Solar tech has come a long way, but a few old myths still rain on its parade.
Like any new technology, solar is often misunderstood and even attracts misinformation. A few myths seem to persist even now, despite solar panels becoming a regular sight for many people.
Read on as we debunk the most common solar energy myths that exist today.
Solar Panels are Useless in Cloudy Weather
If there’s one tired strawman argument against solar panels, it’s this one. Detractors will claim that solar panels are useless because they cease to be useful as soon as the sun goes behind a cloud.
Luckily, the detractors are wrong. In fact, a solar energy system works just fine in cloudy weather. Solar power doesn’t require sunbathing conditions.
Think of your eyeballs: you can still see in cloudy weather, right? That’s because plenty of sunlight still gets through, otherwise cloudy days would be pitch black. Solar panels rely on light, not heat, to generate power. They don’t stop working due to some cloud cover.
In fact, solar panels can even get a boost on snowy days thanks to sunlight bouncing off the snow.
Solar is Too Expensive
This one sticks around because solar is still a young enough technology that people still remember its early days. Like all technologies, solar was expensive in the beginning, but its price has reduced as the technology has progressed.
Solar is also more affordable now thanks to the societal move toward renewables. This has led to governments around the world offering grants, subsidies, and tax breaks for residential solar and industrial solar power.
Solar Panels Won’t Save Money
Likely linked to the above misconception, many people still think that solar panels aren’t worth it in the long run.
So do solar panels save money? It’s true the answer depends on a lot of variables, so it’s impossible to give a definitive answer or say how much it will save you. Yet, with a bit of research, savings are absolutely possible.
That may sound a little uncertain, but once all the facts are present, calculating the returns on solar energy is just a matter of running the numbers. So it’s easy to get an assessment before you make any commitment for your home or business.
Installing Solar Panels Is Complicated
While it’s not a DIY job, typically, installing solar panels also isn’t rocket science. There’s a whole industry supporting solar energy, which means all the expertise you need to install solar panels for your home or business is rarely far away.
You may even have the option of shopping around thanks to a healthy competitive market. That way, you can choose an installer the way you make comparisons in any other service.
Solar Energy: Common Myths Debunked
By debunking these common myths, we’re shedding light on solar and putting the knowledge out there to help people make the right call.
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