Solar Panels 101 – Understanding Solar Panel Efficiency
Solar panels convert and collect the sun to power in the rays of the sun to power up a home or a business. They are also part of a solar power system. The most common today solar panels are either poly-crystalline or mono-crystalline solar panels.
Monojunction Solar Panels is made by connecting two opposite faces of a thin semiconductor wafer that is crystalline in nature. This allows electricity to be passed through the junction freely between the two silicon wafers. These types of solar panels are common in applications where there is a need for a large amount of electrical power. They are also good at producing electricity when the sunlight is not shining on the surface to produce heat and/or to make sure that there is no place for debris to block the electricity flowing through. Therefore, they are used in desalination plants, deep water mines, in communications, and in desalinization plants.
Crystalline Solar Panels on the other hand is made by taking ordinary silicon (the element that makes up most solar panels) and making it into a more crystalline state. When it has become crystalline, it is an abundant source of energy. Solar crystalline panels are often used in applications where the amount of electricity produced is very high. However, there are some limitations to using these panels. They produce very little electricity, and their efficiency can decrease over time.
Most of the cost per kilowatt hour, you pay for your residential electric grid is the end product of the solar cell’s efficiency. The efficiency rating of the panel is the determining factor as to how much you pay per kilowatt hour. For this reason, a panel of lower efficiency will have a lower cost per KWh. You might be able to find slightly more efficient versions that cost less per KWh; however, the lower efficiency means a lower overall value per KWh created by the solar panels as well. However, when you consider how much you will save over time, you should be able to justify the higher initial outlay for higher energy efficiency.
To find the highest level of energy efficiency for your solar system, you need to consider the total output of your solar panels. Total output means the amount of energy needed to meet the electrical needs of the home or business. This number is usually best determined by your typical use of the equipment in question. If your equipment consumes a lot of electricity at peak times, then you will probably want to invest more in efficiency. On the other hand, if your equipment only produces small amounts of energy throughout the day, you may be able to get away with using a lower efficiency level panel.
Once you understand the concept of solar panel efficiency, you can move on to identifying which energy efficiency levels are right for your equipment. If you are using less than one solar cell for your equipment, you will want to consider the maximum output (Map) of the solar cells. The higher the maximum output, the higher the energy efficiency of the panel and the more money you will save on energy costs.
