Showing posts with label Solar Panels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Solar Panels. Show all posts

Friday, June 9, 2023

Profits from Solar Photovoltaic Panels

The profits from solar photovoltaic panels can vary depending on a number of factors, including the cost of the panels, the cost of installation, the amount of sunlight in the area, and the cost of electricity. In general, however, solar panels can provide a significant financial benefit over time.

For example, let's say that you live in a sunny area and you install a solar panel system that costs $20,000. The system generates enough electricity to offset your annual electricity bill of $1,500. Over the next 20 years, you will save $30,000 in electricity costs. In addition, the value of your home may increase by $5,000 or more due to the presence of solar panels.

Of course, there are also some upfront costs associated with solar panel installation. These costs can include:

  • The cost of the panels themselves
  • The cost of installation
  • The cost of permits and inspections
  • The cost of financing

However, these costs are typically offset by the long-term savings on electricity bills. In addition, many states and utilities offer rebates and tax breaks for solar panel installation, which can further reduce the upfront costs.

Overall, solar photovoltaic panels can provide a significant financial benefit over time. If you are considering installing solar panels, be sure to factor in the upfront costs and the long-term savings. With a little planning, you can save money and help the environment at the same time.

Here are some additional factors to consider when calculating the profits from solar photovoltaic panels:

  • The efficiency of the solar panels. The more efficient the panels, the more electricity they will generate.
  • The amount of sunlight in the area. The more sunlight in the area, the more electricity the panels will generate.
  • The cost of electricity. The higher the cost of electricity, the greater the financial benefit from solar panels.
  • The lifespan of the solar panels. Solar panels typically have a lifespan of 25 years.
  • The warranty on the solar panels. Most solar panels come with a warranty that covers the cost of repairs or replacement for a certain period of time.

If you are considering installing solar photovoltaic panels, it is important to do your research and compare prices from different solar installers. You should also get quotes from multiple installers to make sure you are getting the best possible price.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Benefits of Solar Photovoltaic Panels

Solar photovoltaic are made of silicon. That is a great benefit to us since silicon is relatively a common element in nature. 15% of the Earth’s mass which is approximately 5.98×1021 metric tons is made out of silicon. There is no need to worry about running out of this naturally common element on Earth.

Silicon Cost for Solar Photovoltaic Panels:

The use of silicon in photovoltaic started in 1954, however; it was not worth it to be produced commercially at that time. The cost of the electricity they produced was relatively very high compared to coal; silicon cost was $250 per 1 Watt compared to $3 per watt for coal. Improvements were slow over the years. Benefit from solar photovoltaic panels was not put to use during that period except for satellite uses.

However, with the technological advancements these days and increased silicon demand for the electronic industry, the price of silicon dropped down considerably and an installed cost of a solar photovoltaic panel could be lower than $4 per watt.

With cost price of solar photovoltaic panels dropping down, solar panel cells became affordable and that benefited most people who were unable to afford it in the past. The price of solar panels is expected to drop down further in the next 2-5 years as the world is turning to alternative renewable solar energy sources and green sustainable energy.

Lifetime Expectancy of solar Photovoltaic Panel:

The solar photovoltaic panels are durable and built to last. It is beneficial to us since the expected lifetime of a solar photovoltaic panel is 20 + years. Usually a performance warranty of 20 + years is provided by most manufacturers and a warranty of 10 + years for 80% power output performance. The solar photovoltaic panel has no moving parts or mechanical parts; therefore, maintenance is not required except for surface cleaning once in a long while.

Solar Photovoltaic Power Generation and Energy Saving:

Solar photovoltaic panels are designed to generate electricity during the day time. If you were to install a solar photovoltaic system, on sunny days you should be able to use the solar energy from sunlight during the day and have sufficient energy stored in your battery for night time. But that depends on the type of system installed.

On average, energy saved due to using solar photovoltaic panels in North America or Europe could save somewhere between 25 – 150% per household per day. The access power is fed to the utility grid-lines in North America and some European countries. This is a great encouragement for the use of alternative solar energy.

