Top 7 Common Myths About Solar Panels

Myth 1: Solar Power Doesn’t Work Well in Cold Climates

Fact: This isn’t true at all. Although a cold climate might imply that there is little sunlight, solar power conductivity actually goes up when placed in cold climates that have plenty of sun. The best way to calculate your potential benefit from solar power, then, is to see how much sunlight your home receives on an annual average.

In any case, remember that outside temperature doesn’t determine whether or not your solar panels will produce energy. What really matters is how much sunlight it receives and how efficiently it converts sunlight into usable electricity.

If you think solar power doesn’t work well in climates, try taking an adventure up the freezing vacuum we call space. You will see there that solar power is how some of mankind’s greatest inventions receive their energy. Not to mention, it’s belligerently cold in space.

Myth 2: Solar Power is Too Expensive for People with Low-Incomes

Fact: Solar panels require an investment. People with a low income will often invest money in their rental home, food for their families, providing basic needs, and in many cases things they don’t need such as lottery tickets. However, affordable electricity is a growing demand. When you consider that solar panels pay for themselves over time, anybody who knows how to budget and cut back on unnecessary expenses can afford solar power. Needless to say, your electric bill will go up significantly when you upgrade yourself with an electric car.

Another thing to consider is that solar power isn’t always expensive at all. If you get portable solar panels, you can charge portable devices when you go camping without much of an investment at all. In fact, some of the smallest solar panels you can find cost no more than an adapter you would use to plug into a wall outlet.

Myth 3: Solar Power Doesn’t Work at Night

Fact: Solar panels actually generate energy during the day so that it can be used both during the daytime and nighttime. This means that although the sun may not be shining at night, you can still expect to power your home using the energy harvested during the day. Solar power collects during the day can be stored in solar batteries typically made of lead acid or lithium ion.

Solar power can be harvested in some of the most surprising conditions. For example, solar panels will generate electricity even when it is cloudy. Although it may only produce 10-25% of the energy that it would with direct sunlight, it’s important to note that solar power can produce energy even when common sense might illustrate otherwise.

Myth 4: Solar Power is Unsustainable

Fact: Although it may take a long time for a solar panel to be fully charged, the amount of sunlight that hits the Earth in one minute could be used to power the world for an entire year. This means that solar power is extremely sustainable if we were to produce enough solar panels to harvest all of this energy. However, since the world’s energy is only 1% solar at this point, it is easy to see why some people will foolishly consider solar power too expensive and slow to be sustainable.

Myth 5: It’s Cheaper to Use Traditional Energy Sources

Fact: Sure, it might be cheaper in the short-term to keep paying your normal electricity utility bill which is harvested from fossil fuels. However, the truth is that you should consider solar power to be an investment which will pay off in the future. With extended use, solar power turns into a much more cost-effective source of energy. If you get a portable panel, like one of the best solar phone chargers or best solar backpacks, the price is ridiculously cheap.

Since solar power is renewable, doesn’t require a complicated process to harvest, and can be used in tandem with other sources of energy, it is difficult to argue that fossil fuel energy sources are cheaper. On the contrary, the process required for harvesting energy from coal, for example, takes manpower and a more extensive process which actually makes it more expensive. Free renewable solar energy is simply unbeatable!

Myth 6: Solar Panels Require Constant Maintenance

Fact: Not true! In general, solar panels only require minimal maintenance because there are no moving parts that can easily break down. You only need to inspect them a few times a year to make sure there is no dirt, bird poop or debris collect on them. This shall be sufficient to keep them running at top performance all the time. For routine cleaning, a standard garden hose and a long ladder will be sufficient in most of the case. As the surface of solar panels can get very hot during the day, splashing cold water on it may crack or damage the solar cells. It is recommended to perform the cleaning in early morning or in the evening when solar panels are cool.

Myth 7: All Future Energy Will Be from Solar Panels

Fact: Although many environmentalist experts might be delighted to see this happen, the likelihood of switching to renewable energy sources solely powered by the sun is probably not going to happen. Since there are many renewable energy sources such as wind and water, other techniques of harvesting energy will continue to be utilized as well as solar energy in the future.