ā”ļøāļø Solar energy has the potential to meet our energy needs to a large extent, provided that it can be converted in an efficient and profitable manner.
ā»ļøThis is what is at stake in the current development of the two main ways of using solar energy: thermal and photovoltaic. The former uses the sun's heat directly, while the latter converts solar radiation into electricity.
š The advantages of solar energy:
- Renewable, inexhaustible energy that does not emit greenhouse gases
- Easy to install, technologies are constantly improving and becoming less expensive
- Energy available all year round and all over the world
- Energy independence from fossil fuels and foreign countries.
š The minuses of solar energy:
- Intermittency: electrical production depends on sunshine. Without sunlight, there is no electricity or heat
- Photovoltaic panels contain toxic metals, recycling to be improved
- Low efficiency
- The manufacture of the panels is not very ecological, leading to the emission of greenhouse gases