The main advantages of photovoltaic power generation include:
(1) Extensive. Sunlight irradiates the surface of the earth, regardless of the region, whether it is land, ocean, mountains or flat land, it can be developed and utilized. Although the irradiation time and intensity are different, it is widely distributed and will not be unavailable due to geographical or weather reasons.
(2) Infinity and sustainability. Based on current estimates of the rate at which the sun is producing nuclear energy, hydrogen reserves are sufficient to last for tens of billions of years. In today's increasingly serious ecological pollution, solar energy resources are inexhaustible, and it is a truly renewable and clean energy.
(3) The installation location is flexible. The roof of the building is open and has the advantages of being unaffected by the orientation of the building, receiving light for a long time, and avoiding shadow interference to the greatest extent. Photovoltaic power generation can be installed not only on the roof of residential facilities, but also in industrial-scale facilities, where electricity is obtained from solar power to meet the electricity demand in buildings.
(4) Green and environmental protection. Photovoltaic power generation itself does not consume fuel, does not emit any substances including greenhouse gases and other waste gases, does not pollute the air, and does not generate noise.
(5) Improve energy stability. Through photovoltaic power generation, people can reduce their dependence on fossil fuel power generation, effectively avoid the impact of energy crisis or fuel market instability, thereby improving energy security.
(6) Low operation and maintenance costs. Photovoltaic power generation has no mechanical transmission parts, and the operation is stable and reliable. A photovoltaic power generation system can generate electricity as long as it has solar cell components, and with the extensive use of automatic control technology, it can basically achieve unattended operation and low maintenance costs.
It is undeniable that there are some shortcomings in photovoltaic power generation at this stage, and the better development of the industry in the future should focus on overcoming these shortcomings. The main disadvantages are:
(1) The energy supply is unstable. Photovoltaic power generation is affected by seasonal changes, weather conditions, day and night, and the intensity of solar radiation. Long-term rainy and snowy days, cloudy days and even changes in cloud layers will affect photovoltaic power generation. When there is no sun, power generation cannot be generated or the power generation capacity is very small, which will affect the normal use of electrical equipment.
(2) It covers a wide area. Due to the low energy distribution density of sunlight irradiation, when photovoltaic power generation is applied on a large scale, the equipment covers a larger area than other power generation equipment.
(3) Strong regional dependence. Due to different geographical locations and different climates, the sunshine resources in different regions vary greatly. Some areas rich in light energy resources are far away from the power load center, and the local economy is underdeveloped and the absorption capacity is weak.
