In general terms, the efficiency of solar panels depends on how much sunlight reaches them and how the system transforms it. On average, this varies from 10% to 25%. But let’s understand in more detail how this works and how to calculate in advance how productive a new system for your home will be.
What Is Solar Panel Efficiency
The efficiency factor of a solar panel system indicates how much the technology is capable of converting solar energy into electrical energy. It is expressed as a percentage, often in the range of 17%+-5%. Depending on how much electricity you obtain from solar panels, you can roughly estimate how much you will save on your electricity bill. It’s a contribution to the future – at some point, you’ll recoup installing the new technology and only saving money.
In addition to efficiency, the characteristics of solar panels also include a measure of power. It is expressed in kW. The number 4 kW is quite a powerful solar system, which will help you save significantly on your electric bill.
How to Calculate Solar Panel Efficiency
Calculating the efficiency of solar panels for home is a task for scientists. They conduct experiments, record the results in the laboratory, and then calculate the percentage. All experiments take place under predetermined conditions. These standard conditions are as follows: sunny day (illumination of 1000 W/m2) and temperature of 25°C. Under these conditions, scientists measure how much electricity the panel will produce.
Thus, the coefficient, which will be written in the characteristics of a specific solar panel, will be relevant only for a sunny day. In order to understand how effective the technology will really be, you need to look at weather reports about how often there are such sunny days in your area.
Also, many manufacturers now provide a PTC rating for review. It just shows how the battery will behave in different environmental conditions.
What Else Has Impact On Efficiency
The efficiency of solar panels hinges directly on how they are built. All batteries are made of silicon, but some are solid monocrystalline panels, while others are polycrystalline (with small gaps) or thin-film (silicon is very small and located on the electrical elements).
The solid models are the most expensive, the most efficient, and bulkiest, while the thin-film models are significantly cheaper, lighter, and more malleable, but also far from being as productive.
What Can Negatively Influence Efficiency
Keep in mind that even the most expensive and effective model may not work as well as you hoped if it is affected by negative aspects. The most significant of these are shading and improper deployment. It is recommended to install the panels on the south side, where there are no trees, at a slope of about 30 degrees. Otherwise, there is a risk of reducing the effectiveness of the technology by 50%. In addition, in order to maintain efficiency at the required level, solar panels must be properly maintained. This means regularly removing dirt from them.
