How to Find the Right Solar Panels For Your Home

So you’ve decided to get a solar panel installation, that’s great! But your work isn’t done! Now it’s time to find the right equipment for your solar panel installation.

Here’s a guide to help you find the best equipment for your solar power system:

Look at Your Solar Panel Statistics

To compare solar panels there are a few factors that you need to know. You are going to need to know the power output of the solar panels, the efficiency of a solar panel, and operating temperature coefficients that are determined under the standard testing condition STC. These factors are going to help homeowners select a solar panel that suits their expected conditions and power needs.

The Efficiency of a Solar Panel

The efficiency of a solar panel is going to measure how efficiently it converts the energy from the sun into electricity. This number is going to represent the kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy produced for each watt on the rating of the solar panels. Most solar panels will have an efficiency rating between 14 and 20%.

The Quality of the Solar Panels

This is going to be a big factor! You get what you pay for, in a sense. Most of the solar panels that are on the market can be sorted by how much they cost, how efficient they are, and how durable they are. The main difference between the solar panels is going to be the different manufacturer, type of solar panel, and the year that they were made. The solar panel market has evolved immensely since the market started, if you have a reputable solar installer, they should be able to tell you more about what is currently on the market.

Determine How Much Solar Power You Are Going to Need

To determine how much energy your home is going to require you can look at past utility bills. Then you figure out how many solar panels you are going to need if you multiply your household’s hourly energy requirement by the sun’s peak hours for your area and then you can divide that by a solar panel’s wattage. You should also keep in mind that how much sunlight your roof gets and the roofs size and battery storage will affect how much solar power you will need as well.

The Look

For some people, the aesthetics of the solar panels are going to be one of the biggest factors when it comes to them getting their solar panel installation. Some people aren’t going to like the blue look, others won’t mind it. But one thing is for sure, for most people, the most aesthetically pleasing solar panels are going to be all-black solar panels. This is also a plus because the new all-black solar panels are going to have high-efficiency ratings as well.

Find the Right Solar Inverter

A solar inverter is going to have a huge impact on the overall performance of your solar power system. The solar panels are going to generate solar power, but without the solar inverter, the generated solar power is not going to be usable. The solar inverters sole job is to convert the Direct Current (DC) that the solar panels generate into Alternating Current (AC) this way your home can use solar power to power your room,

When it comes to solar inverters, there are going to be two general kinds of solar inverters: string inverters and module-level power electronics (MLPEs). Both microinverters and power optimizers are both MLPEs.

When it comes to the lowest-cost option for a solar panel installation is going to be a string inverter. In the best-case scenario, your solar panel installation is in the optimal position and condition for producing solar power, the string inverter is going to be a great option for you. If your solar power system has a string inverter, all of your solar panels are going to feed the DC solar power that they generate into a single solar inverter. The solar inverter will then convert the DC solar power to AC solar power. One thing you should know about string inverters is, if a single solar panel is underperforming, it will affect the entire solar panel installation's overall performance considerably.

The MLPEs are going to be more expensive. But they can also be more efficient. If your solar panel installation is slightly shaded or can’t be installed at the best angle, the MLPEs are going to be ideal. When you use a microinverter, each solar panel will have its solar inverter to convert the solar power that your solar panels create and feed the solar power to your home. The Power Optimizers are like the microinverters, will be installed on every solar panel, but the power optimizers are going to be paired with a string inverter. The Power Optimizers are going to make the conversion from the DC to AC power, at which point it is sent to the main solar inverter.