Advantages and disadvantages of solar photovoltaic power generation

The solar photovoltaic power generation process is simple, no mechanical rotating parts, no fuel consumption, no emissions including greenhouse gases, no noise, and no pollution. Solar energy resources are widely distributed and inexhaustible. Therefore, compared with new power generation technologies such as wind power, biomass power, and nuclear power, photovoltaic power generation is the most abundant resource and the cleanest power generation process, and is a renewable energy generation technology with the most desirable characteristics for sustainable development. Photovoltaic power generation has the following main advantages.

Advantages

①　Solar energy resources are inexhaustible, and the solar energy irradiated to the earth is 6000 times greater than the energy currently consumed by humans. Moreover, solar energy is widely distributed on the earth, and photovoltaic power generation systems can be used wherever there is light, regardless of geographical and altitude restrictions.

②　Solar energy resources are available everywhere and can be supplied nearby without the need for long-distance transmission, avoiding the loss of electricity caused by long-distance transmission lines.

③　The energy conversion process of photovoltaic power generation is simple, directly from light energy to electric energy, without intermediate processes (such as the conversion of thermal energy to mechanical energy, mechanical energy to electromagnetic energy, etc.) and mechanical movement, and there is no mechanical wear and tear. According to thermodynamic analysis, photovoltaic power generation has a high theoretical power generation efficiency of more than 80%, with great potential for technology development.

④　Photovoltaic power generation itself does not use fuel, does not emit any substances including greenhouse gases and other exhaust gases, does not pollute the air, does not produce noise, is friendly to the environment, does not suffer from the impact caused by the energy crisis or the instability of the fuel market, and is a new renewable energy source that is truly green and environmentally friendly.

⑤　 The photovoltaic power generation process does not require cooling water and can be installed in the desert Gobi where there is no water. Photovoltaic power generation can also be easily combined with buildings to form an integrated photovoltaic building power generation system, which does not require separate land occupation and can save valuable land resources.

⑥　Photovoltaic power generation has no mechanical transmission parts, simple operation and maintenance, and stable and reliable operation. A set of photovoltaic power generation systems can generate electricity as long as there are solar modules, coupled with the widespread adoption of automatic control technology, it can basically realize unattended and low maintenance costs.

⑦　Photovoltaic power generation system has stable and reliable working performance and long service life (more than 30 years). The life span of crystalline silicon solar cells can be as long as 20 to 35 years. In the photovoltaic power generation system, as long as the design is reasonable and the selection is appropriate, the life of the battery can also be as long as 10 to 15 years.

⑧　Solar modules are simple in structure, small in size, light in weight, and easy to transport and install. The photovoltaic power generation system construction cycle is short, and according to the capacity of the electricity, the load can be large or small, convenient and flexible, and extremely easy to combine and expand capacity.

Solar cells are a promising new power source with three major advantages: permanence, cleanliness, and flexibility. Solar photovoltaic power generation compared with thermal power generation, and nuclear power generation, solar cells will not cause environmental pollution; solar cells can be large, medium, and small, from a medium-sized power plant of one million kilowatts to a small independent solar power generation system for one household only, these characteristics are incomparable to other power sources.

Disadvantages

　Of course, solar photovoltaic power generation also has its shortcomings and drawbacks, which are summarized as follows.

①　Large footprint. Due to the low solar energy density, which makes the photovoltaic power generation system will cover a large area, every 10kw photovoltaic power generation power covers an area of about 100 square meters, and the average power generation power per square meter area is 100w. With the maturity and development of photovoltaic building integrated power generation technology, more and more photovoltaic power generation systems can use the roof and façade of buildings and structures, which will gradually overcome the photovoltaic power generation footprint The shortage of large areas.

②　Highly influenced by climatic and environmental factors. Solar photovoltaic power generation energy comes directly from the sun's irradiation, and the sun's irradiation on the earth's surface is greatly influenced by the climate, long-term rain and snow, cloudy days, foggy days and even changes in cloud cover can seriously affect the system's power generation status. In addition, environmental factors also have a great impact, the more prominent point is that airborne particles (such as dust) settle on the surface of solar modules, blocking part of the light irradiation, which will reduce the conversion efficiency of the modules, thus causing a reduction in power generation or even damage to the panels.

③　Geographical dependence. Different geographical locations and different climates make the sunlight resources vary greatly from region to region. Photovoltaic power generation systems are only effective when applied in areas with abundant solar energy resources.