Green Building Primer

Photovoltaic systems generate electricity from sunlight using solar panels.

Advantages:

• Reliable, well tested, very low maintenance.
• PV systems do not release any harmful air or water pollution, deplete natural resources, or endanger human or animal health.
• PV systems are quiet and less visually obtrusive than many other forms of renewable electricity generation.
• Because of their modularity, solar electric systems can be designed to meet any electrical requirements, large or small.
• In locations that don't already have a power supply, an off-grid solar electric system may be more cost effective than running power lines.

Disadvantages:

• High initial cost. Ongoing research in to the materials and production methods involved in solar panel manufacturing may lead to future decreases in price.
• Solar power is a variable energy source. Solar panels can't produce electricity at night or during periods of dense cloud cover, so a residential solar electric system must either have batteries for storing electricity or a backup source (such as a connection to the grid).