Journal of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences Vol 76 No 4 (2022) 65-70

DOI: https://doi.org/10.55302/JAFES22764065s

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF

SOLAR ENERGY PRODUCTION AND USE

Simo Stevanović1*, Snežana Stevanović1, Radovan Živković2

1
University of Belgrade, Faculty of agriculture, Belgrade, Serbia
2
Vehicle Department AMSS Motor Vehicle Centre Ltd, Belgrade, Serbia
*
email: simo.stevanovic@agrif.bg.ac.rs

ABSTRACT
The energy released through nuclear fusion on the Sun expands into space in the form of
electromagnetic radiation. A total of 1.5x109 TWh reaches the surface of the Earth. About 30%
of the energy returns into space by reflexion, whereas 70% of the energy is absorbed on the
Earth’s surface (1,05x109 TWh). This amount is greater than the total coal and oil reserves
taken together. Using solar energy has its specificities. First, the energy of the Sun records great
fluctuations during the day and year. Second, there is a great daily, seasonal, yearly and
meteorological variability of the Sun’s radiation accompanied by a very low congruence of the
production and consumption of the energy of the Sun. Third, there is a low degree of the
conversion of the Sun’s energy to electrical energy. The growth of production and an ever-
increasing mass use of solar systems, especially so in China, will for sure exert an influence on
a reduction in the prices of these systems in the future. Due to its specificity, the surplus of
produced solar energy has to immediately be used or stored in the batteries that are still a major
cost of the construction of solar systems. It is more frequently the case that the current surplus
of produced solar energy is delivered to electrical power enterprises “to be stored”, whereas the
same is taken from the electrical grid during the time of a deficit.

Key words: RESs, solar energy, energy efficiency, photovoltaic panels, balance energy.

INTRODUCTION
Until the global energy crisis in the 70s of the XX century and due to the attitude of energy
inexhaustibility, energy was not considered an important factor in economic development. It
was believed that man can use nature's resources in unlimited quantities, and that nature is
capable of neutralizing and recycling waste generated by human activity. However, research
has shown that reserves of conventional energy sources (CES) are limited and their reserves
range from a few tens (oil and gas) to several hundreds of years (coal). Reserves of renewable
energy sources (RES) are estimated to last several million years or are permanent, if they are
used in compliance with the concept of the rate of renewal (regeneration). At the same time,
with the development of technologies for converting energy into useful forms for humanity,
human civilization will increasingly use renewable energy in the future, such as solar energy,
wind energy, geothermal energy, etc. Available energy on Earth comes from three sources: a)
the Sun (biomass-photosynthesis, hydropower-evaporation of water-precipitation, wind-air
flow-waves), b) the Earth's crust (geothermal energy) and c) gravity (tides). To this day, solar
radiation is the largest known source of energy in space that also reaches planet Earth. The sun's
energy is the result of nuclear fusion that takes place in its center under the influence of high
temperature and pressure. The energy released in this process spreads into space in the form of
electromagnetic radiation. By passing through the atmosphere, 1.5x109 TWh reaches the Earth's
surface. Through reflection, about 30% of the energy returns to space, and 70% of the energy

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(1.05x109 TWh) is absorbed on the Earth's surface. The amount of energy we are talking about
is indicated by the fact that it is greater than the total reserves of coal and oil combined. Despite
the unlimited duration and amount of energy, solar energy today only accounts for 2-3% of the
total energy production in the world. Greater use of RES in overall energy production is
important for several reasons. First, they emit zero or minimal CO2 into the atmosphere. Second,
a higher share of RES in total energy increases the energy stability of a country's electric power
system. And thirdly, by lowering the installation costs of systems for energy production from
renewable sources, it can be expected that RES (especially solar energy, wind energy and
biomass energy) will become economically competitive with conventional energy sources.
Using solar energy has its drawbacks. First of all, solar radiation records large oscillations
during the day and night. Secondly, there is great daily, seasonal, annual and meteorological
variability of solar radiation with a very low coincidence of production and consumption of
solar energy. Thirdly, the low degree of conversion of solar energy into electrical energy. It is
considered that the environmental pollution with the use of solar systems is negligible compared
to other sources of energy. However, the production of solar energy is linked to environmental
pollution. It is about indirect pollution that occurs in the process of production, transportation
and installation of solar systems, while the exploitation of solar systems itself takes place with
zero emission of harmful gases.
Bearing in mind the limited reserves of CES, the aim of the work is to point out the
advantages and disadvantages of production and the needs of solar energy as RES. Bearing in
mind all that has been said above, the energy of the Sun, as renewable and inexhaustible and
without which there is no life, will become an unavoidable subject of research in the coming
period. In order to determine the production capacity, advantages and disadvantages of using
solar energy for the needs of the population and the economy, various professional and
scientific literature related to the researched issues were consulted. Data from other authors,
domestic and foreign literature, as well as data from the Internet were used.

