Many people who consider switching to solar power from traditional electricity refrain from doing so because of concerns over its reliability. It is true that there are no power sources without some disadvantages, but that also applies to the traditional grid electricity, so in the fight between solar and electricity, which power source is better?
Direct and indirect
One of the biggest differences between solar power and standard electricity is of course that the former comes straight from the sun while the latter comes indirectly from a utility provider.
It makes more sense to access solar power directly from the sun’s rays than to have to pay money for it to go through an intermediary. Getting power direct from the sun offers an enormous advantage not just because it is so freely available but on account of the fact that it also drastically cuts down on how dependent your solar powered home will be on your utility provider.
Installation costs
The cost of installing a solar power system is one of the biggest factors that prevent people from investing in solar power. Homeowners have to pay the costs of buying and installing solar panels in addition to batteries and inverters.
This can seem like a major disadvantage to newcomers, but once the savings that will be brought by having reduced or even no electricity bills in the future are taken into account, that one-off investment suddenly seems a lot less costly.
Depending on the amount of power your household consumes you may not be able to entirely disconnect from the grid, but your electricity bills will definitely be much less when the majority of your power needs are being provided by your solar power system.
Renewable energy source
The sun produces solar power, which means that it is classified as a renewable energy source. That is not the case for traditional grid electricity, which is the result of the burning of fossil fuels that are fast being depleted. We will eventually have to turn to solar energy for our power needs anyway when fossil fuels run out, so why not do so before that happens?
Power supply: Continuous or interrupted?
Many people are uncertain if the installation of a solar power system in their home would be enough to give them a continuous supply of electricity, and worry what will happen if their system runs out of power. While power can only be produced when solar panels are exposed to sunlight, today’s solar power systems have dealt with this flaw by having batteries – either externally attached or internal – that can store any additional unused energy so that on days where the solar panels do not receive sufficient sunlight the stored energy will still be able to provide your home with electricity.
The majority of factors that play in the battle between solar power and electricity fall firmly in favor of the former. Solar power is the way of the future, and in addition to being better for the environment the sooner you switch the more savings you will make.
