Solar energy is the energy we get from the sun, which can be turned into electrical or thermal energy. It’s the cleanest and most abundant type of renewable energy. We can use solar technology for different purposes, like making electricity, heating water for homes, businesses, or industries, and providing light or a cozy living environment.
Even though solar energy is promising, there are still some difficulties to overcome before it can fully replace fossil fuels for generating power. Especially in developing countries, entrepreneurs are facing unexpected challenges while trying to bring solar power to more people.
In this post, we will cover the challenges of solar energy that prevent it from becoming the ultimate source of power.
Challenges of solar energy
1. Duck Curve or overgeneration
Solar power generation has a quite predictive pattern: it goes up during the day, reaches its highest point in the afternoon, and goes down as the night comes. However, the issue lies in how we use it: the times when people need the most electricity (a small increase in the morning and a larger peak at sunset) don’t align with when solar energy is at its highest.
To put it simply, the supply and demand don’t match up. Sometimes, when solar power is at its peak, we might have to turn off solar systems because we can’t store or use all the energy produced.
2. Required land space
Utility-grade solar plants need a lot of space for all their solar panels or mirrors. That is why some of the largest solar plants are usually built in deserts or large open areas. But in smaller countries with limited space, or in larger countries where there are land restrictions, it’s challenging to find enough land for solar farms without affecting agriculture.
In cities, there isn’t much space available, so using solar panels on roofs or as special glass can be a great way to make green energy right where it’s needed. As technology improves, we’ll have even more choices for rooftop solar power.
3. Transmission
Enough transmission is required to transport power to cities where people use it. Solar energy, which comes and goes, can create specific issues in how we plan and operate the transmission infrastructure. This can lead to higher costs for transmission, more traffic jams in the system, and sometimes limits on how much power can be sent when there’s not enough transmission capacity.
Because of these potential problems with the transmission, developers of solar projects must decide if it’s better to build where the solar resource is strongest or if it’s better to build closer to cities where there are fewer obstacles in the way of transmission.
4. The intensity of solar radiation
The solar radiation intensity is one of the major roadblocks to the widespread use of solar energy. This is because the strength of sunlight differs in various parts of the world. How much useful solar energy reaches a place depends on its location (latitude) and weather. The areas near the equator get the most sunlight each year, while the poles receive the least. Also, places with dry weather get more solar energy compared to those with lots of clouds.
5. Reliability
Another major concern with solar energy is that it’s not always reliable. Solar panels can only make electricity for up to 12 hours a day, with the best output happening around noon. Some solar panels have trackers to follow the sun and increase generation time, but still, they don’t produce at full capacity for most of the day.
To provide power at night, storage batteries can be charged during peak sunlight, but they are expensive, contain harmful materials, and wear out quickly because they are charged and discharged frequently.
6. Environmental risks
Using solar energy to generate electricity doesn’t produce harmful carbon emissions, which is good for the environment. However, the process of making solar panels and other related technologies can be harmful to the environment in some ways.
A solar cell is created using a material called silicon. To make silicon, we heat quartz at extremely high temperatures (1200 degrees Celsius), but this process releases a lot of harmful carbon emissions. Also, when we convert metallurgical-grade silicon into a purer form called polysilicon, it produces a very toxic substance called silicon tetrachloride.
Further, the process of making solar panels can release a greenhouse gas called nitrogen trifluoride, which is much more powerful than carbon dioxide.
Additionally, some solar panels contain a toxic metal called cadmium, and the batteries needed to store the electricity can have other dangerous metals and substances.
As solar technology improves, manufacturers might find ways to avoid using these harmful substances. But for now, these issues take away from the otherwise positive impact solar energy can have on the environment.
7. Solar panel efficiency
The efficiency of solar panels is yet another challenge of solar energy. In the desert, one square meter of solar panel can get over 6 kilowatt-hours of energy in a day. However, solar panels can’t convert all of that energy into electricity.
The efficiency of a solar panel determines how much usable power it can produce. Typically, most commercial solar panels have an efficiency of less than 25%. The higher the efficiency, the more costly it is to make.
8. Levelized cost
The levelized cost of solar energy is the overall cost of solar energy over its lifetime, including the initial expensive setup and ongoing maintenance costs. It also includes the expenses related to financing loans if taken for the solar power plant.
Conclusion
So, we have seen that solar energy has some unique problems and limitations. These challenges must be dealt with before solar power can become widely used worldwide.
However, despite these challenges, solar energy remains an incredibly valuable and practical renewable energy source. It is abundant, easy to maintain, and environmentally friendly. Solar technology is improving quickly, and these advancements are helping to solve many of the issues mentioned in today’s article. If we make renewable energy systems more efficient, we can eventually replace fossil fuels completely.
Ravi Ranjan