Which solar panels should i buy

The most common system size, from our survey of more than 1, solar panel owners, was between 3. Or join Which? Make sure the surveyor takes into account your household's electricity use, when you're at home and out, so you can get the right-sized system for your needs and budget.

Find out how much solar panels cost. The inverter converts the direct current produced by the panels into usable alternating current. String inverters are most common and cheapest. They connect solar panels in series. If one of your panels failed or started to be shadowed by a growing tree, it could impact your whole system. Micro-inverters 'separate' the panels.

So if one panel fails, the whole system won't be affected. It should also be easier to spot problems through the power-monitoring system. Inverters are often fitted in the loft so they're not too far from your solar panels and energy loss in cables in minimised.

But inverters can be affected by the heat, so your garage might be a better bet if your loft gets very hot in summer. This might feel like something you'll find out once they're installed, but it's worth considering upfront.

Solar panel owners we've spoken to have had some quite different motivations:. In the past, solar panels were sometimes seen as a money-making opportunity. Some owners who bought recently told us that they don't expect to benefit financially from their system, though a future owner of their house might!

Find out whether solar panels are a good investment. Download our free checklist for everything you should consider before you buy solar panels. These are all questions that may come up along the way as you make the switch over to renewable energy. Luckily, you don't have to figure these things out the hard way. These are the five things that you should think about before Are solar panels right for you? Read more : What does carbon neutral mean?

Before purchasing solar panels, you're going to want to make sure that you actually have a place to put them. Many solar panels are mounted on the roof of the home, and older houses may require repairs, modifications, or even a complete replacement before they can support solar panels. Solar panels can also be installed in yards in some places. If you have the space available, this is a potential alternative if roof installation is too costly or unfeasible.

No matter where you install the panels, you'll want to make sure that you can get the optimal positioning for them. In the northern hemisphere, it is best to face the solar panels south, because that is where they will receive the most direct light throughout the day. In the southern hemisphere, the reverse is true: the panels should face north. Get smart home reviews and ratings, video reviews, buying guides, prices and comparisons from CNET. Not all solar panels are the same. First, you'll want to consider your choice between photovoltaics solar panels — otherwise known as solar electric — and solar thermal panels.

Some panels have better temperature tolerance than others look for a lower 'temperature coefficient' and are therefore a better choice in hot climates. Although solar panels are meant to sit on roofs in direct sunlight, they actually become less efficient as they get warmer, due to the physics of the photovoltaic effect.

Panels should be installed in a way that allows air to circulate underneath to help keep them cooler. You should make sure any solar PV system you consider has met Australian and international standards.

To be eligible for small-scale technology certificates, your solar panels must be certified — ask your installer to supply proof. You can check the CEC's list of currently approved inverters and modules to confirm. Also, the Clean Energy Regulator has partnered with the solar industry and peak bodies to introduce the Solar Panel Validation Initiative. This scheme allows businesses in the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme supply chain to check if solar panels are genuine before they are installed.

Participating installers and suppliers will be able to use the scheme to provide you with a verified report confirming that the panels they've installed on your roof are genuine and that you're getting what you've paid for. There are two warranties provided for solar panels: one for the product, and another for its performance.

This is the warranty for the panel itself. It's the typical type of warranty that offers repair or replacement if there are any manufacturing faults. Most solar panel product warranties are for 10 years, but some manufacturers offer 12, 15 or even year product warranties. It's important to know the difference between the product and performance warranties — you'll see a year performance warranty promoted more loudly than a year product warranty, but the product warranty is the one that you're more likely to call on if there's any problem.

The warranty usually also promises that the panel will degrade in an orderly, linear fashion — that is, it will only lose a small and predictable amount of power output each year. Most solar panels have year performance warranties, and most solar PV systems should last at least that long.

Note that it can be hard to tell whether your panels are truly performing as they should, especially after several years. If you believe your panels aren't performing as expected, the performance warranty may put the onus and cost on you to have the panels tested in order to make a warranty claim. Nevertheless, the year warranties do give some assurance that manufacturers are confident in the long-term performance of these products.

As well as the warranties for the solar panels, you should also get a warranty from the installer for their workmanship in installing the system — the mounting racks, wiring and connections. This will typically be one or two years — which should be enough to detect any major problems — but as always, a longer warranty is better. The inverter will also have its own warranty, typically five years but they can be up to 10 years or more.

Your solar panels and inverter are part of your house and as such are covered by your home insurance. However, you should make sure your home's insured amount is increased, to cover the replacement cost of the solar panel system. See our guide to solar panels and home insurance. The main types of solar panels you'll see on homes are monocrystalline and multicrystalline panels aka polycrystalline , but there are other types too. Here's a quick explanation of the main solar panel types on the market today.

Monocrystalline panels are typically black in colour and have a reputation for higher efficiency than multicrystalline or polycrystalline models, which are typically dark blue and are sometimes said to have better temperature tolerance. The differences come from the manufacturing processes of the silicon cells in each case.

