The solar panel system design for your home relies heavily on choosing the right panels. However, the list of things to take into account can be quite extensive! Efficiency, brand, reliability, price, appearance, and warranties are all important factors to contemplate when deciding on your solar panels.
What Can Help Me Make The Best Choice When Choosing Solar Panels?
What Things Should I Take Into Account When Choosing My Panels?
Pricing
When searching for the perfect solar panels, the cost is often the primary concern. The following factors contribute to the cost of solar panels: the size (in Watts), physical size, brand, material quality, durability/warranty, and certifications.
However, while cost is crucial, it shouldn't be the only factor to consider. The least expensive panel may not be the most efficient or the best long-term option. Since solar panels can last for more than 30 years, it's essential to have a high-quality system installed at your property to ensure a good investment.
Quality
When referring to solar panel quality, we're discussing how the product is produced and the quality of materials used. Cheaper panels may experience a faster loss of efficiency over time in comparison to high-quality solar panels. Additionally, they are more likely to encounter maintenance issues during their time on your roof.
Efficiency
The efficiency of solar panels determines how much light energy is converted into electrical energy. As a rule of thumb, the higher the efficiency, the better the performance. However, higher efficiency comes with a higher price tag. It's essential to assess your energy requirements and select the panel that best fits your needs. Avoid under or overestimating your energy needs.
Durability
In most cases, solar panels have a 25 year warranty. If the manufacturer does not offer a long warranty period, you could suspect that their product is not very well made and they are not wanting the fallback.
It is important to maintain your panels to increase the lifespan of them.
Appearance
Have you thought about what your panels will look like on your roof? Solar panels consist of a grid of individual solar cells, mounted under glass, encapsulated with a resin backsheet, and surrounded by an aluminium frame.
Most modules will have black cells, with a white backing sheet and silver frame. However, all black modules are available to purchase. This will give a neater appearance. These are slightly more expensive to purchase.
An alternative to solar panels is to use solar roof tiles, where the solar collector is the roof material itself.
Size
One thing to make sure before choosing your panels is that you have enough space on your roof and that it is big enough to power all of your household appliances. The physical size of the panel will vary depending on how powerful the system is (the more Watts, the bigger).
An average household would typically require a 4kW system. The wattage of the solar panel is probably the most important thing you need to get right since underestimating the number will lead to a lack of energy, and overestimating the wattage will lead to spending more money than you actually need.