Furthermore, many countries don’t require planning permission if an owner decides to install solar photovoltaic panels to power his electrical equipments. There are a few exceptions, however; nowadays many countries are encouraging household owners to make the switch and benefit from the easy long term payment plans governments offer.

Solar photovoltaic panel power and other alternative green energy sources are offered with extremely low interest rates just to push the green energy issue forward.

Solar Photovoltaic and Carbon Footprint:

Solar photovoltaic panels are considered part of the green energy resources that is naturally available and replenishable. On average, a single household owner can reduce his carbon footprint by approximately 1.4 metric tons per year if a solar photovoltaic panel system is installed on his property.

Considering the reduced amount of carbon footprint, this makes the solar photovoltaic system an environmentally friendly solution that does not destroy our environment and protects our Eco system.

Solar Photovoltaic Panel Payback Period:

Free energy from the sun provides us with unlimited amount of solar energy that is renewable. On average, the payback period for solar photovoltaic system is usually 7-10 years. Then it is profit to its owner. The output power produced is identical and even better than power utility from the grid.

Better output power from solar photovoltaic panels is due to the use of pure sine wave inverters and shorter transmission lines. This protects connected electrical equipments from voltage fluctuation, disturbances, and power surges and enhances the lifetime of our appliances.

On-Grid, Off-Grid Solar Photovoltaic Panels:

The solar photovoltaic panel system can be installed independent of the utility grid or can be integrated to feed the grid. When affordable, many household owners prefer to be independent from the utility grid and only use the utility power in case of shortages or during emergencies.

In either case electrical appliances are protected due to a better power output. In either case the power has to pass through the pure sine wave inverter provided that the grid connection is set that way.

The benefit for those who are living off the utility grid is that they will always have electric power in case of blackout or brownouts compared to their counter parts. In case of a blackout or brownout the user will never notice the difference. The switching time can only be measured by delicate devices.

A good online pure sine wave inverter drawing power from solar photovoltaic panels should have a switching time less than 4 microseconds. This would insure that PC computers are not affected by power fluctuating.

Portable Solar Photovoltaic Panels:

The solar photovoltaic power system is portable for those who are living in portable cabins or renting properties. The solar photovoltaic system is usually installed on the roof top of a portable cabin. The owner can take his cabin anywhere he goes and power would always be available.

Those who are renting can dismantle the solar photovoltaic system to the newly rented dwelling if circumstances necessitate such a move. Portable solar photovoltaic system owners have a peace of mind from the benefits the solar photovoltaic system provides. They never have to worry about electric power shortage.

Related links coming soon:

Solar Photovoltaic Panels:
  1. Solar Photovoltaic Panel Construction
  2. Benefits of Solar Photovoltaic Panels
  3. Applications of Solar Photovoltaic Panels
  4. Profits from Solar Photovoltaic Panels

Solar Photovoltaic Panel Construction

Solar Photovoltaic panels are made out of sand that is converted to silicon. Sand converted to silicon is cut into layers known as solar cell wafers. Chemical impurity elements such as boron and phosphor ions are added to these silicon wafers. These impurity elements enhance the electrical production properties of the silicon wafer when exposed to sunlight or rays.

Each added element has a property of being positively or negatively charged, the wafers are known as p-type silicon and n-type silicon respectively. One negatively charged wafer layer is placed on top of a positively charged wafer layer. The area between the two is known as the wafer junction as seen in the diagram below.

Silicon - Solar Photovoltaic Solar Panel Diagram

Silicon Wafer - Solar Photovoltaic Component Diagram


How do Solar Panels Generate Electric Power:

Solar panels generate electric power (current & voltage) when they are exposed to sunlight rays. When light rays strike the top silicon wafer, electric current is produced between the two silicon wafers and a negatively charged voltage is created on top of the layer. Usually, small mesh copper contacts are placed on top of the upper silicon layer as seen in the diagram above.

The copper mesh allows sunlight to penetrate to the silicon layer below it. The copper mesh draws the negative electric charge produced from the upper silicon layer and a negative voltage is created.

