Reduce Your Energy Bills With the Best Solar Panels

Because solar panels come in different varieties and styles, the range of options available can quickly become overwhelming. If you want to discover the most appropriate model for your needs, in this buying guide, we’ll cover the most important things you need to keep in mind while shopping for a solar panel.

How Do Solar Panels Work?

Solar panels are made using photovoltaic cells, which absorb solar radiation from the sun when it directly shines on them. Solar energy creates electric charges that move in the cell according to its electrical field to produce electrical energy. Solar panels consist of different parts, but the main function is to convert energy from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC), allowing you to put that energy to use in your home.

You can also find some updated models of solar panels that store energy components for later use, so you can get energy even on dark winter days or when the sun isn’t up. 

Care Instructions for Solar Panels

The average lifespan of most solar panels is anywhere between 20 to 30 years, with 25 years as the most common estimate. The perk of having solar panels is that they are fairly maintenance-free — all you need to do is keep them free of elements like dirt, snow, or leaves. And if your solar panels are backed by a warranty, you can also usually get free professional repairs for a certain period.

Solar panels are known to have a “useful lifespan,” which means that the panels start producing less electric energy as they age. When you compare a newly installed solar panel with the one that’s serving you for 25 years, you will notice a significant drop in energy production. For example, most manufacturers’ warranties note optimal energy production for the first 10 years. But that doesn’t mean solar panels become useless after 10 years as they can still produce enough energy for many years to come. 

When we think of the lifespan of residential solar panels, it’s common to wonder how much time you’ll start making your original investment back. A lot of factors contribute to the amount of energy solar panels will produce and ultimately the money you will save. The number of solar panels you’ve installed, the amount of energy you use, and the quality of solar panels you have greatly affect the amount you save. 

How to Purchase Solar Panels

Consider the mounting options

Check that the roof, ground mounting, or tracking system is engineer certified for the location in which you want to install the solar panel. If you live in a cyclone-prone area, you must check if the mounting system and mounting brackets are cyclone-rated. 

Most quality systems are also wind certified, but it’s important to double-check this because you don’t want your system to take off in the middle of a storm. The mounting system is a critical component that some providers overlook, so you should always ask about wind certification and warranty agreements — and don’t forget to get copies of these documents. 

Assess the solar inverter’s efficiency

The box between the panels and your appliances is called a power inverter that efficiently converts direct current from solar panels to alternating current, which is suitable to use in your home. Bear in mind that not all solar inverters are made equal, and their efficiency will directly impact the amount of time that’s needed for the system to pay for itself.

You should always look at the inverter’s efficiency before investing in a system because the more efficient the inverter, the better. An efficient inverter will waste less heat during the process of converting direct current to alternating current. 

Check the solar panel’s certifications

This applies to any purchase of solar panels, but especially to those that qualify for a subsidy from the government. Certifications for solar panels show the extent and nature of their testing. The TUV IEC 61215 certification, for instance, attests that the solar panels have been evaluated by an impartial lab and found to be in accordance with their claimed qualities. Self-evaluation is a common feature of many different types of certifications, so you may need to rely on the company’s credibility regarding its claims.

Look for a manufacturer’s warranty

Take notice of what warranties the manufacturer gives. It is reasonable to assume that your solar system will serve you for decades, which should be long enough to recoup its initial investment and generate a profit. That is, provided that you purchased it from a reputable manufacturer and the panels are covered by a lengthy warranty (at least 25 years). The manufacturer must still be in business, though, for the guarantee to be valid. So, you should be cautious while shopping from not well-known companies online.

Benefits of Solar Panels

Saves money and energy

The most obvious perk of installing solar panels is the possibility of lowering your energy costs by producing your own energy. Plus, if you produce more energy than you need, the electric company may even give you a rebate if you sell it back to the electrical grid.

Increase your home’s value

Having solar panels installed on your property might be a huge selling point if you ever decide to put it up for sale. Solar panels, being a sustainable energy source, allows you to cut down on your impact on the environment while also saving money.

Independence from the electrical grid

Poorly maintained power networks are a problem in several parts of the world. Solar energy is a great way to keep the lights on if your location is prone to blackouts.

Great for outdoor adventures

You can fit smaller solar panels on your recreational vehicles or can even take them to camping sites to light up your tents or surroundings and charge devices regardless of the location.

Minimal impact on fossil fuels

While there are still huge quantities of coal and gas, such supplies won’t last forever, and in any case, it’s getting less profitable to extract them and more costly to emit their pollutants into the environment. Gas corporations are leaning more and more toward fracking, a contentious process with potentially severe environmental hazards, to obtain additional gas.

If you have installed a solar panel system to export any unused power to the grid, then not only are you compensated for that exported electricity, but it means there’s more renewable energy in the system for people to enjoy, and less need to create electricity from fossil fuels.