The Advantages of Solar energy
Reducing your electric bill and reduce your carbon footprint are the great advantages of Solar energy, both for Solar Thermal and Solar PV.
Every day the sun shines on the earth and provides us with a massive amount of energy. So much energy, that we can fulfill the entire world´s energy need for a couple of years. And there are several ways how to make use of the advantages of solar energy.
The advantages of solar energy are that it´s a clean, pollution-free and abundant energy source. With almost everything we do we require lots of energy (taking a shower, using our computer, cooking, washing). We generally do that by burning fossil fuels, a limited, increasingly expensive and polluting energy source. The main advantages of using solar energy therefor are: 
- that you slash your energy bill.
- that you reduce your carbon footprint and protect your environment, for your and your children’s benefit
Before we should talk how we to realize these advantages of solar energy, we should first understand the different forms in which this energy source delivers us its power. Initially you can make the distinction between active and passive solar systems. Active solar energy systems employ devices that convert the sun's heat or light to another form of energy we use. The three main ways this is done is by:
1. Photovoltaics or PV (direct electricity conversion which uses semiconductor (electronic) devices to convert sunlight directly to electricity)
2. Solar thermal (heat collection by conveying the sun´s heat through flowing liquids in tubes)
3. Concentrated solar power (energy produced on a large scale at a central power plant by large mirrors heating up a small surface.
With Passive solar systems you´re taking advantage of the sun´s energy by orienting your house for optimal solar energy capture or protection. Passive solar also takes into consideration the requirements for providing shade to shield your house from too much direct solar radiation and keeping it from heating up too much. .Solar photovoltaics, solar thermal and passive solar design can easily be applied to your house, allowing you to make use of the advantages of solar energy. For ap
plying passive solar, please look at our articles about Passive solar houses.
Regarding Solar photovoltaics and solar thermal, both have great advantages:
|
Advantages Solar PV |
Advantages solar thermal |
| Solar PV panels is more costly, latest price (Sep 09) is about $4.40 per watt, though a complete home made solar panel can be made below $200 | Cheaper than PV Solar. A DIY Solar Thermal panel can be made below $100 |
| Slightly lower efficiency than Thermal, generally 7%-19% | Higher conversion efficiency than PV Max efficiency achieved is about 31% |
| Long life (~20 yrs) with little or no maintenance required. | Durable systems with little maintenance required. |
| commonly used for small scale home projects like solar water heaters | Very good for small scale home based projects like solar water heaters |
| Uses mostly simple materials (except the solar cell itself) | Uses mostly simple materials which are readily available, like mirrors, aluminum, insulations etc |
| Works in diffused light conditions too, like in cloudy or hazy weather. | Works poorly in diffused light conditions because haze or fog inhibits more infrared radiations coming from sunlight. |
So the question should not be ´which system´ is suitable for your house, both solar PV as solar thermal panels will contribute to reducing your power bill. When you want to install solar panels on your house and making use of the advantages of solar energy, consider doing this yourself. There are great guides available that will help you realize this at the lowest possible cost (you can already build a home made solar panel for less than $200 and a DIY Solar Thermal panel for less than $100 ).
Check for our review on the best guides for DIY solar panels or our review on the best guides for making DIY Solar Thermal