The bottom silicon layer is joined to a solid copper sheet at the bottom. Since a negative electric charge is created on the upper wafer layer, the bottom wafer layer becomes positively charged. The positively charged layer is connected at the bottom to the metal copper sheet.

The copper sheet is connected to the other lead of the electric circuit. The current produced between the top and bottom layers flows in the electric wires to power electric devices that uses direct current similar to battery powered electrical devices or stored in batteries. Later inverters are used to convert power stored in batteries to utility electric power for various uses.

Temperature Effect on Solar Photovoltaic Panels:

One thing to note about solar photovoltaic panels is that they are sensitive to varying temperatures. Temperature effect solar panel output power. And increase in temperature above 25 degrees Celsius would require compensation during site design. This would insure that the output power is able to charge the batteries or feed the designated load. Usually, solar system design engineers have many criteria to consider during initial site evaluation besides temperature.

Temperature has an effect on the output power of a solar photovoltaic panel. The panel is naturally dark. When exposed to sunlight rays, its temperature will increase. At temperatures below 25 degrees, there is little effect on output power; actually it is to the benefit of the output power. A positive gain of about 5% would be expected at zero degrees Celsius.

However, at temperatures higher than 25 degrees C, the power output would drop down. This effect can be as much as 20-30% if not higher (dependent on location and other factors). Usually the manufacturer’s data sheets should display a graph as to how temperature change influences the output power of the solar photovoltaic panel system.

Related links coming soon:

Solar Photovoltaic Panels:
  1. Solar Photovoltaic Panel Construction
  2. Benefits of Solar Photovoltaic Panels
  3. Applications of Solar Photovoltaic Panels
  4. Profits from Solar Photovoltaic Panels

Monday, July 25, 2011

Solar Photovoltaic Panels

Solar photovoltaic panels are also known as solar PVs; they produce electric power from solar radiation and rays from sunlight. Solar panels convert light energy to electric power by the photovoltaic effect. 

Photovoltaic solar panels capture energy from sunlight and energy captured by these solar panels is commonly known as solar power, sunlight energy harvesting is an example of solar energy that is renewable.

Each solar Photovoltaic panel consists of an array of single photovoltaic cells called solar cells, they are grouped together to make one solar panel. Each photovoltaic solar cell produces a constant voltage or direct current (similar to battery voltage).

The energy output of each solar cell is too small on its own, so solar cells are grouped together in a panel in order to produce large power outputs that we can benefit from and use.

Related links coming soon:

Solar Photovoltaic Panels:
  1. Solar Photovoltaic Panel Construction
  2. Benefits of Solar Photovoltaic Panels
  3. Applications of Solar Photovoltaic Panels
  4. Profits from Solar Photovoltaic Panels

Solar Panels

There is a misunderstanding when it comes to solar panels. There are many people who think solar panels can only produce electric power. There are others who think solar panels are only used to heat water.

Few people really know what is the real difference between the two types of solar panels, how they are constructed, what benefits they provide, and how to put and use this technology that uses a free source of energy from the sun to monetize and save their earnings.

In general, there are two types of solar panels. Solar panels that produces electric power, known as photovoltaic cells or photoelectric cells. And solar panels that heats water, commonly known as thermal solar panels.

Each one of these panels has different applications and uses, however; they both have something in common, they are constructed as panels and they make use of solar energy from the sun’s solar radiation to operate.

Below you will find links to detailed information on solar photovoltaic panels and thermal solar panels with diagrams, images and pictures to simplify complicated information on solar panels.
  1. Solar Photovoltaic Panels
    1. Solar Photovoltaic Panel Construction
    2. Benefits of Solar Photovoltaic Panels
    3. Applications of Solar Photovoltaic Panels
    4. Profits from Solar Photovoltaic Panels
  2. Thermal Solar Panels
    1. Thermal Solar Panel Construction
    2. Benefits of Thermal Solar Panels
    3. Applications of Thermal Solar Panels
    4. Profits from Thermal Solar Panels