PHOTOVOLTAICS

Before investing in Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels you must consider the Advantages and Disadvantages of installing them. Solar Electric PV

The Advantages of Solar Electric PV Panels:

• Environmentally Friendly.
• Replaces the need to be completely dependent on electricity.
• Reduces dependence on fossil fuel.

The Disadvantages of Solar Electric PV Panels:

• Photovoltaic panels take quite a lot of energy to manufacture.  Some experts believe that it can take up to 11 years or more until the energy produced by a photovoltaic panel equals the amount of energy used to manufacture them.  However, most people wanting to install photovoltaic panels intend to use them for longer than this. Unfortunately, the cost of the system makes it difficult to get a reasonable return on your investment compared to other alternatives like Solar AC and Solar Hot Water.
• Photovoltaic panels can’t be used at night for obvious reasons without some form of storage cycle – usually a deep-cycle battery which are expensive.  In areas with a lot of cloudy weather, households that depend on solar energy only may struggle.
• You need quite a few PV panels to supply enough household energy.  In Florida a 5kW or 5,000 Watt system (shown above) consists of approximately 24 each, 3 x 5 foot solar panels which are only capable of producing about $1,000 per year in electricity. At a cost of $32,000.00 without battery backup. FPL is offering a $2.00 per Watt rebate, when available, or $10,000 for a 5kW system.  You also get a 30% Federal Tax Credit.
  
  Here’s how it would work…