So, you’re tired of the untimely electricity blackouts, the bill coming through the mailbox, and its total causing your eyes to pop from their sockets. The answer seems to be your own solar panel so you can be in control of your power costs. But, what is the best solar panel for you to buy?
Investing in solar panels to power your home is not a cheap investment, but over time it can prove to be a much more cost-efficient one. The initial costs can range from USD900 for a one-panel system, with an output of 75 watts. A larger solar panel system, meanwhile, with enough output to power your entire home – around 5 kilowatts – could cost as high as USD40,000 to set up.
With so much investment needed, it is important that you know what the best solar panel to install is. Without doubt, a photovoltaic panel (PV) is the best off-grid power source for your home since it farms energy directly from light without the need for any moving parts.
The technology involved is intricate but there are several types of photovoltaic solar panels that can do the job. These are generally divided into two categories: Discrete Cell and Integrated Thin-Film panels.
Of the Discrete Cell types of solar panels, Single-Crystal Silicon panels are the most commercially efficient with an output of just over 15 percent, while Multi-crystalline Silicon panels have an output of just under 14 percent.
Of the Integrated Thin-film panels, Copper Indium Diselenide (CIS) panels offer an efficiency percentage of 11, which is the highest rate for a full-sized panel. Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) panels offer a commercial efficiency rate of 8.34 percent.
What do these percentage rates mean? Well, it simply means that the solar cell harnesses 15 percent (or 11 percent or 8.34 percent) of the available energy from the light.
The fact that there are no moving parts means, compared to thermal solar panel systems, maintenance costs for photovoltaic solar systems are drastically lower. But that is just one of the advantages.
Only a relatively small amount of space is needed to install photovoltaic panels because they can be built into your home’s wall or roof, or simply mounted onto them.
But which one should you buy? Well, that depends on your home’s needs and on the budget that you have. Cost per watt (CPW) is a hugely influential factor in considering the best solar panel that are right for you. Single-panel systems can have a CPW rate of USD12 per watt, while those larger 5 kilowatt systems can cost between USD6 and USD8 per watt.
There are two photovoltaic panel manufacturers popular with home owners: SunPower and Kyocera. Ina survey carried out by ENF, it was found that photovoltaic installers considered SunPower (USA) as the best solar panel manufacturer in the world. Their panels are high-efficiency which means they come with a high cost per watt rate. Kyocera panels, meanwhile, are less efficient but have a lower cost per watt.
Whether you’re nestled in a corner of the urban sprawl or on a mountain far from the madding crowd, staying ‘powered up’ is always important – though the cheaper the better. So, maybe it’s worth considering how much you’ll save in the long run by investing in the best solar panel for your home.
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