Question

List the advantages and disadvantages of solar energy.

Answer 1

Solar energy can be gained by using a solar cell, a device that produces electricity directly from sunlight. By using special mirrors that focus the sunlight from a large area to a small area, solar energy can be utilized for boiling water or for creating steam for producing electricity. The same collected solar energy can be localized into a solar furnace to heat oil. This process is used to boil water that drives turbines which produce electricity. Solar energy can be utilized to get drinking water from salty water sources. Salty water can be boiled and collected in the form of steam. Salt, left behind is removed, and the steam gets cooler to turn back into the water. Solar energy is used in the desalination plant for this purpose. Photovoltaic cells have been used to electrify remote villages in rural Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Haryana.
Solar energy has some disadvantages also, like the availability of sunlight only in the daytime, lack of efficiency on a cloudy or rainy day, and feasibility only in countries located in regions which receive direct rays of the sun for a number of months in a year.