Solar energy can help lower your power bills by eliminating the costs associated with paying utilities for electricity. Your savings depend on the size, location and type of system chosen – as well as which solar panels to use.
Our top solar panels Adelaide selections from manufacturers such as SunPower, REC and LONGi feature efficiency ratings of at least 22% with 25-year warranties. Check them out now.
Photovoltaic (PV) Cell
Solar panels convert sunlight to electricity. Constructed of thin layers of semiconductor material with either positive or negative charges on their surfaces, solar cells use photon energy from sunlight striking them to cause electrons inside of them to migrate toward their front surfaces and form a difference between their positive and negative sides, similar to how batteries work with voltage potential differences between their terminals. When connected to an external circuit, electrons flow freely through these cells generating solar electricity.
Today’s most widely used PV cells are constructed of crystalline silicon. Each silicon atom possesses 14 electrons that are distributed among three shells: first two shells contain full electrons while the outermost shell only has four electrons – this requires each atom sharing its fourth electron with four nearby atoms to fill it and thus creating the unique properties associated with silicon crystallinity.
Thin-film solar cells are composed of layers of semiconductor material such as cadmium telluride, amorphous silicon or copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), which feature lower costs and improved efficiency while still needing protection to work outdoors. Researchers are exploring organic-inorganic perovskites as potential materials which could further increase efficiency or enable new applications.
PV Module
A PV module consists of solar cells encased together to form a long-term unit. Encapsulation serves to protect each individual cell and its interconnecting wires from mechanical damage while also keeping water and vapor away from damaging its electrical contacts.
A module’s performance depends on its operating conditions. As temperature increases, efficiency decreases while environmental influences such as stacking other modules (module stacking), surrounding shade and weather conditions such as horizon shadow effects can all have an impact. A solar panels Adelaide model capable of predicting these wavelength-specific effects can provide an improved assessment of module performance.
Numerous PV technologies exist, with two of the most prevalent being monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon technologies. Monocrystalline is one of the oldest and most-developed options, boasting 15-20% efficiency with sunlight conversion while polycrystalline offers lower conversion efficiencies of 10-12%. Amorphous silicon (a-Si) offers another low cost alternative.
A PV system consists of modules connected in series and parallel to achieve a standard voltage output. The number of solar cells within any particular PV module varies based on its desired standard voltage; for instance, those designed to charge 12-Volt batteries contain 36 series-connected solar cells in total. Furthermore, blocking/bypass diodes are often included to protect against partial array shading that limits current flow.
PV Inverter
As sunlight strikes your solar panels, electrons within them become activated to produce direct current (DC). This DC energy is sent to your solar inverter which then converts it to alternate current (AC). If you produce more electricity than is consumed within your home, your inverter can send any excess back onto the grid or store it as batteries for later use.
Solar inverters can be wired either series or parallel. Parallel wiring connects each panel’s positive terminals together while serial wiring connects their negative terminals together. Solar inverters equipped with MPPT technology use maximum power point tracking to maximise output by always searching out optimal voltage levels that suit your site’s climate conditions and find their optimum voltage levels accordingly.
Some inverters offer solar power monitoring capabilities, enabling you to track the energy produced from solar panels via an app on your smartphone or a display on the inverter itself. This enables you to keep an eye on system performance and spot faults should they arise; most inverters also feature red or green lights to indicate whether their operation is operating normally while some models even include switches for stopping output if any faults arise with it.
Solar Panel Installation
Solar panels Adelaide installation can significantly lower electricity costs or even eliminate them altogether. Before investing, analyse your electric bill and energy demand before researching incentives available in your state and locality as well as rates.
Your system could qualify for rebates, tax credits and other incentives that can reduce the costs associated with going solar. Check with your city for details; these offers often vary. While system size will impact costs significantly, factoring in electricity rates as well as peak sunlight hours is also key. Finally, permitting and interconnection fees could impact final costs significantly.
Once your system is in place, the next step is connecting it to the grid and installing a generation meter to track how much electricity your solar panels are producing. Your utility company must inspect your system before giving approval – which could take a couple weeks.
Your solar system can power any part of your house or just individual appliances such as pool pumps, refrigerators, washing machines and dishwashers, or hot water heaters. In addition, commercial buildings, recreational vehicles and boats, remote cabins or cottages, telecommunications equipment as well as oil/gas flow monitoring and RTUs may all benefit from solar energy powering solutions.