Introduction to Solar Energy in the USA

It is examined that the solar energy industry is moving towards development day by day but still some major obstacles are needed to get solved immediately to replace the solar energy from fossil fuel. Primarily, the major problem is the current energy infrastructure of the USA that is slowing the pace of solar energy growth in the country. The power grid system of the USA including the poles and wires is been used from more than a century and lacks the efficiency to store the solar energy power. Also, the traditional network is effective to generate electricity from fossil fuels but using the same network of traditional poles and wires for renewable energy is not possible.
Another issue is the inefficiency of the solar panels that are installed in the USA. it is believed that the transfer of sunlight to the Earth is enough to generate the power for the whole year but unfortunately the incompetency of these solar panels just transfer twenty to twenty-five per cent of the sunlight into electricity. The researches have proved that the most efficient panels that are available in the market have the ability to convert only thirty-five per cent of sunlight into electricity. it is believed that the inefficiency of these solar panels is the biggest challenge for the solar power industry that needs to overcome immediately.
The installation cost of solar power systems has declined considerably in the past few years. The solar energy industries association presented a report in which it stated that solar energy had become around 60% cheaper as compared to 2011. However, despite the declining cost of solar energy, the investments in such projects have decreased. The report produced by Bloomberg new energy finance revealed that investments in the clean energy projects have declined about 21% while in the US, the total investments in clean energy, as of 2014, is merely 254 billion.
Energy expert forecasts that to address the challenges of global temperature change and global warming, annual investments of $500 billion would be required by the end of 2020 and $1 trillion near 2030. The researchers claim that solar energy in the USA can not feasible alternative to the fossil fuels until the barrier of investment, traditional power grid, and solar panel’s inefficiency is not overcome by the USA government.

Issues of Solar Energy in China

The most significant issue in China’s solar power industry is the repeated fault of solar panels. In the last few years, the damages in the solar panels have significantly decreased the production of electricity in China. The report published by Bloomberg stated that around one-fourth of the country’s solar panels are below the standard and do not meet the technical standard requirement of the country. Moreover, the investors of the projects have experienced a delay in the interconnection which resulted in the reduction of installation by 3 gigawatts in the year 2014 in contrast to the levels of 2013.
Another major hurdle in the growth of China solar power industry is the dynamic competition from the coal industry. The struggle of the solar power industry to gain access over the power grid has slow down the national consumption of electricity. the Chinese government data presented a report which stated that around 10 per cent of the country’s solar production was restricted at the start of 2015 due to grid limitation. It is also mentioned in the report that around one-fourth of the solar energy production was unable to have access to the network of Gansu province. Also, a 19 per cent reduction in electricity was experienced in the province of Xinjiang. It is analyzed that China has also faced similar problems in wind producers while having a connection to the grid.

Pros of solar energy

The significant advantage of solar energy is that it is a renewable source of energy. It can never get inadequate despite using for years. The solar radiation that is gained by the Earth is 20,000 times greater than what is required to supply the whole world. Also, solar energy is sustainable which means its overconsumption cannot affect the need for the future generation. The most significant advantage of solar energy is that helps to maintain the friendly environment of the Earth and can be consumed in cheaper rates than fossil fuels.

Cons of solar energy

One of the foremost disadvantages of solar energy is that it is too much expensive and out of reach from the purchasing power of a middle-class man. In addition to that, the regular users of this technology have claimed that the supply of solar energy is irregular most of the time. It is also important to note here that before buying the solar energy or even thinking about purchasing it, one should be very much clear about the capacity it requires for the installation together with the charges of installation. Besides all, solar energy comprises of the panels that contribute a major role in the pollution. Although solar energy is one of those blessings of science and technology that have allowed the population at large to take advantage of solar light in their daily life, unfortunately, there should be some remedies too for the disadvantages discussed to continue the use of this technology for a longer period.

Technology with multiple choices

House or company owners, who have a desire to invest in solar energy, have drastically failed for choices in the market. The solar power sector has seen fast progress based on numerous innovations and developments achieved by engineers and researchers. They have consistently been looking for innovative solutions to cater more efficient, more powerful and more productive solar panels at lesser costs. In recent times, several types of photovoltaic (PV) modules with different benefits are prevailing in the market. This is the reason that many serious buyers like investors and entrepreneurs have become confused in their purchasing decision due to the huge variety of technical options available.