Cost

• One of the chief positives of solar energy is that it's free. The sun's energy shines down every day without cost. Given enough time, solar energy systems will inevitably pay back the initial investment, because they do not cost anything to run aside from routine maintenance. The initial purchase cost is the only significant investment.
  
  

Maintenance

• Another major advantage of both kinds of solar devices is that they have no moving parts. Moving parts are subject to friction, and so rapidly wear out, requiring frequent maintenance and periodic replacement of parts. Because solar technology does not require any moving machinery, its maintenance costs are lower than those of other power sources and the work involved is also lower.
  
  

Cleanness

• Solar devices of all sorts are clean sources of energy. The energy they produce creates zero pollution and no byproducts. A photovoltaic panel saves 0.7 pounds of coal and 2 pounds of carbon dioxide for every kilowatt-hour of electricity it produces. Solar thermal systems even generate very little pollution during the manufacturing process, as they often require little more than wood, Plexiglas, mirrors and paint.
  
  

Independence

• Solar electricity is ideal for providing power to remote locations where no power grid exists or fuel transportation is costly or impossible. In such locations, the cost of setting up photovoltaic panels is competitive with other forms of electricity generation.
  
  

Modularity

• Solar power can also be used either alone or as a boost to other sources of power. A fuel-powered generator can only be configured to burn one kind of fuel. However, there is no need to choose between solar and a more conventional fuel source. Solar devices can easily be added to the roof without in any way compromising the space needed for more traditional equipment inside.