The Challenges of Solar Energy Mainstream Adoption
Posted on March 8, 2022
Solar is infinite, and the sun isn’t breathing its last in the next few decades or centuries. Thankfully, solar tech has gone beyond a niche renewable technology into a mainstream fact that guarantees power without the need for coal and fossil fuels. However, this doesn’t mean that solar technologies don’t have any existing struggles. Here are several challenges that solar tech adoption faces in almost every part of the world.
Huge Landmass Requirements
Open land without any aerial obstructions and shade is ideal for solar panels. For this reason, grasslands, untended farms, and other huge landmasses are the most ideal installation zones for solar farms. However, these lands are worth more than gold, so many government and NGO-initiated projects require higher funding or better ways to convince locals to aid the de-carbonization efforts.
Unusable Land
Farmers and local communities cannot use lands with solar panels because of their relative fragility. While solar panels can withstand rains, snows, and some hailstorms, it’s a massive feat to make them resistant against machine or human impact and misalignment.
Maintenance Needs
Lastly, solar panels have enormous maintenance needs. Clearing them to prevent dust and dirt from fogging up the cells is essential and requires more than just a single maintenance team. In addition, solar panel maintenance requires specialist tools for mechanical, electrical, and fundamental adjustments.
Vittana has an excellent article that indicates the challenges involved (and the benefits) of having solar farms.
List of the Pros of Solar Farms
1. They take advantage of a reliable energy resource. As far as we know, the sun is not going anywhere any time soon. Our best estimates place the current lifespan of the sun at several billion years. That means we do not need to worry about running out of solar energy, like we do with fossil fuels. Solar energy is the one form of abundant energy that we can use right now. Enough sunlight hits the planet every day to fuel the world’s energy needs, at current consumption levels, for an entire year.
2. Virtually every country can benefit from solar farms. There are certain locations in every nation that receive more sunlight than others. In the U.S., for example, one might decide that a solar farm in Phoenix is a better idea than a solar farm in Seattle. The bottom line, however, is that the sun shines everywhere on our planet. Although the far north and far south have extended periods of darkness where other energy resources would be required, virtually every country can benefit from the installation of solar farms.
3. Solar farms require very little maintenance. Once installed, the photovoltaic panels at a solar farm are very easy to maintain. Some farms may use moving parts to maximize sunlight exposure throughout the day and these components may require additional maintenance. From a standard installation, however, once the panels are installed, the occasional cleaning is all that is required to maintain high levels of productivity. (Continue reading here to learn more)
