June 15th, 2021 | Updated on February 26th, 2023
We know that there are many energy sources that we use in our day-to-day life. But What’s energy? Energy is the ability to do work.
There are mainly 2 kinds of energy: Renewable and Non-Renewable energy. Non-Renewable Energy is the energy that is artificially created by humans and are limited as they are not automatically restored by nature.
Coal, Oil, Natural Gas and nuclear gas are some of the examples of this type of energy Renewable energy the energy that we can get from nature which is limitless i.e., they never run out.
Some of the examples of renewable energy include Sun, Wind, Water and Earth. These energy sources are automatically restored/recreated by nature.
In this article we are mainly going to know about the best solar panel for homes. Solar energy is the energy that we get from the sun.
Everyday there is a lot of energy being generated from the sun and we can utilize this enormous amount of solar energy to convert it to other useful forms of energy like Electrical energy using various scientific methods.
Solar energy reaches the earth in the form of sunlight and its measured as one meter square area of the atmosphere as it travels through the atmosphere before it reaches earth.1.4 Kw/m ( Meter square ) is known as the solar constant but as the sun light travels through the atmosphere which consists of vapors and other gas particles some of the energy is lost so the sunlight that reaches the earth is 1 Kw/m (meter square).
Solar Energy can be converted into electrical energy with the help of solar cells. These cells are also known as Photovoltaic cells which are made up of silicon.
Electrons in the cell gain energy from sunlight as a result produces voltage. We need a large amount of voltage to use it to run electrical appliances.
So many of these solar cells are connected together forming a solar panel which produces sufficient amount of voltage which is sufficient for performing various types of work.
Nickel cadmium batteries can be connected to the solar panel to store the energy during the day and which can be used in the night for providing electrical energy to home appliances.
You May Also Like: How Long Can You Store Solar Energy From Solar Panels
How To Select The Best Solar Panel?
1. Technical Data Sheet: Check the technical data sheet of the solar panel which consists of specifications, output, test conditions, certifications, Conditions based outputs and information about the company creating it.
This sheet is provided by the manufacturer along with the module then you do a Figure based comparison. There are different types of solar panel modules like multi, mono-perc, cut-cell and bi facial.
Create a table and add columns such as Efficiency, size, watt,3kW/9nos, Area req and Output and fill all these for each type of solar module. You can find most of these data sheet. In this technique you compare different modules in terms of number.
2. Performance of the module based on comparison: Solar panel produces the output based on the input. So, climate plays major role here i.e., more the temperature more the output produced by each solar cells in the panel.
Nominal operating cell temperature is the data that you can refer from the technical data sheet. Mono Perc is the best module when you have problems related to climate as there is an extra module known as Perc which improves the efficiency of the solar cells in producing energy.
3. Brand and Experience of the Company ratings: Tier 1 Manufactures of Solar panel have more experience as a result they get more ratings from the agencies.
4. Availability and Affordability: This is the most important thing because as soon as select a particular solar panel you have to check whether it’s available at your location and will you be able to afford it.it’s better you can contact the local vendors as they know about availability and policies at your area.
Cut cells are small cells of different solar panels that are used for demo purpose and sales enablement.
When you want to buy solar panel look for the Warranty, price, customer service and certifications (MNRE: Ministry of New Renewable Energy).
First you can check with the local vendors and then visit the ecommerce websites like amazon, flipkart and also check the company’s website where you also find details about distributors, vendors and you will get a clear understanding of the price comparison.
Different Types Of Solar Panels
- Mono Solar panels: This is a solar panel of higher quality with higher cost. The price of this panel is 25-30rs/Watt i.e., you need to spend 25,000 to 30,000 rs to produce 1 Kw of energy. If you have a huge requirement you can buy at a cheaper price from in wholesale.
- Poly solar panels: They are very suitable for India and they are available at a comparatively lower price. Poly crystalline solar panels have comparatively less efficiency compared to other types of solar panels. They are the most popular in India with cost from Rs 15-25/watt. This is the most ideal type of solar panel for residential use and for the supply of a smaller amount of energy.
- Thin solar panels : These solar panels are very rare and are not a widely used type of solar panel.
Advantages Of Solar Energy
- Solar energy is very easy to use and can be easily setup compared to other renewable sources of energy
- They are Renewable source of energy
- There is enormous supply for Solar energy daily
- This type of energy can be stored for future use and can be transmitted through wires for various electrical appliances
- They are environmental friendly as they don’t cause pollution
- Easy to convert/transform to other forms of energy like head, potential, kinetic and electrical energy
- It reduces a large amount of Non-Renewable energy generated for your home and city.
Disadvantages of Solar Energy
- It is expensive in terms of buying solar panels for our homes
- Maintenance of solar panel is difficult and time consuming
- It is also climate dependent. It can’t be used in low temperatures areas and in rainy season
Applications of Solar Energy
They are used in Space stations and Satellites where they act as a source of producing an ample amount of energy.
They are used to run various electrical devices like calculators and in developed countries solar energy is also used to run cars.
Most popular use case of solar panel is it is used in windmills to produce wind energy and it’s also installed in various residentials to power the home appliances like lights and fans.