Question

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using solar cells for producing electricity?

Answer 1

Advantages of Solar Cells:
(i) Solar cells have no moving parts, easy to construct, require little maintenance.
(ii) Solar cells derive their energy from solar radiation which is a renewable source of energy and also inexhaustible.
(iii) They are most suitable for the remote inaccessible and isolated places where laying a power transmission line may be expensive and not commercially viable.
(iv) They are environmentally friendly as they do not cause any pollution.
(v) Use of solar cells enables us to save the usage of fossil fuels as solar cells require no fuel.

Disadvantages of Solar Cells:
(i) The manufacturing cost of solar cells is sufficiently expensive.
(ii) The efficiency of energy conversion of solar energy to electricity is low.
(iii) The electricity produced in solar cells is direct current (DC) which cannot be directly used for many household appliances.