The link between energy use and climate change is undeniable. The fewer fossil fuels we need to burn, the less damage and harm we’ll do to the planet and the environment. Which is why choosing a more sustainable source of energy is a top priority for any environmentally conscious individual.
Solar energy has numerous benefits to offer; however, given that you’re here, we imagine you’re already more than familiar with them. Having assessed your options and weighed up the many advantages of installing solar panels, you now find yourself thinking of switching to clean electricity.
Just when you thought you were all set, you’ve realised that there are so many different options and now you feel like you’re back to square one.
Don’t give up on solar power just yet.
As experts in solar energy, we’re about to give you four top tips to guide your decision-making. This list will serve as a guide to enable you to make a good purchase and help you make the right choice for your home.
1. Solar Panel Cost
Whilst cost shouldn’t be the only factor that guides your choice of solar panel, it’s fair to say it’s an important consideration for most people. Unless you’ve won the lotto recently, you’re more than likely going to be taking this into consideration.
Solar panel cost is determined by different variables: the size (in Watts), the actual physical size, the brand, the quality of the materials, the durability (or warranty period) and any certifications the solar panel might have. That sounds like a lot.
When you take into consideration the fact that you will likely only have to purchase solar panels once in your life time (the average lifespan of solar panels is more then 30 years). As such, it is more important to ensure a good quality system rather than simply choosing the cheapest option.
That’s not to say you need to pick the most expensive option to guarantee success, we would just advise you spend some time considering the benefits of different systems within your budget.
2. Assess their energy efficiency
Solar panel efficiency is a measure of the amount of solar energy (irradiation) which falls on a panel surface and is converted into electricity. The more efficient, the better (and unfortunately usually more expensive). It is not always the best choice to get the biggest and most efficient solar panel available because you might end up spending more money and be covering way more than your energy needs.
Think of it this way, if you needed to make a cup of tea for yourself you could boil an entire kettles worth of water on a huge expensive kettle or you could use a smaller kettle which boils just the right amount of water for your cup. Both will give you your perfect cup of tea, but one will cost you more and serve no additional purpose other than making a lot of wasted boiled water.
Before choosing the solar panels, you should assess your requirements and find the panel that best suits your needs. This means not an underestimate, but also not to overestimate your needs.
If you’re unsure, you can contact us and we can help you assess which panels would work best for you needs.
3. Temperature Coefficient
Temperature Coefficiency refers to the impact that heat has on a solar panel’s operational efficiency after installation. Because solar panel overheating accelerates their ageing, the lower the percentage per degree Celsius, the better.
4. Durability
This could be an indicator of the manufacturer’s confidence in its products. Manufacturers who have full faith in their products will typically offer a 25-year warranty term. If you can find something that ticks this box and all of your others, you’re likely onto a winner.
If a long warranty period is not included as standard, take this as a warning sign. No matter how good the price, keep on searching until you find a better option. After all, a lower initial price won’t be too beneficial if their product breaks after a year as you will see no real return on your investment and you’ll be back to using less sustainable energy sources.
Of course, it is also important to properly maintain your solar panels to increase their lifespan. Fortunately, they are easy to take care of and don’t require much maintenance at all.
5. Size
This takes into account the actual physical size and the size in Watts. You should make sure to install a solar panel system that is big enough to power all your appliances, and also that you have the space required to install it.
The physical size of the panel will vary depending on how powerful the system is (the more Watts, the bigger physical size) and the type of solar cells used to build the panel.
Custom-fit residential solar power solutions for your home.
If you have any other questions about choosing solar panels, be sure to let us know, get in touch with us. We are always here to work with you to make the future more sustainable.
