Solar Panel Efficiency

At the heart of any modern residential solar power system are the PV solar panels. These solar panels are the critical component in the system that does the actual conversion of sunlight to electricity. They do this through the use of solar cells that are designed to take advantage of the photovoltaic (PV) effect. The PV effect occurs in certain materials, that when exposed to direct sunlight will generate a small DC current. In the case of modern solar panels for homes, these solar cells are made from a silicon-based compound that has improved dramatically over the years in efficiency. These modern solar cells are able to provide far more power than older versions and are much more durable as well. In some cases these new solar panels for homes can deliver over twice as much power from the same amount of sunlight as older panels because of these improved solar cells.

Improved Efficiency, Important for Several Reasons
The fact that these new solar panels for homes are more efficient than older versions is important for most homeowners for several reasons. It means that most home solar power systems will need less of these newer, high efficiency solar panels to generate the same amount of power as an older and larger system required in the past. This can save you both roof space and the expense of all the additional panels you would have needed for an older system. It can also help lower the installation cost and complexity since there are less solar panels to mount and wire into the system. All of this helps to make these modern solar panels for homes a much better value for consumers.

In addition to greater solar panel efficiency, there have also been improvements and innovations to the inverters that take the DC output from these solar panels and convert it into AC power that can be used by the home. Modern versions of these inverters are much more efficient and are able to convert a larger portion of the power they receive from the solar panels into useful solar power for homes. Since you are wasting less of this solar power to the conversion process with these new inverters, you need even fewer panels than older systems required.

The Advent of the Micro-Inverter
Another emerging trend among some solar panel vendors is to actually include a micro-inverter built into the solar panel itself, and do the conversion of power at the panel. This helps to improve solar panel efficiency even further by eliminating the power loss associated with long cable runs between the solar panels and a standard inverter that is typically located near the power panel of the home. This power loss could account for as much as 15% or more of the total system power in older systems and was an expensive problem for many homeowners that can be eliminated with these newer solar panels for homes.

Durability Improvements
Another advantage that these newer solar panels provide is their durability. Older panels could typically last 10 years or more on a home but would start to generate less power each year as their solar cells decayed. This meant that even though these older panels were still generating power, they would degrade to the point that they needed to be replaced far sooner than expected. Most newer panels can not only last longer than older panels, they are also able to generate their peak output for most of their lives and not suffer from the slow degradation like older panels. In fact many of the manufacturers will now warranty their panels for both guarantees against failure in general and guarantees against a degrading power output. This means you can have a panel replaced under warranty if it fails outright, or if it starts to generate significantly less power over time. This gives you peace of mind that your investment will provide the power you require for decades to come.