THINKING OF GOING SOLAR: which solar panels to choose for your installation?

The electricity crisis has triggered the need for solar electricity within the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors in South Africa. While both households and businesses are installing solar to escape load shedding and electricity price hikes, businesses are also pressurised by the need to reduce their carbon footprints within the environment to help fight climate change in the country. Therefore, many people and businesses are exploring alternatives to install a solar PV system.

Solar panels are the key component in any solar installation whether it is a residential, commercial, or utility-scale system, without solar panels no sunlight will be converted into electricity. However, there are thousands of solar panels available in the South African market, and knowing the key factors to consider when choosing the panels is vital to ensure that the best panels are used for the installation. Choosing the right panel is confusing for households and businesses. Especially for people without an electrical or technical background.

This article is designed to guide buyers in their solar system installation journey. Its aim is to help you know which solar panels will be perfect to use for their installation. The key factors to consider when choosing solar panels are the type of panel cells, the panels' efficiency, the warranty offered by the manufacturer, and the cost of the panel. These factors have huge impacts on the performance, quality, durability, and return on investment of your solar system. Therefore, it is vital to evaluate them before choosing your Photovoltaics (PV) panels.

TYPES OF SOLAR CELLS

PV solar panels are generally broken into two main categories by cell type: monocrystalline and polycrystalline. However, there are other types of solar cell types such as thin-film cells. The monocrystalline and polycrystalline are made with silicon and they are the main types of panels used for installation in South Africa and worldwide.

The key difference between the monocrystalline and polycrystalline technologies is the type of silicon used in the solar cell. The solar cells of the monocrystalline solar panels are made from single-crystal silicon, while the solar cells of the polycrystalline panels are made from many fragmented silicon melted together. Hence the names mono(single) crystalline and poly(multi)crystalline.

Monocrystalline and polycrystalline have different colors. Monocrystalline panels are black hue while polycrystalline solar panels are blue hue, so they appear differently on the roof or on the field. Monocrystalline solar panels are more expensive than polycrystalline panels. Therefore, saving money is one of the best reasons to choose polycrystalline panels. However, you should choose monocrystalline panels if you don't have enough space on your roof to install the system so monocrystalline panels have the advantage of space constraints since they have higher efficiency.

Thin-film panels are cheaper than monocrystalline or polycrystalline panels, however, they are relatively new in terms of processes and their life expectancy is not yet proven.

SOLAR PANEL EFFICIENCY

Solar panel efficiency is a measure of a solar panel's ability to convert sunlight into usable electricity. Due to the cell design, monocrystalline panels are more efficient than polycrystalline panels. Monocrystalline panels' efficiency range between 15 to 20%, while polycrystalline efficiency range from 13 to16%. This means that monocrystalline panels produce more usable electricity than polycrystalline panels with the same amount of sunlight. Some manufacturers such as LONGI make panels that exceed 20% efficiency ratings. Thin-film panels technology has efficiency in the range of 11-13%.

SOLAR PANEL WARRANTIES

Most solar panels manufacturers offer two types of solar panel warranties: the material or equipment warranty and the performance warranty. The equipment warranty covers any failure due to the physical factors of the panels such as manufacturing defects, premature wear, and tear and the damages caused by the environment. The equipment warranty is usually 10-12 years depending on the manufacturer.

Since solar panels degrade over time, the performance warranty protects against degradation rates. Most manufacturers guarantee 90% of power output during the first 10 years of installation and 80% of power output during the 25 years of solar panel operation.

SOLAR PANELS COST

Solar panels have different prices in the South African market. However, since there is a lot of competition, there is very little variation in price from one supplier to another. The price difference is in the range of R100 to R500 for the same solar panel model. So choose a supplier that will give you the best value for money.

HOW DO SOLAR PANELS AVAILABLE IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN MARKET COMPARE ON THESE KEY FACTORS?

At the end of the day, it’s all about metrics. The table in the following link presents the solar panels available in the South African markets and the ratings relative to the key factors listed above.

So, WHICH OPTION IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Whether you choose monocrystalline, polycrystalline, or thin-film solar panels, you will reach your electricity savings and carbon footprints goals. The option you choose comes down to your personal finance, space constraint, and aesthetic appearance. if you want to save money choose polycrystalline panels. However, you may have to pay the extra cost for premium monocrystalline solar panels with higher efficiency if you do not have enough space for the installation. Also if the appearance of your roof is important to you, remember that monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels will appear differently on your roof. The monocrystalline panels have a darker black color while the polycrystalline panels have bluer color.

I hope you find this article helpful for your decision-making.

If you need assistance in choosing the right solar panel for your solar PV installation, Please feel free to reach out.

Are you a solar Panel Expert? Please feel free to add valuable information in the comment.

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