In practice there's not necessarily a clear advantage either way: as with most high-tech products, solar panels are a complex assembly of many components and the overall performance depends on more than simply the type of cell. Interdigitated back contact solar cells IBC , or rear contact solar cells, are a variant of standard solar cells.

They can achieve higher efficiency by having all the electrical contacts on the rear of the cell rather than at the front , so there are no metal contact strips preventing light getting to the cell surface.

The back of the cell is more reflective, which means that any light which passed through the cell and missed its chance to cause the silicon to generate electricity can be reflected back through the cell for a second chance. There's a lot more to it than that, and there are some potential pitfalls with this technology, but the basics are that PERC cells are generally more efficient at producing electricity than non-PERC cells.

Thin film solar cells are made from a thin layer of photovoltaic material such as amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride or copper-indium-gallium-selenide on a base plate of glass, metal or other substance.

This technology is evolving and while it promises more flexible applications than standard solar panels, it's so far generally less efficient and is rare in rooftop arrays.

It's used in various large and small applications, from building-integrated PV systems to solar-powered calculators and garden lamps. Bifacial panels have as you'd expect solar cells on both sides, front and back. When mounted in the same way as a regular solar panel, the front faces the sky as usual, and the back picks up scattered and reflected sunlight from the roof.

They can also be mounted vertically, for instance facing east-west, to maximise solar power generation all through the day one side catching the morning sun in the east, while the other side catches the afternoon sun in the west — this may be particularly useful in mass arrays on a commercial solar farm.

Their power output is very dependent on how they're mounted more so than for regular panels and industry is still working on an agreed standard method to rate their overall power output. We've included one in our current review for experimental purposes, but aren't including it in the published results until we have more clarity around how to rate the results. The results for the first year are encouraging and indicate that when used in a well-designed installation, bifacial modules can indeed deliver more power than an equivalent single-faced panel.

Bifacial modules are fairly new and not widely used yet, but we think it's likely they'll become more common in future. A photovoltaic cell is made from semiconductor materials. Solar panels comprise of such cells. Generally, the materials used in making these cells include n-type and p-type silicon, phosphorous and boron.

What this photovoltaic cell does is to absorb photons and convert their electromagnetic energy into electricity. This method was first used in space satellites.

People had first-hand experience of the efficacy of the solar cells through their calculators. One great advantage of solar panels is that the extra energy is saved in the electric grid during the day time, and the same can be used during night. Since the climatic conditions greatly affect the durability of the product, you need to know whether it has passed IEC standards. These solar panels are further differentiated in terms of how they are connected to the power grid.

Some form a system that is grid inter-tied; some form a system that is not only grid inter-tied but also supported by battery backup; and some form a system that is off-grid. It is up to you to decide which one you want to go for. Before finalizing the purchase, it is advisable to do some research to find out whether the panels are resistant to Potential Induced Degradation PID or not. This is because PID may seriously affect the capacities of modules in course of time. These systems are designed to keep stored energy from getting drained with the help of diodes which come pre-installed with the junction box.

It makes power unidirectional, that is, flowing into the battery. So, you expect the junction boxes to feature varying numbers of diodes. You may also like to read about best solar lights in Now, let us turn to how you can select the best solar panel for all your needs.

This involves understanding the specifications of any given solar panel in the right way. Not all would like to get into a number of technical considerations involved in it; but for the sake of those who are more fastidious, we shall try to offer some help here.

Having talked about the technical aspects of the solar panels, it is time now to ask yourself the question: Which solar panel will meet your requirements? The more you expect from it, the higher the cost and specifications involved in it. Now suppose if you have already made a purchase and its utility proves that you need more out of it? Your battery bank simply does not have the capacity to offer the output you require. In this situation, you do have a solution in the form of MPPT charge controller that considerably boosts the voltage output.

Buying a product from any of these is bound to make your burden light concerning its quality and durability. Some of these also offer products which are quite cost-effective when compared with others. We have put you in the know of the top 10 solar panels in India and also delivered the few important details to make you an informed customer.

Closely following our guide lines would amply reward your experience as a consumer. Best Solar Panels in India need to be rated on various factors. While efficiency of the Solar Panel is very important, there are other factors like build quality, back-sheet and glass, support of the company in case of issues. Anchor by Panasonic is one of the best solar panels in India.

Worldwide, Panasonic is in top 5. Panasonic Panels are more expensive in India compared to competitors and thus solar residential roof top owners add that as a factor. However, barring pricing, performance wise it is to notch.

I am planning for 6kva two solar system for offline grid las in maharashtra solar generates power and supply to the grid snd consumption — production deduction calculation there for billing. What would you suggest which solar panels we use which givee good outcome , life and service in the area. Some agency suggested panasonic , moserbaer. Talk to Tata Power Solar. They have a good service network. Luminous is another great choice.