Self-consumption is a great idea to encourage the use of photovoltaic solar energy and increase the consumption of renewable energy. However, many people do not know how to choose the best photovoltaic system to meet their energy needs. There are different types of solar panels and systems.
Therefore, in this article we are going to teach you how to choose the best photovoltaic system to cover the energy needs of your home and what aspects you should take into account.
Types of photovoltaic panels
Before starting to define the types of photovoltaic panels available, you should know that the efficiency of a photovoltaic panel depends mainly on the quality of the silicon it contains. The purer the silicon, the better it can convert solar energy into electricity. Therefore it is not surprising that Around 90% of photovoltaic solar panels are composed of some type of silicon.
There are three types of photovoltaic panels, the main differences being quality (i.e. purity of silicon) and manufacturing.
Monocrystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Solar Panels
They are the most powerful and efficient photovoltaic panels on the market because they contain the purest silicon. They are also the most expensive because they are made using the Czochralski process, which produces cylindrical blocks of very pure silicon. This process wastes a large amount of silicon that could be used in other less expensive but less efficient solar panels.
They have a very distinctive appearance. Because its photovoltaic cells are cut on all four sides to create silicon wafers. This design was made because it reduces manufacturing costs. This type of solar panel has the life Longest useful life guaranteed for up to 25 years.
Polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic solar panels
This type of photovoltaic panel also contains silicon as a component, but since it does not use the Czochralski process, it is not as pure or as expensive as monocrystalline photovoltaic panels. The manufacturing process for these photovoltaic panels involves pouring raw silicon into square molds, where it cools and splits into sheets composed of small silicon crystals. In fact, this manufacturing process is simpler and wastes less silicon, but at the same time it is not very efficient.
It is easy to differentiate between polycrystalline and monocrystalline photovoltaic panels because The cells of polycrystalline photovoltaic panels have a perfectly rectangular surface. However, monocrystalline silicon panels may have rounded corners. Another key difference is that monocrystalline silicon is darker than polycrystalline silicon.
Since polycrystalline photovoltaic panels are less efficient than monocrystalline ones, more space is required for both to have the same power. Polycrystalline panels are more sensitive to heat than monocrystalline ones; When temperatures are very high, your systems cannot capture as much energy as they can at room temperature, and high temperatures can affect their lifespan.
Thin film photovoltaic panels
It is the leader among domestic photovoltaic panels because it is the cheapest of the three. Its low cost is due to its simpler manufacturing, since this pure silicon is not used in photovoltaic cells.
For those who prefer cheap products, it is important to note that although it is the cheapest photovoltaic panel, its installation is more expensive because it has to have a more complex structure. Although the cost of installing photovoltaic panels is higher, it is still the most economical.
How to choose the best photovoltaic system
After defining in detail the different types of solar panels, we are going to give some tips to learn how to choose the best photovoltaic system to cover the energy needs of the place:
Cell number and voltage
The cells that a photovoltaic panel has are important to understand if the photovoltaic cells are used to store energy or if a photovoltaic self-consumption project is intended.
For self-consumption installations, The panels are usually 36 cells (12V) or 72 cells (24V). Depending on the battery capacity, choose a battery with a higher or lower number of cells.
Output power
This data determines the panel's ability to generate electricity from the solar energy it receives. This parameter is measured under certain conditions that rarely occur on the surface where we want to install photovoltaic panels. Of course, this value helps us compare two panels with the same dimensions.
Output power at rated operating temperature
Good solar panels, in addition to detailing the power produced at certain unusual parameters in their technical sheets, also indicate the power produced at more common temperatures.
Tolerance
The output power may vary due to different issues such as the components that make up the photovoltaic panel. This data can be expressed as a % or in W. For example, if we have a 100W panel with a tolerance of +/- 5%, means the panel can produce between 95W and 105W depending on several factors. If a 100W panel costs me €100, that means that each Wp is worth €1, but if its tolerance is +10%, sometimes a Wp can cost me €0,90.
Efficiency
It is the power parameter that is generated when the photovoltaic panel is irradiated with 100W/m2, and the unit is square meters. Currently, this parameter is highly valued among high-performance photovoltaic panels and is usually the most expensive. The higher the efficiency number, the more powerful the solar panel.
Power temperature coefficient
The power temperature coefficient determines how much power output is wasted in a photovoltaic panel per degree above 25°C.
Nominal cell operating temperature
These data are the module cell temperature at normal room temperature (20°C) and irradiation of 800 W per square meter. That is, the less the module cells overheat, the better performance the photovoltaic panel will have. Generally speaking, the lower the NOCT, the more efficient the panel.
The best photovoltaic panels for home use
Once all the types of photovoltaic panels and all the important elements that we have to consider in the photovoltaic panel technology table have been explained, we need to know which photovoltaic panels should generally be purchased for a home.
Recommended photovoltaic solar panels for home use They are generally polycrystalline panels, since they do not have very critical differences compared to monocrystalline panels unless the project has significant economic capital.
Monocrystalline panels should be chosen when the house has space problems or is located in an area with excessively high temperatures, since Polycrystalline panels do not resist high temperatures well, as we can see in their technical sheets.
Thin film photovoltaic panels are also recommended in the domestic sector, but require more surface area to produce the same surface area as polycrystalline or monocrystalline panels.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about how to choose the best photovoltaic system to cover the energy needs of your home.