Fossil Fuel

• One of the main disadvantages of solar power is the fact that we need sunlight in order to generate solar power so when it is night-time it is not possible to generate power from the Sun. If it was not possible to store energy to use when it is not possible to generate solar power it would be a major problem when discussing the viability of solar energy, however, it is possible to store or source energy from different sources until the sunlight returns.
• The initial cost of purchasing and setting up solar energy equipment is high compared with other energy sources. Commentators argue that the price is offset over time because users are not paying for their power generation so no electricity bills, but this is predicated on people using their solar power generation systems for several years.
• Solar power can be somewhat unreliable when in climates where there is less sunlight or variable weather such as the United Kingdom for example. In hotter countries where there is constant daily sunshine there is always the possibility to generate power, but when there is rain or consecutive days of cloudy weather it is difficult if not impossible to generate solar power so back up energy sources are often needed such as oil, gas or coal.
• Solar power technology is still quite inefficient in the sense that solar panels are still very large and bulky. With increased investment in solar technology it is likely that the size of panels will decrease and the efficiency of energy production will increase significantly. It is likely that when our non-renewable energy sources start to deplete to alarmingly low levels governments around the world will turn to technologies such as solar power in greater numbers which will lead to great investment and technological developments in solar energy.