You know it as well as I do—the home solar trend is taking off, as concerns about climate change and rising electricity costs point to clean, renewable solar as a solution. And even though residential solar has never been more efficient or affordable, disturbing myths and misinformation still abound.
Here are seven persistent myths about solar energy—and what you can say to combat them.
1. Solar panels are unreliable because they don’t work at night.
No, solar panels can’t generate power in total darkness. But home solar systems frequently generate more energy during daylight hours than a home even needs, when demand is highest. This excess energy can be sent back to the grid, lessening the demand on the power utility for everyone else’s fossil-fueled electricity. Almost all states allow solar homeowners to either sell or get credit for surplus energy.
2. Solar panels are plain unattractive.
The fact that solar panels raise a home’s resale value, rather than lower it, is an indication that most people view residential PV systems as a positive. Even so, solar manufacturers are addressing such concerns with cool modular styles that blend almost seamlessly with your rooftop. Or, better yet, several brands have introduced solar shingles, a solar technology that actually doubles as your rooftop, protecting your home from the elements and generating green, renewable power at the same time.
3. Residential PV systems are hard to maintain.
Negatory. Home solar systems routinely outlive their 25-year warranties, and it takes an awful lot to overload them. With no moving parts, solar panels are extremely reliable, requiring little more than an occasional cleaning. Snow and ice simply slide off the panels almost as soon as the sun appears.
4. Solar panels add to global warming.
Any manufacturing process, including those for solar panels, requires energy, transportation, and waste disposal, but solar’s carbon footprint comes to a halt there, while other forms of energy continue to produce harmful carbon emissions year after year. Solar panels do not increase atmospheric temperature. Thermal power plants discharge exponentially more waste heat into the environment. Solar panels earn their emissions back by offsetting emissions from fossil-fuel power plants within a few years.
5. Solar panels are ineffective in cloudy areas.
The fact that Germany is the world’s largest solar market is proof that solar power can flourish in cold climates. Anyone who has ever gotten sunburned on a cloudy day can attest to the fact that clouds don’t block the sun’s energy. Additionally, the costs for conventional electricity are usually higher in cold-climate areas, making solar power a good option even under the cloudiest skies.
6. Solar panel installations will get cheaper farther down the road.
Currently, some homeowners can save up to 60 percent off the cost of a home solar system by taking advantage of rebate and incentive programs offered at the federal, state, and local level. Although the cost of installing a residential PV system is likely to decrease further in the coming years, in today’s political climate, the continuation of incentive programs is uncertain. With funding being slashed left and right, it’s well worth getting a solar assessment this year.
7. Electricity from fossil fuels is more cost-effective than solar.
It’s true that electricity from existing fossil-fuel power plants is currently cheaper than solar energy… in most areas (but not all). Many experts, however, predict financial parity for solar within the next few years. They’ve already reached it in Australia. The Energy Information Agency predicts that global energy demands will rise 53 percent from 2008 to 2035. Conventional energy costs will continue to rise as well, putting unprecedented strain on our electrical grid, and making solar a wise decision for anyone wanting to lock in low rates for the next 25+ years. In fact, if you look at the costs of electricity from a new coal or nuclear plant when it would come on-line, compared to projected costs of solar at that time, solar energy is already cheaper.
Did I miss anything?
What are some other solar myths you’ve heard, and how do you think we can we counter them? Let me know in the comments.
Rooftop solar panels via Jonsowman
With the extra energy that the panels produce during the day, which goes back to the grid, is that what offsets the usage during the night? So in essence, your energy usage at night is FREE as well as long as your panels produce enough extra energy during the day?
You forgot one:what about the house aesthetics? I don’t like all that hardware on my outside walls. My utility meter box is near the front of my house. Where will the solar panel inverter be/sit/mount? How much space does all that need to work properly.
Mr Tony Abbott of Australia claims that Solar power burns out the sun. Is this true? I’ve looked up scientific research that says so?
Tony abbot!??!
what about in the Canadian winter, would it work in Montreal, Quebec weather -20 degrees ?
Yes! Heat is a problem, not cold.
Also, just a nitpick, your reference to “overloading” solar panels really has nothing to do with maintenance. In that story they simply talk about how many appliances that home would have to turn on to consume more than they are producing. But doing so does not harm the panels in any way, and it’s certainly not “overloading” them.
Also, just a nitpick, your reference to “overloading” solar panels really has nothing to do with maintenance. In that story they simply talk about how many appliances that home would have to turn on to consume more than they are producing. But doing so does not harm the panels in any way, and it’s certainly not “overloading” them.
Here’s one I get in Minnesota – solar panels don’t work when it’s cold. In fact, solar PV is more efficient in cold weather than in hot. A cold, clear day makes my array happy!
Here’s one I get in Minnesota – solar panels don’t work when it’s cold. In fact, solar PV is more efficient in cold weather than in hot. A cold, clear day makes my array happy!
Do you have any information on how solar panels stand up to a hail storm? A hail storm here in Alabama caused $8,000 damaged to my car and destroyed many roofs in my area. Would solar panels also require replacement after such a hail storm? What is the impact to home owners insurance cost for several thousand dollars of solar panels on your roof in an area with a history of severe thunderstorms with large hail? What size hail can a typical solar panel withstand? And since we have remnants of hurricanes and full blown tornados in this area, what wind speeds can typical solar panels withstand?
US should allow the low cost solar panels to enter the US if they truly want the solar energy option to take off faster.
“Snow and ice simply slide off the panels almost as soon as the sun appears.” Ummm, not true in Vermont. I have three solar panels that run pumps, lights, and electronics in a greenhouse, and I routinely have to clear two feet of snow and ice off the three panels. Perhaps in warmer climates where winter temperatures are moderate this might be true, but when snow falls in Vermont, it generally sticks around until spring. I’d love to go solar up here, but the idea of having to clear the snow and ice off the roof every third day in the winter doesn’t thrill me. I suppose I could design an electric wiper system.
Items no 1 and no 5 is a common misconception about solar panels. Even when there’s no sunlight, solar panels can produce electricity even on cloudy days. essexsolarsolutions.co.uk/how-solar-panels-work