Friday, April 6, 2012

Solar Energy Panel Efficiency

By Christopher Eyres


What's a typical solar panel potency rating? Most solar energy panels are around 11-15% efficient ( have a look at this handy comparability table of solar panel potency to see the variations between brands ). The efficiency rating measures what share of sunlight hitting a panel gets turned into electricity you can use. The higher the efficiency, the less surface area you'll need in your solar cells. Although the average % may appear a little low, you can simply outfit a standard roof with enough power to cover your energy wishes.

What are the most highly effective solar panels? In the laboratory, scientists have developed solar energy panels that are forty percent efficient, or a touch more than this. But there's a significant difference between the laboratory and the actual world. Manufacturers haven't worked out how to take these experiments and produce economically practicable products yet. Waiting for new whiz-bang technology is among the Top five Solar Misconceptions. Out of the solar energy panels on the market, SunPower has some of the most solar panel efficiency of their models is 19% efficient.

Should I choose the most highly efficient solar cells available?

High solar panel potency doesn't mean better, it just means you use less space for the solar array on your roof. Potency isn't customarily a critical concern unless you've an abnormally little space for your solar cells. In that case , you may potentially decide to spend a little more for higher efficient panels. In 1BOG's solar campaigns, the installers we're employed with typically offer a choice of different recommended panels, including a efficient kind of panel for people worried about space. If you have a standard amount of roof space to work with, you can focus more on the price and yearly predicted kilo watt production of your panels.

Factors that affect solar cell efficiency include : Panel Orientation : In the U.S, your roof ideally should face To the south, but designers can compensate for most other directions.

Roof and Panel Pitch : The "pitch" or lean of your roof may affect the number of hours of daylight you receive in a standard day across the year. Enormous commercial systems have solar tracking systems that immediately follow the sun's tilt thru the day. These are expensive nonetheless , and not generally used for residential solar installs.

Temperature : Some panels like it hot, but most do not. Therefore panels have to be installed 1 or 2 inches above the roof with enough air circulation to chill them down. Some PV panels are engineered to be more effective in warmer climates. Check out the ones utilized for San Antonio and Phoenix householders. Shade : Shade is the enemy of solar. With poor solar design, even a little shade on one panel can shut down solar production on all your other panels. Installers use special gadgets to straight away show any shady spots on your roof, irrespective of what time of the year. Remember : Shade bad. Hence trim those nearby trees. Did I bring up shade is evil for solar cells? Beware the shade.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment