Factors To Consider While Installing Solar Power
If you have made up your mind about solar power and are looking forward to introducing photovoltaic panels to your household, there are many factors that you should take into consideration. If you are still thinking about whether to install solar panels, read our basic introduction to solar power. Here is our quick guide on factors to consider while installing solar power supply for homes. These include your electrical needs, the volume of sunlight your household gets, the size and location of your future solar panels, the variables of the photovoltaic power system (grid or off-grid), and the type of PV cable conductor (copper vs. aluminum).
1. The Electrical Needs Of Your Household
Before choosing your solar power supply for homes, you should consider the amount of electricity used by your household. As a rule, the more electricity you use, the more panels you need. If you use a lot of electricity, you need more panels, and they should be more efficient than an average one on the market.
Get a calculation of the number of watts currently used by your household, consider the size of your house and all the premises that use electricity, as well as the number of appliances in your home. You may have a professional analyze your electrical consumption before installing photovoltaic panels because some factors you do not consider that lead to excessive power use.
2. The Amount of Sunlight and The Climate
Another critical factor is the amount of sunlight your house gets throughout the calendar year. The first thing to consider is the overall climate of the region and the amount of sun per day. Sun exposure is the most important thing when it comes to climate, and temperature is a secondary factor. In fact, despite the stereotype, cold temperatures benefit solar panels because they work more efficiently when it is colder and produce more power. The PV panel's ability to generate voltage falls with temperatures getting hotter. Therefore, a colder climate with a lot of sun per year is ideal for solar panels to strive in.
Though it would not be as efficient, it is actually possible to make solar panels work for any type of climate. Many choose to install solar panels in rainy, cloudy climates that are not blessed by sunlight because it is still efficient from the perspective of cost balance and sustainability. In the United States, the electricity bills are pretty high compared to the rest of the world, so people in the regions that are not known for being sunny choose solar panels because it makes sense to them from a financial perspective.
Another notable example is the Faroe Islands. The city of Tórshavn, which is located there, has 840 sun hours per year, which is less than any other city in the world. Still, the country installed its first public solar panel park in 2020 because of its sustainability efforts, even though the panels are expected to provide only 20 percent of the local power needs. This is not strange considering that Faroe Islands take over 50 percent of energy from sustainable sources.
The overall climate is not the only thing that is worth considering. The microclimate of the place where your property is located is just as important as it directly affects sunlight exposure.
There are many factors that you should take into consideration, and even the most minor details might end up being of importance. This includes the number and the position of the surrounding buildings, whether there are enough trees in the area, and the landscape, such as whether your house is located on the hill or the flatland.
If your house is located in a moist, damp area, do not choose photovoltaic wires with an aluminum conductor; switch them for copper ones.
3. The Location of the PV Panel
The exact location of the solar panel is important because it allows you to get as much direct sunlight into your panel as possible. As a general rule, people choose to install solar panels on the roof of their houses. Not only is it the best place to catch the sunlight, but it is also convenient because the rooftop is rarely the place you use for some other practical need. If you do not have the roof or access to it, it is not the best-case scenario, but you can install the panels elsewhere, such as the wall or the garden of your house.
4. The Size of A Panel
The standard size of a photovoltaic panel used in most places globally is either a 60-cell panel or a 72-cell panel. The size does not always equal efficiency. The typical efficiency of commercially available photovoltaic panels is between 15 and 20 percent. A 20-percent efficient 60-cell panel is more effective than a 15-percent efficient 72-cell panel, so quality and the brand of the panel are more important than its size.
However, for every rule, there is an exception. If your rooftop is large, you might want to consider buying larger photovoltaic panels for maximum energy output because larger cells will capture more sunlight and make the most efficient use of your large rooftop area.
5. Grid-Connected Photovoltaic System vs. Standalone Photovoltaic System
There are two types of residential solar power systems that you might choose from: grid-connected or standalone power systems. The latter is often referred to as an" off-grid" photovoltaic system.
A grid-connected system is directly related to the utility network in your area. It works by balancing out your electrical needs. If you do not use all the solar power produced by your solar network, the remainder travels back to the grid, and other households connected to the grid might use it. Likewise, if you consume more electrical power than your photovoltaic panels can produce, the grid will cover your remaining energy needs. When solar power is not produced during the night, you will get your electricity directly from the grid network. Batteries are not used in grid connect networks because there is generally no need to store the power.
In a standalone photovoltaic power system, your photovoltaic panels are not connected to the electrical grid. During the day hours, you use the power from the sun, and your solar power battery keeps the excess power so that you could use it during the night. You can sell the excess solar power stored in your panels back to the electric company or on a peer-to-peer basis to your neighbors.
Currently, users choose to install grid-connected PV panel systems way more often than standalone solar power systems because it makes more sense. Grid-connected systems are way cheaper than standalone ones, and most of the households are a part of the grid network, so balancing one's power consumption through the grid seems like the most viable option. As for standalone solar power systems, they are more useful for distant, remote buildings that are not a part of the utility grid.
6. A Type of Photovoltaic Wire
There are many variations of PV cables on the market, but the essential choice you need to make is between copper and aluminum. Both aluminum and copper wires do their job well, but each material comes with its benefits and drawbacks. We cover the differences between the two in this blog.
Regardless of the type of conductor you choose, make sure that you buy modern, high-quality photovoltaic cables. At Nassau National Cable, we sell aluminum 2kv photovoltaic cables and copper PV cables rated 600v and 2000v.
