The Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Electricity System in New Zealand

The advantages and disadvantages of solar electricity system in New Zealand

Abstract
The paper focuses on elaborating the issues that are involved in the use of the solar electricity systems in New Zealand. This also includes the advantages and the disadvantages of the use of the solar system comparing to the other sources of electrical power. The research also explains about the environmental effects of the solar power to the country of New Zealand. It also seeks to identify the costs that are involved and the pay backs from the solar power that is used in New Zealand. Therefore, the research paper gives the recommendation after presenting the overview of the assessment of the numerous issues related to the use of solar energy electrical systems. This gives the reliable information that is needed in order to understand the issue concerning the increased growth of solar system usage in homes, public facilities, and business.
Key words: Photovoltaic, solar energy systems,

The advantages and disadvantages of solar electricity system in New Zealand
Introduction

The solar radiation is considered to be a source of sufficient energy that is not a pollutant, free of charge and renewable. In New Zealand, there is ample radiation in numerous locations. The level of radiation in areas like Invercargill is similar to that of Germany. There are twenty to thirty time of the exposure of the solar energy for numerous New Zealand homes. Therefore, this home uses the energy from the sun instead of the electricity or gas. However, the energy is not yet established as a main source of energy in the areas. There are about 2000 hours of bright sunshine in New Zealand per year on average. The country has about 4kWh/m2 per day in form of energy that is acquired from the sun. Therefore, the homes in New Zealand with 3kW Photovoltaic panels they receive ample power that can satisfy them for over a quarter year in terms of their residential electricity needs. The solar energy is used for various purposes in New Zealand (EECA, 2012).
The solar energy is used to warm water through various designs in buildings that capture and store the heat energy. The solar energy is also used to generate electricity through the use of Photovoltaic panels that act as the semi conductors for the generation of electricity. There are other concentrators of the solar power technologies that use mirrors for the focusing of the thermal energy. There are turbines that can also be used by being turned by a super heated steam in order to generate electricity.
According to EECA (2012), there are numerous New Zealand homeowners who have managed to install the heating systems making the number to be up to 3400 solar heating systems that are said to be installed per year. However, the number is also said to be growing at a rate of 40% very year. There various solar heating programs in New Zealand focusing on the increase of the consumption of solar water heating systems for homes, business, and public facilities.
Methodology/ Research plan
The research on the use of solar electric systems by various homes and businesses in New Zealand was conducted in order to identify the advantages and the disadvantages of the systems as experienced by the users. The method of data collection was through conducting interviews on the parents in the homes and the workers in the business that used the solar electricity systems. It was expected that both the parents at the homes and the workers at the businesses to be relaxed in order to ensure that the procedure was effective.
There were challenges that were involved during the process of conducting the interview. One of the limitations was that the process was time consuming and required a lot of financial resources. In other places the physical surrounding was not conducive to conduct the interview due to the disruption from noise and other things. However, the data collection activities were completed and the data that was collected was reliable for drawing the relevant discussions and conclusions.
Result of the study
Advantages of solar electricity system comparing with the other electrical system
The solar electricity system is considered to be an advantage in terms of lack of pollution when generating the electricity. The only pollution that is associated with the solar systems is the production and the transportation of the cells. The other advantage is that the installation saving of the cost paying the electricity bills. The other advantage is the fact that the solar energy being a renewable source of energy. This is considered to be better than other sources of energy.
The other advantage is that the solar energy systems facilitate the harnessing of the power in the remote areas at lower cost compared to the cost incurred to supply the other forms of electrical sources. According to Boxwell (2011), the solar electricity is considered to be the easiest way to supply the electric energy to the remote areas. There is new technology that is enabling the storage of the solar electricity via the use of the battery which is charged. This is making a considerable advantage in order to integrate the power supplied to the home. The other issue is that the installation of the system is getting cheaper as the increase in the production increases with the development of the technology.
Disadvantages of solar electricity system comparing with the other electrical system
There are various disadvantages that are associated with the use of the solar electricity systems. One of the disadvantages associated to the use of the solar electricity systems is the initial cost. The installation of the solar energy needs a lot of space and a large area. This is in order to attain the efficiency in the provision of source of energy. This brings a disadvantage to those who do not have a lot of space like in the inner cities. The other disadvantage is the pollution that is caused by the solar panel. This is due to the degrading of the photovoltaic cells efficiency. This is also the same effect that is provided by the clouds in terms of the reduction of the energy of the rays.
