Living in today’s world is amazing for many different reasons. However, can we say the environment we are living at is perfect? It is not a secret that humankind has destroyed some aspects of the planet Earth because of some bad habits. We are using resources that negatively influence air, climate, and other things too much. Fortunately, the improvement of technology has allowed us to change that bad habit and finally start taking care of this planet.
One of the things that you can do to protect the planet Earth (at least a little) is to install roof-mounted solar panels. Of course, this decision is not only going to be good for your environment; you can also benefit from this latest technology. Your power bills are going to reduce and you will manage to save a decent amount of money that you can use to cover some other costs.
You will probably say now that solar panels are too expensive. Well, the meaning of “expensive” is different from one person to another. However, we need to mention that solar panels are no longer too expensive, and people can easily get them. All you have to do is to visit websites such as esolarfirst.com and find the roof-mounted solar panel that meets your expectations from the comfort of your room.
Yet, there is one thing that you may also want to do. Some solar panel owners would want to increase the efficiency of their “long-term investment”. Unfortunately, many of them are not quite sure how exactly they should do that. The good news is that you have come to the right place to solve this problem. We will provide you with some useful tips that you can immediately use and improve the effectiveness of your roof-mounted solar panels. Let’s find them out together!
The Solar Panels Should Have High Concentrated Photovoltaic Cells
Have you ever heard about concentrated photovoltaic cells? Well, most people will call them CPV, so don’t get surprised if you see that acronym somewhere. Anyway, the purpose of these cells is to focus the sunlight on the panels and improve their efficiency. Believe it or not, the efficiency of the panels is nearly 50% if you decide to purchase panels of this type.
However, we need to say something that you probably won’t like. As you could probably imagine, these panels are a bit more expensive. Compared to the traditional panels (their efficiency is around 25%), they will cost you four times more. Despite that, the range of choices that you have is not that big. You will find a lot more models of traditional Pvs for a more affordable price. However, if you are not struggling to organize your budget, then this option may be good for you.
Pick the Right Place to Instal the Solar Panels
When you install the roof-mounted solar panels, you need to pick the right place to do that. If you pick the wrong place, the level of efficiency is going to reduce. Despite that, the energy output is also not going to be as you would like.
To make things clear, let’s describe the terms “efficiency” and “output”. Efficiency is the amount (more precisely, percentage) of sunlight that solar cells manage to convert into electricity. On the other hand, the output is the amount of energy that solar arrays manage to produce in the end. We are sure things will be much easier to understand now.
Anyway, installing the solar panels into the shading areas is a big mistake. Whenever one of the cells is, for instance, shaded, it will receive a lot less energy than the other ones. Because of that, the output of the entire solar panel is going to reduce.
To conclude, the spot where you will install the panels should be completely uncovered and opened. We know that something like this is not always possible to achieve. Because of that, you will need to avoid wiring the solar panels because that is the only way not to impact the remaining cells in the series.
The Orientation of the Solar Panels Also Matters
Another thing you need to have in mind is the orientation of the solar panels. If you do not orient them in the right direction, then you will not manage to use the benefits they offer to the fullest.
So, how to determine the right direction? First of all, this is something that experienced installers should know how to do. They will primarily put into consideration the position of your home. After they do that, they will tell you all the disadvantages that the location of your home has. In some cases, people can’t even turn the solar panels in the right direction so they decided to use solar trackers. These trackers help people adjust solar arrays in the right direction. They are directly following the position of the sun. However, these trackers are often way too expensive, so you will have to prepare some additional money to invest.
Of course, we are talking here only about the roof-mounted solar panels, but no one says you need to place the panels on your roof. You can do that in your garden as well by buying the so-called ground-mounted solar panels. This may be a lot cheaper solution, but we can’t guarantee it will bring better results.
Maintaining the Solar Panels Regularly Is Mandatory
Just because this method is the last on this list, that doesn’t mean it is less important. You need to regularly maintain the solar panels because that is the only way to ensure it is working properly. You will need to hose down the panels at least once in 4 or 5 months and clean them. The good thing is that rain can help you a lot because it can clean the surface of the panels.
So, what exactly you will have to deal with? First of all, you need to find a way to clean the dust. After that, one of the main problems is also bird droppings. This part of the job may be unpleasant, but if you want to improve the efficiency of your panels, you will have to do this part of the job as well.
