Solar Panels Efficiency
Introduction to Solar Panels Efficiency
Nowadays, concerned with the escalating electricity bills and expenses, people are looking for alternate ways of providing electrical power for their homes. Limiting the energy use of major power users or switching off electric appliances when they are not running are too much of a nuisance to be really considered as great power saving options. Therefore the thought of acquiring solar panels appeals to more and more people who end up purchasing solar technology in order to provide them the energy needed for their daily use.
Just How Efficient are Solar Panels?
When it comes to solar panels efficiency, one actually wonders about how much electricity a photovoltaic panel can produce from a specific amount of solar light. Given the fact that most solar panels convert about 20% of the sunlight into usable energy means the solar technology creates two hundred watts of power from two thousand watts of sunlight. If this amount of power seems low to you, keep in mind that even the most optimised designs using silicon cannot achieve efficiency much greater than 40%.
This percentage is believed to be about the highest efficiency that a standard silicone solar panel can actually achieve, and the current work that goes into creating better solar panels does not reside into efficiency, but more into making them less expensive. The most recent technologies that have been developed reach an incredible level of efficiency of 80%, although it will take some time before people will start to massively purchase these solar panels.
Factors that Influence Solar Panels Efficiency
Aside from the obvious difference residing in the particular type of a solar panel, other factors controlling the efficiency of solar technology include the panel mounting and positioning, the temperature and the shading. Thus, the first issue refers to the angle in which the panels are placed and if the optimal angle is not achieved, the power produced will not be as high as it should be. As far as temperature is involved, keep in mind that the power output of the photovoltaic cell is affected by temperature in the following way: additional degrees decrease the efficiency of solar panels whilst colder temperatures are more advantageous. This factor is of great importance if you’re having a higher demand in electricity during summer months.
Shading is another issue when it comes to the proper results that should be achieved by the solar panels since these devices will clearly produce less energy if they’re located in a shaded place. Partial shading is sometimes unavoidable, but if you can do some maintenance work involving cutting down trees or branches hindering the light from the sun, then that is what you should be doing to make the most out of your solar panels.
In the end, think about how effective solar panels are as far as maintaining the environmental safety is concerned. Solar energy is ecological and does not pollute as opposed to the common fossil fuel. They may be not as energy efficient, yet their use will pay itself back in the long run.
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