Tips to Find the Best Solar Equipment for Your Solar Panel Installation

If you are interested in getting a solar panel installation, chances are you are going to want the best equipment for your solar power system. The solar panel installations equipment plays a vital role in how much solar power that your solar power system is going to generate.

You can break the solar panel installations equipment into two main categories; solar panels and solar inverters.

Tips to Find the Best Solar Panels

When your solar installer comes out to do the site visit the will have recommendations for you. But before choosing the solar panels for your solar panel installation you should do a little bit of research about the solar panels that the solar installer recommends.

Look at the Solar Manufacturers Warranty

If you are a prospective solar panel installation customer, it is your right to know about the warranty on the solar panels that the solar manufacturer offers. Ask the solar installer about the warranty that the solar manufacturers are offering.

If the solar manufacturer’s warranty is substantial (a minimum of 25 years), this is an indicator that the solar panels are going to reliable. Solar panels are going to typically be 30 to 35 years and some solar panels reach up to 40 years.

Compare the Costs

When comparing the cost of solar panels, you will get a better idea about the quality of the solar panels. Typically, the lower quality solar panels will be cheaper than the higher quality solar panels.  

More Tips:

- Check the solar manufacturer's warranties. The warranty is going to indicate if the solar panels are going to be high-quality or not.

- Solar panels should have the appropriate certification. This will ensure that they will have standardized performance and may earn you a tax rebate.

- Consider the solar panel installations location. If your rooftop has limited space, you should install solar panels with the highest efficiency.

- Pay attention to the solar inverter, because this can either make or break the output of the solar panels. If the solar inverter isn’t efficient enough, the output of the solar panels isn’t going to be materialized.

Finding the Best Solar Inverter

The next piece of equipment for your solar power system is going to be the solar inverter. The solar inverter is going to be just as vital as the solar panels when it comes to a solar panel installations output. To understand how to find the best solar inverter, you will need to understand what solar inverters do, and your different solar inverter options.

What Does the Solar Inverter Do?

In simple terms, a solar inverter converts direct current (DC) solar power into alternating current (AC) solar power, this way you home can use the solar power that your solar panel installation generates to power your home.

DC solar power is the form of power that is generated by the solar panels, but our homes use AC power, so we need something to do that. There are going to be different kinds and sizes of solar inverters that you can choose from for your solar power system.

The Microinverter

The microinverter is going to be small enough to attach underneath each of the solar panels. These solar inverters operate independently from each other, converting the DC solar power to AC solar power at the module level. The microinverters, allow the solar panels to work their best under less than optimal conditions.

If your solar panels are spread out, a microinverter is going to be the best option for you. If there are large objects that are casting shade on a few of the solar panels in the microinverter is going to be ideal for your solar panel installation as well.

You should keep in mind that the sun moves across the sky, shadows are going to move across the solar panels. You should also keep in mind that shadows that are present in the winter, might not be present in the summer. If your solar panel installation has some solar panels that are shaded, while others are getting direct sunlight, a microinverter is going to be the best option for you.

String Inverters

If you have an open space to install solar panels, a string solar inverter is going to be perfect for your solar panel installation. This large space and either be on your roof or your land. If all of your solar panels can be installed side-by-side and all of the solar panels can be installed under the same conditions, string solar inverters will be ideal for your solar panel installation.

String solar inverters come in different sizes and wattages. With string solar inverters, the solar panels send the DC solar power to a single solar inverter, which converts the DC solar power to AC solar power. They are going to be efficient and will have fewer moving parts with fewer points of failure than the microinverters. You can use string solar inverters individually, or you can combine the different combinations to match the size of your solar panel installation.

The string solar inverters will not be placed on the rooftop, instead, they will be placed next to the utility meter. Since the string solar inverter is going to be installed in the shade, it will boost efficiency, and it is going to be easily accessible for any possible service. These solar inverters are also going to cost much less than microinverters.