The other disadvantage is that the solar electric system is only useful during the day when there is sunlight. During night duration, the expensive system becomes useless to the owner of the system. The other issue is the solar panels having problems with the performance. This is due to the possible obstruction that can be caused by the presence of buildings and other landscape that can object the sun rays from reaching the panel, thus making it to fail in the functionality.
The pay backs from solar power system in New Zealand The pay backs that are involved in the use of solar power in New Zealand is the reduction of the cost that was initially used by the home and the business due to the consumption of electricity from other sources of generation. This has also facilitated to the reduction of the need to acquire the electricity from the other sources like the fuel that are considered to pollute the environment. The other issue is on facilitating the supply of the electricity to the areas that are remote and hard to be supplied with other forms of electricity. Therefore, the use of the energy that is harnessed from the sun is considered to be free of charge thus cutting the cost even for those who still use the electricity from other sources for other purposes.
The environmental effects of solar energy The solar systems is considered to be environmentally friendly in New Zealand since it almost has no green house gases or carbon emission compared to other forms of electricity generation. World Nuclear Association (2012) argues that, it does not use oil or produce toxic waste. It also does not involve the moving of parts that could result to environmental pollution. The only chance of polluting the environment that is involved in the use of solar panels is the manufacture and the transportation. The construction of the panels requires the use of fossils and transportation of various parts in order to complete the process of production. However, it is a fact that indirect solar energy has no chance of producing the harmful carbon emissions. The emission involved during the constructions turns out to have a positive effect at the end when the final product is made. Therefore, the use of solar electricity systems is considered to be beneficial to the environment and the human beings (UNEP, 1998).
The costs involved with the solar energy
According to Anderson and Ahmed (1995), considering the savings that are made for the rest of the months and even years after the installation of the solar electricity system, the initial cost would be a small price to pay. The costs that are associated with the installation of the system can be waived by avoiding to assigning the work of installing to a technicians and one can do it. One requires the relevant instructions that can be followed in order to make the installation process less expensive. Therefore, it is recommended that one get to know what is needed and where it is purchased. It also involves knowing how the various components are assembled for them to be installed in a safe and reliable way.
Discussion of the result
The solar energy is considered to be costly than the other alternative source of energy. It is considered to be more costly than the use of the fossil fuels technologies. Therefore, the decrease of the prices of acquiring the solar technologies will result to an increase in the number of user of the technology. The disadvantage of pollution is considered to be more of an issue of the solar component. This is due to the harmful effects that can be caused by the rays to the human beings. The rays cause skin cancer after a long duration of exposure to the UV light. However, there are new designs that are meant integrate the relevant form of technology that can deal with the problems caused by the effects.
As an advantage, the solar electric system is considered an effective way to supply the energy in the home that live on the mountainous areas where it needs a lot of initial cost for attaining the relevant infrastructure to facilitate the supply of electricity from the alternative source. In terms of the large area that is consumed the being large there have been production of relatively thinner panels that are more attractive to the customers. There are other substances like the paint in the panels that contains the miniature panels
Conclusion/Recommendation
Solar is considered to be the best alternative in the matters concerning the generation of electricity both for domestic and commercial use. This is because it is associated with the saving on the cost that is incurred in the consumption of the electric power from the other sources. It also associated with the conservation of environment due to the avoidance of emission of the carbon when using other fuels to generate the electricity. However, the solar electricity system is associated with an expensive initial cost. There are ways that those with the interest of acquiring the systems can deal with the problem.
It is recommended that one learns how to install the system in order to avoid the incurred cost during the initial installation. The system has been perceived to reduce the problems of the carbon emissions and the regular problem of having to pay the electricity bills. Therefore, it also recommended to those who are willing and able to reduce the running costs in their homes and business while also contributing to the conservation of the environment.
There are those that cannot avoid the usage of the electricity due to operation that are involved. It is advisable for them to consider installing the solar electricity systems in order to ensure that they cut on the cost of the total consumption of the electricity. In connection to this the effort of cutting on the electricity usage the user ends up producing more electricity than expected.

Reference
Energy efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA). (2012). Solar energy. Retrieved on 19 March 2012 from < http://www.eeca.govt.nz/efficient-and-renewable-energy/renewable-energy/solar-energy-in-nz>

Michael Boxwell. (2011). Solar Electricity Handbook - 2011 Edition. Ed.4. New York. Greenstream Publishing. Print
World Nuclear Association. (2012). Renewable Energy and Electricity. Retrieved on 19 March 2012 from < http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf10.html>

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).(1998). Environmental effects of ozone depletion: 1998 assessment. New York.UNEP/Earth print. Print

Anderson and Ahmed. (1995). The case for solar energy investments, Volumes 23-279. New York. World Bank Publications. Print