I’m happy to accept that.
November 22nd, 2009 at 1:21 pm
The current “American Dream’ lifestyle cannot be supported by any other than the “Cheap Oil Age” which is rapidly drawing to and end, as The Asian Fact competes with a highly valued Yuan against the drastically devalued American dollar for what oil remains on earth! The alterations must be made to the “American Dream” in a severe paradigm shift in America over the next few decades that will cause gut wrenching, soul searching, mind bending changes to every single American citizen, and challenge their very existence even in the new form of American to come, a super-insulation using, Earth Arc survivalist shelter housed, vegan, with smaller, lighter, battery cars, an electric bullet train transport system, Nuclear fueled, Solar powered, Tidal and Hydro juiced, Wind power sipping, group of sustainability worshiping folk, clinging to few of the old “ideals” from the past “Cheap Oil Age” and using a new currency tied to a new International Currency controlled by many countries for stability and thief proofing from fiat money printers of a past age! Solar will certainly dominate the smaller country-side collections of humble scavenger folk, the remnants of the once great hulking American Neanderthal, world dominator, now forced into extinction by his own voracious high calorie diet and lack of resources to feed it, now found only in small pockets in an America reduced to rubble by Capitalism’s flight to greener fields and higher ROI’s in Asia – To witness the beginnings of this rot in America go here for yourself and SEE: http://uprooted.jessicareeder.com/2009/09/detroit-and-the-100-dollar-house/comment-page-1/#comment-3003 The Solar Power now being wasted in the South Western Deserts of a Solar Power Rich America could save the very nation that fritters away its last few dollars clearing the way in Afghanistan for a Halliburton(Dubai) pipeline to Turkmenistan’s oil fields, to yield OPEC controlled oil and to receive in turn the same as the Iraq adventure did! The same money invested in Solar Thermal plants at home can yield Perpetual Solar Power! – for as long as the sun shines! Never to run dry, like oil fields do! But: The great stubborn ox, the Great Hulking American Neanderthal, who is facing his extinction from Asian competition, in his desperation reaches for his Military, his only tool, the thick-minded fool, and goes to war in far-away places for Arab Princes, as mercenaries, to resolve his hunger at home! No! I didn’t write that last bit wrong! This is exactly what is transpiring as we speak! Solar the answer in his back yard, he seeks oil he can never fully own, on the far side of the earth! His logic, not mine! The oil addicted asshole to the world!
January 6th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
This is all great although I see an issue or two with your post, that isn’t what my comment is about.
The question is how does one find out the numbers? How much will it cost me to install and maintain a solar power system that can provide all my energy in my not-always-sunny location. I need indisputable sources of this information.
March 12th, 2010 at 8:14 am
[...] Read Entire Solar Power Myths Debunked article here. [...]
August 3rd, 2010 at 1:04 pm
[...] in question was blog entry at Calfinder.com, a site that connects residential homeowners to solar power [...]