Characteristics of solar energy production

Energy, which appears in various forms, is an irreplaceable factor in the economic growth
and development of any country, regardless of the level of development. In the world, a large
number of researches related to the impact of energy on the national and basically the world
economy has been conducted. The connection between energy, economy and ecology (so-called
3E) has been established. It has been shown that the accelerated economic development is based
on the increased use of energy from conventional sources, which has led to increased emissions
of greenhouse gases and environmental pollution. Due to the lack of knowledge of the nature
of resources (inexhaustibility), at that time it was believed that man could use all resources in
unlimited quantities. It was even believed that nature itself is capable of neutralizing the
disposal of waste generated by human activity (Stern, 2010). In the desire to create a balance
between opposing views of economists and ecologists regarding future economic development
and environmental protection, the concept of sustainable development was promoted. It implies
a compromise between the speed of economic development and the use of available natural
resources that will be available to future generations with maximum environmental protection.
This means that today's economic development should not be based on the increased
exploitation of natural resources for the benefit of current generations, but to promote such
economic development that will leave future generations at least as many resources as are
available to current generations. On the principle of sustainability, through the concept of green
economy, a step has been taken in promoting the link between energy, economy and ecology.
In addition to the problems of energy, economy and ecology, the green economy must
solve the new problems of today. Those problems are the shortage of food and drinking water,
followed by drastic environmental pollution and the consequences caused by climate change.

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Due to the limitation of conventional energy resources, the need for rational use of energy,
i.e. its economically and ecologically efficient production, emerged. So today, instead of 3E,
we talk about the fourth component, i.e., energy efficiency, i.e., about the fourth E (4E: energy,
efficiency, economy, ecology). Energy efficiency includes all ways to provide the same amount
of energy services with as few energy resources as possible. Energy efficiency is one of two
ways1 of fighting for environmental protection, ie. for the lowest possible emission of
greenhouse gases. More efficient use of energy would reduce the need for more energy
production. According to the IEA2, improving the energy efficiency of the areas that require
the most energy (buildings, industry, transport) by 2050 could reduce global energy needs by a
third of the current energy demand (Ilić et al., 2018). The emission of energy from the Sun, as
the closest star to the Earth, has been very stable for the last 5 billion years. Despite the fact
that solar energy is by far the largest known source of energy in terms of the volume of
emissions reaching the Earth, solar energy participates with a very low percentage (2-3%) in
the total energy production. Energy production is dominated by transformed forms of energy
such as fossil fuels, biomass and hydropower. However, one should not ignore the limitations
of certain CES, as well as the high environmental pollution caused by their use in the production
of primary energy. The energy of solar radiation on the Earth's surface depends on the amount
of radiation that reaches the Earth's surface and the angle at which the sun's rays fall. Climatic
conditions and relief affect the amount of solar energy that reaches the earth. The angle of
incidence at which the sun's rays fall on the earth is determined by the season and the latitude
of the place on Earth. Depending on the pollution of the atmosphere with particles, the Sun's
rays passing through the Earth's atmosphere are reflected by the particles and scattered, which
reduces the amount of energy that reaches the Earth from the Sun. The smaller the angle of
incidence of the sun's rays (closer to the poles), the longer the path of the sun's rays, and the
greater the dispersion (Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy). The sun's energy is the result
of nuclear fusion that takes place in its center under the influence of high temperature and
pressure. The energy released in this process spreads into space in the form of electromagnetic
radiation. By passing through the atmosphere, 1.5x109 TWh reaches the Earth's surface.
Through reflection3, about 30% of the energy is returned to space, and 70% of the energy or
1.05x109 TWh is absorbed on the Earth's surface. This amount is greater than the total reserves
of coal and oil combined.
Today, only a small part of the Sun's energy is directly used for energy production through
thermal collectors (heat energy) and photovoltaic panels (electricity). A significant part of the
Sun's energy is transformed into intermediate forms of energy: biomass energy (photosynthesis
process), water energy (evaporation of water and precipitation), wind energy (air flow) and
wave energy (sea currents and waves). Since the Earth moves around the Sun in an elliptical
path, the distance depends on the season. Therefore, the power of solar radiation that reaches
the earth's surface at a right angle during the year ranges4 from 1307-1399 W/m2 (Šljivac, Šimić,
2007.). It is often mistakenly concluded that solar energy could be the energy of the future.
When using solar energy, there are several problems that are relativized. First, solar energy is
a very scattered energy source, with large fluctuations throughout the day and year.
Therefore, for the concentration of this energy and its conversion into electricity, spacious
devices that occupy a large area are needed. At the same time, a large amount of conventional
energy is used for the construction and maintenance of such devices. Secondly, there is great
daily, seasonal, annual and meteorological variability of solar radiation with a very low

