What Are The Major Challenges In Setting A Solar Plant?
Solar energy is increasingly becoming the most affordable form of electricity. Thanks to natural resources, most countries in the world are blessed with abundant sunshine promising a great translation of energy into electricity fulfilling the overall energy demand across the globe. Every country is actively making its contribution towards cleaner and greener energy, reducing the carbon footprint and lesser reliance on traditional energy resources.
Even though the solar industry has witnessed a surge of growth in recent years, yet, there are some notable challenges faced in the industry. This blog will let you know some of the biggest roadblocks in setting up a solar plant.
Land Scarcity
The location at which the solar plant is set up has a direct impact on the efficiency of solar energy production. This indicates the necessity of an optimal location to set up a solar plant. The most common challenge that lies in choosing the right location is it should be shade free. Minimized shading is the most needed requirement.
Setting up a solar plant demands finding the space that is sufficient enough to build it. Smaller setups may require around a few acres, while large utility setups can cover up to 2500 acres. Land availability seems to be the top challenge among the others and is more intense when there are land ownership issues.
If a site is selected, it should be considered for the below parameters:
- Not shaded during peak sun-shining hours
- Any obstacles in the path of reaching the sun’s rays
- Recommendations are to be considered if there is any need for eliminating the roadblocks to sunshine.
Financial Challenges
Setting up a solar plant requires a lot of financial planning. Building a solar plant involves high upfront costs. It includes expensive investment in infrastructure, equipment, and labor costs. The capital cost for solar plants is initially high. Moreover, it will also require ongoing maintenance costs. Although the price to go solar has fallen considerably, yet, the high price to install a solar setup remains a big challenge. The cost of panels and inverters contributes a larger part of the overall cost.
Typically, it takes around 10-15 years to get a profit from your initial investment. Though low maintenance costs are a good thing to consider, the higher price tags may affect setting up a solar plant. A high capital investment required at the very early stage of installing the solar plant is a great challenge that lies behind solar setups.
Environmental impacts
Despite the fact that solar energy is an environmentally friendly option, yet, there are some associated negative impacts. Even though solar power comes with zero pollution, still the manufacturing process of solar panels and batteries has effects on environmental degradation.
A general by-product of solar modules, Nitrogen trifluoride, is very harmful. Moreover, solar power plants probably can impact local ecosystems that include water resources and wildlife habitats.
Infrastructural barriers
One of the crucial challenges in setting up larger solar plants is finding the right land for construction. It may be challenging to find optimal space in densely populated areas. The upfront costs, right from obtaining the land, installing the panels, and labor costs, are pretty high. Apart from these challenges, there are certain other obstacles such as getting environmental and local clearance from relevant authorities.
For building a solar power plant on a specific land, the process is governed by numerous departments such as government land allotment, applicable state laws, environment, wildlife, legal title, and many more. Furthermore, building a solar system should fulfill the interconnection and net metering demands as well as the grid connectivity of the utility company. Even if the land is available, the challenges lie in improving the proximity of the sources.
Reliability and performance challenges
Reliability is another significant challenge with a solar power plant. Although the sun is the consistent source, its absence of constant access can be a problem. Good sunshine is appreciable in the daytime; non-availability at night means no power at night. Solar panels can generate electricity only for a maximum of 12 hours in a day and it reaches its maximum potential.
Solutions To Address Challenges
- To cope with the challenges of land scarcity, plans are in course to install solar panels on water bodies. Efforts are also being taken to encourage residential rooftop installations and drive the transition towards cleaner and sustainable energy.
- The government of various nations offers subsidies to make solar accessible and affordable for the installers. In addition, countries are revamping their existing policies to encourage an environment where solar energy can flourish.
- Guidelines are being set to manage the environmental impacts of solar wasters and other harmful releases. Manufacturers of solar products all around the world are looking for environmentally friendly approaches to producing solar panels.
- In terms of solar energy storage, when the sun is not shining, storage batteries are becoming the perfect solution. They serve as the source of uninterrupted power supply during the
- On thinking about reducing the environmental impacts of solar panels, it is recommended to choose panels that possess a low environmental footprint and it is good to buy from reputed providers.
Take away
Just similar to any industry, the solar energy industry setup also faces a set of challenges. But with effective planning, implementing relevant measures, and innovation & latest technologies, things can be done in the right way. It is sure that the solar industry will reach new heights, however, there needs to be boosted efforts to attain the path.
