Solar panels allow the earth to have a breather from coal power generation and massive worldwide energy consumption. However, solar panels see a lack of public support despite the technology's power-generating capability.
Some of these issues include price, an oversupply that doesn't drive down the latter, and local infrastructure.
At one point, everyone wanted to have their solar power generating system at home. The public's positive solar panel response gave way to many solar panel technology manufacturers and innovators. Unfortunately, the high acquisition costs and unreliable technology during its peak led many to become disinterested in solar technologies.
Coal power generation is productive because it has a logistical system that engineers have perfected through the centuries. Power plants cannot store coal-generated electricity and have to anticipate market demand to provide a suitable supply. Thus, adding massive solar panel power plants to any country's grid can confuse and will take time to modify this fragile and waste-preventative system.
Solar panels have gone down in price. However, a $15,000-$25,000 system price tag isn't friendly for the ordinary family. In addition, this cost is far too much for developing nations to adopt, too.
You can read more about solar technology's challenges at Save On Energy below.
The solar energy industry has experienced a surge of growth in the past decade. In 2010, the residential installed solar capacity in the U.S. was 667 MW (megawatts). That number jumped to almost 20,000 in 2021, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). That’s a nearly 3,000% percent increase.
Solar job growth has exploded too. According to the National Solar Jobs Census, the U.S. solar industry employs over 230,000 workers as of 2020, up from about 93,000 in 2010.
But despite the massive growth of the solar industry, it may not be replacing fossil fuels anytime soon. There are still several barriers that could hold solar energy back. Here are the top three challenges facing the solar industry.
The power grid has remained largely unchanged over the past century. Now, as Americans try to go greener, the grid must be retrofitted to handle the influx of renewable energy.
A large part of President Joe Biden’s energy plan involves a major power grid overhaul as the U.S. inches towards clean energy. This feat is a nearly insurmountable challenge.
According to Forbes, Biden will have to “overhaul a sprawling electrical network that relies on tens of thousands of generators that are owned by more than 3,000 different electricity providers, a group that includes investor-owned utilities, publicly owned utilities, cooperatives, power marketers, and federal power agencies,
But with so much revenue at stake in the power and electricity industries, utility companies aren’t likely to just quietly go away. The U.S. electric power industry generated 401.7 billion dollars in 2019, according to Statista.
However, the utility companies are feeling the pressure of a renewable energy revolution. According to Grist, “Solar power and other distributed renewable energy technologies could lay waste to U.S. power utilities and burn the utility business model, which has remained virtually unchanged for a century, to the ground.” (Continued)
If you have yet to find a reliable solar panel installation team in Littleton, CO, you can always count on us at Roper Roofing and Solar. Contact us today to learn more about everything that we can do for you.