1
Another way of fighting for the preservation of the environment is the greater use of RES.
2
International Energy Agency (IEA)
3
Clouds, atmospheric particles, and lighter areas of the Earth's surface, such as areas covered by snow or ice
4
The mean value of the power of the Sun's radiation at a right angle (90 o) in relation to the Earth's surface is
called the solar constant, which is 1367.7 W/m2.

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coincidence of production and consumption of solar energy. Thirdly, the low degree of
conversion of solar energy into electrical energy, which results in a low degree of usefulness of
the device (Đorđević, 2008). The number of hours of solar radiation on the territory of Serbia
is between 1,500 and 2,200 hours per year. he average intensity of solar radiation is from 1.1
kWh/m2/day in the north to 1.7 kWh/m2/day in the south - during January, and from 5.9 to 6.6
kWh/m2/day - during July. The average value of radiation energy is from 1,200 kWh/m2/year
in northwestern Serbia to 1,550 kWh/m2/year in southeastern Serbia. Serbia has a significantly
higher number of hours of solar radiation than most European countries, such as Germany, the
Netherlands, Sweden, etc.
(https://www.energetskiportal.rs/obnovljivi-izvori-energije/energija-sunca/).

Map 1. Global horizontal irradiation in Europe

Source: https://www.solarnipaneli.org/

In addition to direct solar radiation reaching the Earth, the indirect effects of solar
radiation, i.e. the effects of passive application of solar energy, should not be neglected. It is
based on the application of building elements and materials that are aesthetically and
functionally connected into a compact whole. In this way, solar energy is collected and used
without installing special mechanical or electrical devices.

Benefits of using solar energy

Despite the limitlessness and the possibility of applying the concept of sustainable
development in the production of solar energy, its use has its advantages and disadvantages
compared to other sources of renewable energy that are available to us. As a basic advantage
compared to other sources of energy, it will be available in unlimited quantities as long as the
Sun exists, according to scientists' estimates for at least another 5 billion years. The use of solar
energy significantly reduces the cost of electricity consumption. Savings can be even greater if
excess energy produced is delivered during the day, and energy is withdrawn from the
distribution system during the night when the price of electricity is significantly lower. An
important segment of the advantages of using solar energy is reflected in the low maintenance
costs of solar systems during the exploitation period. Solar panels must be clean in order to
absorb as much solar energy as possible. The period of exploitation of solar systems ranges
from 20-25 years, and the period of return of capital invested in the construction of solar systems
is from 8-10 years, depending on the price and the number of incentives for the supplied energy.
Considering that there are no moving parts, the costs of maintenance and possible repairs of
solar panels in relation to the initial investment are low during the exploitation period. The cost
of producing solar panels has been reduced in the last 15 years by more than 50%. Production
technology in the solar industry is constantly evolving, thanks to innovations in quantum

