One of the main concerns is the efficiency of solar panels, which only convert a small percentage of the available solar energy into usable energy. The reliability of solar energy is also an issue, especially in certain geographic regions. However, despite the enormous growth of the solar industry, it may not replace fossil fuels anytime soon. There are still several barriers that could hold back the advance of solar energy.
These are the three main challenges faced by the solar industry. Although solar energy can still be collected during cloudy and rainy days, the efficiency of the solar system decreases. Solar panels rely on sunlight to effectively harvest solar energy. Therefore, a few cloudy and rainy days can have a noticeable effect on the energy system.
You should also note that solar energy cannot be collected overnight. In addition to the inverter, the cables also need maintenance to ensure that your solar energy system is operating at maximum efficiency. Therefore, from the point of view of the grid operator, more solar (or wind) energy seems like a reduction in demand for their affordable energy. It is often argued that a system based on wind and solar energy will need an enormous amount of storage, not just per hour, but also per day or even per season, and that batteries are not up to the task.
As solar energy installations began to grow around the world, manufacturers rushed to produce the panels and materials needed to generate renewable electricity. The transportation and installation of solar systems have been associated with the emission of greenhouse gases. So, you might have a sink of several megawatts or even several gigawatts for at least part of this reduced solar energy. Thanks to the subsidies available for solar panels, as well as to the increasingly competitive prices on the market, solar energy has become the main source of energy for more and more families.
These batteries, which are used in off-grid solar systems, can be charged during the day so that the energy is used at night. Some toxic materials and hazardous products are also used during the manufacturing process of solar photovoltaic systems, which can indirectly affect the environment. They said, wait a second, that there are much more cost-effective measures to address the challenges of wind reduction and integration. Another popular route is the direct production of electrical current from captured sunlight, which has long been possible with photovoltaic solar cells.
It may seem contradictory, but people who operate the power grid don't really think of solar energy as a conventional supply. While widely criticized for being expensive or inefficient, solar energy has proven to be extremely beneficial, not only for the environment but also for the private economy. According to Grist, “solar energy and other distributed renewable energy technologies could ruin the solar energy industry. The technology of the solar energy industry is constantly advancing and improvements will intensify in the future.