Efficiency of Solar Panels

Everyone who are considering eco-friendly solar energy to power their homes are confused about the energy output from solar is sufficient for their needs and is it worth for the money they spend.

In a photovoltaic solar panel, solar cells made up of silicon are linked together and convert sunlight into electricity. When sunlight hits the panel, it absorbs light energy and emits electrons. These electrons are stored in batteries.

The rate of efficiency of different types of photovoltaic solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity does not range much as it depends on the roof space for the panels and how much one can spend. However, monocrystalline panels are more efficient compare to multi/polycrystalline and thin film panels. That is the reason for why monocrystalline panels are costlier and are most preferable.

Thin film panels are used  for generating energy in diffused light, such as in cloudy weather and seasons with poor sunlight penetration. These include amorphous crystalline, CIGS, and CdTe panels. They are least efficient in terms of amount of power generated per square inch but they perform much better in diffused light compared to mono-crystalline panels.

Factors that affect the efficiency of a solar panel

Energy efficiency factors must be carefully considered while designing any solar PV systems to get the best out of efforts and investment. Some factors that affect the efficiency are:

1.Cable Thickness

2.Temperature: Solar cells perform better in cold rather than in hot climate.

3.Shading: Solar panels should be located on a place having no shadows on them because a shadow on even a small part of the panel can have a large effect on the output.

4.Charge Controller and Solar Cell’s IV Characteristics: The voltage varies with light intensity. When the panel is connected to the battery through a simple charge regulator, its voltage will be pulled down to near that of the battery. A basic charge controller prevents damage of batteries by over-charging, by effectively cutting off the current from the solar panels when the battery voltage reaches a certain level.

5.Inverter Efficiency: When the solar PV system is provided for the needs of the AC loads an inverter is needed.Here the efficiency depends on the efficiency of solar inverter.

6.Battery Efficiency: Whenever backup is required batteries are needed for charge storage. Lead acid batteries are most commonly used. The efficiency depends on the battery design and quality of construction.

7.Front surface soiling: Solar cells cannot absorb light when the surface of the solar panels are covered with dirt or pigeon droppings, which doesn’t get washed by the rain. Proper washing and frequent inspection can reduce the problem.

The capacity of a solar panel has a direct impact on its cost. Since Watts are the output of each module in the solar panel, a panel with a 100 Watt rating can generate 100 watt-hours of power each hour.

The Wattage of the solar panel affects its physical size. This means that a 200 watt panel will be about twice as large as a 100 watt one.

The most important factor to consider for a solar panel is the amount of energy in watt-hours it can produce and whether it will be enough to power your devices, charge your batteries, and light your LEDs under ideal conditions.

Alphazee System provides all ranges of residential and commercial solar energy solutions.