subject: Residential PV Solar Power Systems [print this page] Residential PV Solar Power Systems Residential PV Solar Power Systems
The main component of any residential solar power system is the solar panels. They do the actual conversion of sunlight to electricity and are at the heart of the solar system that produces energy to your home. There are quite a few differences between solar panels, even though many panels look alike, and the homeowner must consider several things before choosing which panels to use for his or her home.
The construction and efiiciency of modern solar panels is quite a bit better than what was available in the past. Because of these advances, any homeowner will be better off with newer panels than they would have been even a few years ago. Although there have been quite a few improvements, there are also many differences in solar panels and selecting a model of panel must be based on how much electricity youwant to produce and your budget.
The voltage requirement of the system you are building is the first thing to consider. There are a number of standard voltages that residential solar panels use and you should choose which you will use. Your choice of solar panels and power inverter will be dictated by this voltage level decision Higher voltage panels have some advantages as they have less power loss in the long wire runs than lower voltage panels have, but they are also more expensive. Home solar panels will usually output power at 12, 24 or 48 volts, though there are some panels that are even higher. It is generally best to select panels with the highest voltage level that your budget allows.
Number of volts in your solar system will also influence which solar charge controller you choose.
Efficiency is yet another difference between different solar panels. Even panels that look the same can have almost 10% higher or lower efficiency than similar models. From a given level of sunlight, 10% higher efficiency will mean a huge difference in the amount of electricity produced. Over the life of the panel, this difference in electricity generated will be really big. Greater efficiency also means you will need fewer panels to produce the same amount of electricity and you will need less space for panels as well. You should check the efficiency rating of any panels you are considering and generally go with the highest efficiency rating that you can afford. Getting a better quality panel now, even if you have to spend more money, will pay you back many times over during the lifespan of the panel.
Some of the newer specialty solar panels should also be considered. One type of newer panel combines both electric and thermal solar into a single panel. This type of panel can be used for both hot water and electricity.This kind of panel can produce both electricity and hot water at the same time. You will get the most efficient use of roof space with these panels and also get double the benefit.
Solar panels that include a micro inverter are another newer development. A micro inverter is a small power inverter built right into the solar panel. Converting the DC electricity from the panels or batteries into the AC electricity that comes out of the sockets in your home is the job of the power inverter. Usually all the solar panels and batteries feed into a single large power inverter for the entire system. Instead of spending money on a big power inverter right away, you can build up your system slowly. This means you can build your solar system up little-by-little, but still get the benefit of AC power from the system at every step. The AC electricity will also be at a higher voltage and have less loss in the long runs of wire.