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physics and nanotechnology. The new technology will multiply the efficiency and output power
of solar panels. Thanks to easy portability and installation on almost all surfaces, solar energy
will find application in places where it is not possible to bring or produce electricity from other
sources, especially non-renewable ones. The disadvantages of using solar energy should also
be mentioned. Until recently, the production of solar panels was characterized by a high
production cost. The constant increase in the production of solar systems (especially in China)
as well as their increasingly massive use in energy production will certainly affect the price of
these systems in the future. The efficiency of solar systems drops drastically during the night,
with the change of season and worsening weather conditions. Due to the specifics of production,
solar energy must be used immediately or stored in batteries, which still represent a large cost
of building solar systems. The batteries are charged with excess solar energy produced during
the day in order to use the energy from the batteries during the night when solar energy
production is zero or minimal. It is often practiced during the day to deliver surplus solar energy
to electrical distribution systems, and at night it is taken from the power grid. This is justified
by the higher energy consumption during the day compared to the night energy consumption.
Bearing in mind that the amount of solar energy produced is proportionally dependent on the
size of the solar panel and the amount of sunlight that reaches the panel, very often the panels
occupy large areas and must be in places where the sun's rays reach unhindered, without
obstacles and shadows for most of the day. Although environmental pollution during solar
energy production is negligible compared to other energy sources, solar energy production can
still be linked to environmental pollution. However, it is indirect pollution that occurs during
the production, transportation and installation of solar systems (Vierda, 2018). When analyzing
the benefits of using solar energy, the condition of the power grid that should take over and
deliver the produced energy to the user should also be taken into account. This is especially
pronounced in the summer months when the production and surplus of solar energy are
maximum. On the contrary, in the winter months when the production of solar energy is the
lowest and the energy consumption is the highest, there is a need for its increased withdrawal
from the power grid. Based on the currently available capacities of the Serbian power system
for providing tertiary reserves, it was adopted that the maximum technically usable capacity of
solar power plants is 450MW, i.e. the technically usable potential amounts to 540 GWh per
year. The technically usable energy potential for converting solar energy into thermal energy is
estimated at 0.194 million tons per year. This is assuming the application of solar thermal
collectors on 50% of available facilities in Serbia. The technically usable potential for electricity
production is a variable quantity that depends on the dynamics with which the transmission and
distribution network of the Serbian power system will be developed (Energy Development
Strategy of the Republic of Serbia until 2025 with projections until 2030).

CONCLUSIONS
Despite the fact that the use of renewable energy sources contributes to reducing
environmental pollution and stabilizing the climate, it seems that we are underusing cheap and
easily available renewable energy. This is especially true for solar energy. It is safe, unlimited,
available everywhere and is not harmful to life, and the energy of solar radiation that reaches
the surface of the Earth is sufficient to meet all the energy needs of the population and economy
in the world. In addition to the importance, they have in preserving the environment and
diversifying energy production, the future participation of RES in total energy production will
depend on the political will for investments in clean energy production facilities, as well as on
increasing the environmental awareness of the population about the importance of energy
production from renewable sources for life and health. The number of incentives that energy
producers will receive for each kW of delivered energy from RES and the obligations of the
requirements from EU Directive 2009/28/EC will affect the future growth dynamics of the

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participation of this energy source in the total energy produced. Due to large fluctuations in the
production of solar energy (which is affected by the time of day, season, geographical location
and not coinciding with peaks in energy consumption), the produced surplus solar energy must
be stored in batteries, which is a more expensive option, or handed over to the electricity
distribution company for safekeeping businesses, which is the more common option. Energy is
withdrawn from the operator in times of deficit, most often at night, when the price per kW is
significantly cheaper. The problem is the still not precisely defined procedure and market
relations between producers and electricity distribution operators.

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