What Are Some Interesting Facts About Solar Energy?
Tags: solar
Published: 2021-12-14 08:15:31

Some interesting [facts about solar energy](https://solwiser.com/facts-about-solar-energy/) or the power of the sun. If you mean something else like, solar pv plants etc then you can let me know.

If we add the amount of solar energy that is absorbed by the Earth’s atmosphere, land and oceans every year, we end up with approximately 3,850,000 EJ (exajoules or 10^18 joules).

**To put it in more understandable terms, this amount of energy is equivalent to:**

- 2.7 million earthquakes of the same size as the Tohoku earthquake in Japan (2011).
- 40 000 times the total energy consumption in the United States
- 8 000 times the total consumption in the whole world.
- Abou
t 40% of the energy that is required to heat the entire volume of water we have on Earth by 1°Celsius.

Solar panels for home systems typically come with a 10 to 12-year warranty, although there are promises of 20–30 years of service. These home installations take 15 to 25 years just to break even. Many homeowners have lost money on their solar investment, which cost $3-$4/watt and still find it necessary to rely on the grid.

When reviewing solar farms, aka [photovoltaic power stations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_photovoltaic_power_stations#:~:text=World%27s%20largest%20photovoltaic%20power%20stations%20%20%20,%20%202020%20%208%20more%20rows%20), the installation and maintenance of the systems are expensive. 
This is why solar energy production must be subsidized by state and federal governments. Since solar cannot provide a consistent energy supply, because of seasonal changes, a maximum of 6 hours peak performance, or the vagaries of the weather.


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/6spwfh3leamd5bah36gs.jpg)

Utility companies must back up their solar projects with gas-fired or coal-fired electric generation. Until battery technology improves, renewable energy only proposals will be impractical.
The spectacular failure of solar manufacturer Solyndra is being touted by some as a shining example of the Obama administration’s failure to properly manage government subsidies. 
Solyndra’s collapse left taxpayers “holding the bag” with [$535 million in federally guaranteed loans](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/chu-takes-responsibility-for-a-loan-deal-that-put-more-taxpayer-money-at-risk-in-solyndra/2011/09/29/gIQArdYQ8K_story.html). But Solyndra’s failure on its own is not remarkable. Many subsidized enterprises require an exhaustive infusion of tax dollars to break even.

Solar power is a noble enterprise but it can never replace nuclear or fossil fuels for reliable and efficient energy production. The fact that solar provides the least amount of serviceable power, comes as no surprise.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/8tkt0kj7kjgsu8o8b6n4.jpg)
Solar contributes best to a grid where there is a complementary second source of renewable generation in place. Solar is available only during the day and clear better in summer than in winter. West Texas wind is better at midnight than noon, and stronger in winter than summer - a perfect foil. 
In South America wind in some locations is complementary to solar, but in others has a high correlation, which is less desirable.

Complementary renewables reduce the fraction of the time when neither renewable can meet demand, which also reduces the storage capacity of both short and long term storage required to fill those gaps.

Also, the solar panels might be good to go for a total of 40 to 50 years. After that, they could be replaced with panels that are more developed and with better efficiency. 

Installation of the solar panels can be really costly; however, they are absolutely worth it. They are both- energy as well as cost-efficient. All in all, they are a very wise and a very valuable investment.

**The bottom line is that solar is booming around** the world, and the trend shows no signs of slowing down. Investors across the energy spectrum should take notice.