Common Solar Energy Myths
Although using solar energy to generate power has been around for quite some time, there are still many myths associated with it. These myths often dissuade people and businesses from investigating whether solar power is a viable and worthwhile investment.
Today, we’re going to dispel three common solar energy myths. Hopefully, this will help educate people about the true advantages of installing solar power panels in their homes and business.
Let’s get to it.
Myth #1: Solar energy is super expensive
Dating back to the nineties, many people believe that the price to install solar panels is astronomical. In reality, the price of solar modules has dropped about 95% since 1977, according to an article in the Huffington Post. For a system installed in 1995, one person paid $40,000. If the same system was installed today, the cost would be about $9,000. And that’s just one example!
Myth #2: Solar energy doesn’t work in the cold
While many of our customers in Texas and New Mexico don’t have to worry too much about the weather being extremely cold, the myth that solar energy doesn’t work in the cold is widespread.
The truth here is that solar systems might actually work better in the cold! According to the article, solar PV systems loose some efficiency when the temperature hits above 70 because of how hot the modules get.
Myth #3: Solar energy isn’t very efficient
Many people believe that solar modules are only capable of converting 15 to 20 percent of the sun’s energy into electricity. While this is true, the supply of solar energy (the sun) is a nearly unlimited resource. This means we don’t have to worry about of resource wasted, like we do with natural gas or coal.
While we would like to see solar modules become more efficient, they have increased efficiency over the years. Thirty years ago the efficiency of a solar system was about 10 percent; today it’s closer to 20 percent.
So there you have it, three common solar energy myths discredited. For more myths debunked, check out the Huffington Post article here. If you’d like to learn more about solar power installations, please contact us today at solarsolutions.texas@gmail.com, or give us a call at 915-581-0461.