Solar cells are capable
of producing less than 1 V of electricity each. This voltage is not enough for
applications.Hence solar cells are assembled together to form a solar panels of
desired power and voltage rating.
How
solar panels work?
The basic unit of a
solar panel is the solar cell. These solar cells are silicon based and they
absorb photons in sunlight. This absorption of energy makes them release
electrons from silicon atoms and when the electrons are captured, produce electricity.
The major categories of
Solar Panel are:
Monocrystalline: High
purity silicon is used to make Monocrystalline solar panels. Here each solar
cell is cut from a single, continuous piece of silicon crystal. They are the
most efficient as well as expensive technology.
Polycrystalline:Polycrystalline(also called multicrystalline) solar panels are also based on silicon. This
type solar panel consist of multiple small silicon crystals unlike the
homogenous structure that the Monocrystalline technology has.
Thin-Film technology:Thin-film solar panels
are usually either amorphous Silicon based or Cadmium Telluride based. As the name
suggests, they use a much thinner level of photovoltaic material than the other
technologies. They are therefore relatively cheaper but come at an expense of
compromised efficiency.
There is a very big
problem with choosing solar panels. A solar panel must have high quality
performance over a long period.
Criteria
for choosing solar panels
Quality
and Warranty
Solar panel's quality
is determined by statements of warranty and conformance to quality standards.
Installation
Area
The type of panel (mono/poly
crystalline or thin film) will be influenced by the installation area.
For example, if solar
panel is installed at the front of house there might be aesthetic concerns.If it
is a large unshaded roof, choose mono/poly crystalline to maximise the energy
yield, because they have higher efficiencies.
If solar panel is
installed on a roof that is partially shaded for part of the day, but want to
maximise what can get out, choose thin film modules because they operate better
than crystalline modules under shading.
Solar
Panel Efficiency
Efficiency would be 50%
if the solar panel captured half the energy in the sunlight. Conventional panel
efficiencies in real-world conditions, range from about 12% up to just over
21%.Higher the efficiency, the more watts of electricity will get per square
meter of panel. Same electrical output is produced if the efficiency is higher
for even the small solar panel.The disadvantage of high efficiency panels is
that they tend to cost more.
Cost
Cost of Solar Panel
depends upon the kilowatts of electricity generated by solar panel.
Country
Of Origin
Some people choose
solar panels based on the countries.They insist the best solar panels made in
Germany and all Chinese solar panels are crap.
Specification
Solar panels can have
different specifications.Some points to be noted are:
The power tolerance on
panels. Some are much better than others.
The voltage rating and
coefficient of temperature. Panels should be rated to 100V DC minimum for
safety.
A good temperature
coefficient rating indicate a solar panel that performs slightly better in
higher temperatures.
Looks
Thin film panels look
more uniform and some people feel these look best. But they take up much more
space due to their lower conversion efficencies. Some suppliers can integrate
the panels into roof, others can supply solar roof tiles.
For solar products
Visit Alphazee Systems.
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