More people than ever are considering a purchase of solar power systems for home or even at their businesses. Solar energy converted to electricity is a marvelous method of satisfying your electrical requirements. As exciting as this relatively new source of energy is, few people really know much about it or how to purchase solar panels.
Any of us understand that solar panels collect the sun’s rays to generate electricity but we are neophytes when it comes to choosing the panels we need to generate the power we require.
Let’s have a quick look at choosing the correct solar array for our particular solar power project.
How Do Solar Panels Function?
Solar panels operate via the photovoltaic response to sunlight; this is why they are usually called PV cells or panels. This photovoltaic process was first seen in the 1800s when a French researcher named Edmund Becquerel realized that as particles of light landed on specific materials, like silicon, a small electrical current was produced.
Over time and some refining, this process evolved to the place it is at currently, and today’s solar cell panels are engineered to generate a considerable amount of power. The cells are linked with each other to make a solar panel and when a few of these are placed together you have a solar array that can produce meaningful amounts of solar power to charge your home and devices.
What Kind Of Solar Panels Are Available?
There are three main types of solar panels on the market for commercial use – monocrystalline, polycrystalline and amorphous.
Each of these has its own benefits and shortfalls. Monocrystalline cells are designed from single crystal silicon and have the highest efficiency ratio per panel – they are also the most costly variety. Polycrystalline cells are made with particles of single crystal silicon and are less costly than the mono type, however, they are not as efficient. Amorphous cells or thin film cells are produced by introducing non-crystalline silicon on to a surface like plastic or metal. This kind is the least expensive and also the least efficient.
What Type Of Solar Panel Should I Purchase?
You should consider several points when choosing the right solar panel for your needs. Much is based upon your bank account size and the dimensions of the solar power unit you want to install for your electricity requirements. Another factor to consider is how much available space you have to affix the panels.
Though you might have two solar panels the same size, the power they generate may be quite different. This depends on their age, their type, and the quality of the solar cells utilized when they were engineered and built. Newer solar panels could be the same as the older model panels, but because of technical advancements, will quite likely be more efficient.
The thin film kind of panel – the amorphous type – remain the least expensive option on the market but because of their known inefficiency, more will be required to generate your electricity needs and this means you will need to utilize more of your space to install them which could be a logistical issue.
Therefore, the smartest principle to exercise when purchasing solar panels is to measure cost per watt and for your best value, you should be paying about four dollars per watt. Therefore, for one hundred watts of power [buying a 100 watt module – or panel] you will pay four hundred dollars, or somewhere in that vicinity would be fair.
Conversely, if you have no problem finding the space to install your system, your better option would be to buy solar panels utilizing the older technologies if the price is less and they still satisfy your requirements. They do the job just fine and save you money though they require more space.
Because the solar panels are the costliest portion of your photovoltaic system, its significant to understand what it is you are paying for and how much it is going to cost you. With any fortune, you are now in a better position to buy solar panels now, then you were before reading this article and you have the confidence to buy the right solar equipment.
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