write the limitation of solar energy.
Answers
Answer:
Limitations:
The amount of sun energy that could be collected. The radiation of sun is nearly fixed; the place that can be used to pave solar panels are limited; we cannot exploit all of sunlight to electricity because biosphere needs it; the energy conversion efficiency has a theoretical limit. But even all these are considered, this limit is still well beyond the energy human needed.
Disadvantages (compared to coal power plant) :
Output is intermittent, need grid, battery or other buffering system to work together in large quantities. If viewed together with battery as a whole system then it’s not a disadvantage.
These two are fundamental. All others are either misunderstanding or misleading by outdated information. Such as:
Cost.
Cheaper than coal has already been reality, from the end user’s view. Take an example: a home system now cost less than 10 yuan/w in China. Use PVWatts Calculator, in Shanghai, a city of median sun resource, 1W will produce about 1.18kwh per year. Take the guaranteed 80% efficiency after 25 years of usage, 26.6kwh in total will be generated. So the cost is 10/26.6≈ 0.37 yuan/kwh. Maintenance cost is not taken into account because it is very low (you wash it if it rains little and the panel is too dirty). On the other side, residential electricity price in china is 0.5~0.6 yuan/kwh. No subsidy is needed. 0.37 yuan/kwh is about 0.06$/kwh, that readers can compare for themselves.
Environmental impact.
It is cleaner than coal power plant, and safer than nuclear reactor. The energy forms that have less environmental impact I can think of are hydroelectricity (site restricted) and wind power (site restricted and higher cost).
Humanity concerns.
I feel some kind of absurdity to hear that as a Chinese. I’d like to elaborate but it is bit of complicated I am not going to be political. Just let readers know what Chinese call those Europeans welcoming Muslim refugees to their homes (actually I think not theirs, but their countrymen’s ): Hypocrites. (interpreted, the original word is more nasty). I know there’s lots of mutual misunderstanding, but this is only for reader’s information and thinking, no offense really.