Usable Sunlight For Solar Panels

Furthermore in the case of states with high electricity prices but low peak sunlight hours solar interested homeowners can install higher efficiency panels that will generate more power from less sunlight.

Usable sunlight for solar panels. Solar panels need direct sunlight to produce the maximum solar output. Solar insolation maps from the national renewable energy labs nrel there are four maps here. Best case the 2nd one is the best case or june. Worst case the 3rd one is the worst case or december.

The ultimate efficiency of a silicon photovoltaic cell in converting sunlight to electrical energy is around 20 per cent and large areas of solar cells are needed to produce useful amounts of power. Average yearly sun the first one shows the yearly average. The search is therefore on for much cheaper cells without too much of a sacrifice in efficiency. This is done by capturing the electrical current generated when sunshine interacts with the solar cells in the panel and is transferred through the wiring and busbars to be converted into ac alternating current energy.

Solar panel efficiency typically ranges from 15 to 20 percent but high end solar panels like sunpower can offer efficiency levels as high as almost 23 percent and above. For the sake of example if you are getting 5 hours of direct sunlight per day in a sunny state like california you can calculate your solar panel output this way. Solar panels need direct sunlight in order to produce the maximum solar output. With tracking mount the 4th map shows the worst case january again but with a tracking panel mount which follows the sun.

This is why dark clouds or nightfall are so problematic when generating solar power on a commercially viable scale. Solar geek has been helping home owners get the best deal on solar panel installation for over 10 years. To maximize the sunlight the solar panels receive face the panels in a southward direction and install them in an area where they are not shaded by trees or other obstructions. The crossing of the freed electrons is what generates a usable electrical current.

Just a small amount of shade on a solar panel can affect its power output. 5 hours x 290 watts an example wattage of a premium solar panel 1 450 watts hours or roughly 1 5 kilowatt hours kwh. If there are no photons striking the panels the electrons remain in place and no electricity is generated. Solar panels require sunlight to charge.

Your solar panels if connected to the grid may be temporarily cut off the grid for safety reasons for the company working to restore the power. Even in cloudy weather however solar panels can absorb solar energy to produce power though it will be at a significantly reduced rate compared to sunny days usually between 25 and 40.