Every month, we keep recreating our household budget only to find that the electricity bill just keeps increasing. And while we try saving electricity to minimize the cost, the bill is not exactly what you can call ‘cheap’.
Also, keeping the financial issues aside for a moment, we must also talk about how we should be finding alternative sources of energy for an eco-friendly environment. The easiest and the cheapest alternative source of energy, without a doubt, is solar energy.
Solar energy, as a way of saving money, is effective and reliable. The system is a setup of a solar energy panel that consists of a number of solar cells. The solar cells work on trapping the sunlight and the panel works on converting it into electricity.
There are many solar panels manufactured from various companies. However, like any other product, solar panels from each company are distinguished by its features. You must choose a highly rated solar panel company.
Why Solar Energy?
- Solar energy is not just cost effective or eco-friendly, but also it allows usage over a wide range of applications.
- Using solar energy at the right time, can help you achieve a very low to a zero cost electricity bill, easily.
- Using solar energy can also help save the vulnerable sources of energy, like coal for a very long time.
- Solar energy panel systems are affordable and eco-friendly.
- They are also being used in vehicles, making the vehicles solar power driven. Thereby, providing an eco-friendly environment.
- Solar energy is the new rage, for all these reasons and more. There has been a huge growth in sales of solar panels in the past decade, for both, residential and commercial usage.
Features of a Solar Panel that helps you save money
A good solar panel can help save money. Some of the features that you may need to look out for, before choosing your solar panels are; STC or Standard Test Conditions, MPP or Maximum Power Point, Over Irradiance, and Temperature effects.
Standard Test Conditions – Standard test conditions, basically comprises of three factors that can be used in comparing two solar panels. The three factors are; Irradiance, Air mass, and Temperature of the solar cells.
Irradiance – Irradiance is the intensity of the sunlight. The intensity of the sunlight is to be looked out for. Irradiance is good to boost the solar energy, yet too much sunlight can do damage to the panel, if the panel contains solar cells or the top glass of a low quality.
Air mass – Air mass is basically the thickness of air. It is to see how much of the sunlight, and how it passes through the air to reach the solar panel. High quality solar panel systems can trap better amounts of sunlight, than other solar panel systems in conditions where the air mass is stronger.
Temperature of the cell – The air temperature can affect the cell temperature. According to STC, the standard testing temperature is 25 degrees Celsius. The temperature of the cell can also be affected by the quality of the material used to make the cells. A good quality material can be resistant up to a certain degree and maintain the system’s temperature well.
Maximum power point – Maximum power point, is the point in the IV curve graph chart, at which the current is at maximum. The solar power must not exceed the maximum power limit, as if it increases, the current produced starts decreasing. The factors that affect the power are temperature and irradiance.
Irradiance and temperature – Too much power from sunlight is not good for the panel, as it follows the ohm law. The irradiance must not go over the standard temperature value from STC.
- Less air mass can allow a lot of sunlight to pass through and this usually occurs at high altitudes.
- When a cloud’s shadow passes in between the sun and the solar panel, refraction occurs. Due to refraction, the sunlight from the edge of the cloud will be of a high intensity and can cause a boost in voltage when it hits the panel.
- Reflections from other objects can also affect the voltage of the system.
- Usually, a lot of materials used to make solar cells produce higher voltage at lower temperature.
- A good solar panel must have adjustment tools to adjust the temperature effect.
- The temperature also depends on the material used to make the top glass and size of the components of the solar panel system.
Tips to save money
- Make optimum use of electricity during the sunny hours.
- Make sure to check out the meter box, so you know your solar panel setup is working.
- Maintenance of the panel is highly recommended, so you don’t have to deal with the losses from a poorly maintained system, later.
- Placement of the system matters a lot. Put it at a high altitude and place it at a proper angle, depending on the location you live in. When it is placed in the right position, none of the factors will go over the maximum power point. This way, you can make a profit and you may also have your bill cost to zero
What a good solar panel looks like
- A good solar panel must have really good features at an affordable rate.
- They must be cost efficient and made of high quality products that, in turn, should give a high quality performance.
- It must have a good STC and take care of all the factors.
- From the top glass to the solar cells, every material used to manufacture, must be carefully selected to give the best performance. Money saving techniques must be implemented while manufacturing these solar panel systems.
Check out for reviews by people who have purchased it. The reviews must be really good and must be reviewed to be worth buying, in many aspects. Few of which are, quality, performance, efficiency, durability and power tolerance. You must look for these attributes in the solar panel company you are choosing.
