Wake up daily to our latest coverage of business done better, directly in your inbox.

Get your weekly dose of analysis on rising corporate activism.

Select Newsletter

By signing up you agree to our privacy policy. You can opt out anytime.

Data & Technology

Advantages of Solar Energy

Words by Nick Aster

Aug 11, 2012

This post is derived from RP Siegel's post Solar Photovoltaics: Pros and Cons and concerns photovoltaics specifically.

Enough sunlight falls on the Earth in one hour, to meet the world’s energy demand for a year, if it could be collected. Let's break down some of the simple advantages of solar energy: Advantages of Solar Energy

Clean energy. No combustion. No greenhouse gas emission from use.
Inexhaustible and abundant “fuel” supply
Available nearly everywhere
Well suited for distribution generation
Technology exists today and is rapidly improving
Generates electricity directly from sunlight
No moving parts required
Power generation is silent. No noise or pollution.
Little or no transmission required
Matches up well with air-conditioning need
Require minimal maintenance
Grants and incentives are sometimes available
Excess heat can be used for co-generation

What about the disadvantages of solar energy? Besides the relatively clear cut pros and cons of solar PV, there are also the transformative socio-economic impacts of moving from centralized to distributed power generation. There is clearly a technical advantage, since efficiency losses associated with long range transmission are eliminated, as are, possibly hundreds of miles of power lines that now crisscross the landscape. Lost would be certain economies of scale and centralized control. Distributed power generation is more resilient against large-scale blackouts as well as acts of terror, though it could mean a change in business models for today’s utilities. Find out what it takes to put solar on your home.

Nick Aster

Nick Aster is the founder of TriplePundit.

TriplePundit.com has grown to become one of the web's leading sources of news and ideas on how business can be used to make the world a better place. It was acquired in 2017 by 3BLMedia, the leading news distribution and content marketing company focused on niche topics including sustainability, health, energy, education, philanthropy, community and other social and environmental topics.

Prior to TriplePundit Nick worked for Mother Jones magazine, successfully re-launching the magazine's online presence. He worked for TreeHugger.com, managing the technical side of the publication for 3 years and has also been an active consultant for individuals and companies entering the world of micro-publishing. He also worked for Gawker Media and Moreover Technologies in the early days of blogging.

Nick holds an MBA in sustainable management from the Presidio School of Management and graduated with a BA in History from Washington University in St. Louis.