Solar Power Solutions At Home

It always pays in the long run to buy the best quality solar panels that you can afford — and they are not all created equal. Quality translates into energy efficiency, and can mean less weight and more durability.

That means less load on your roof and better performance in harsh weather conditions. Also, solar panels are now made from a wide variety of materials with a lot of variance in performance.

For example, crystalline silicon is commonly used in traditional solar panels, and has withstood the test of more than 30 years of use. These systems are reliable and will product consistent energy for residential or commercial use. Crystalline silicon solar panels are typically assembled into arrays and are installed on roof tops or on concrete pad on the ground using metal racks. These solar panels are still being manufactured and installed today.

However, there are alternatives to the large racks of solar panels. Solar shingles are becoming popular with homeowners who prefer the aesthetics of a natural roof line over one that has a solar array installed on top. Depending on the manufacturers, the shingles may be made of flexible thin-film PV material in the shape of a traditional shingle, or they may be tempered glass glued onto a roof tile. Many of these products can be integrated into existing roofing systems.

Although thin film solar panels look different than traditional solar panel systems, they convert sunlight to electricity in a way that’s similar to their larger counterparts. So what’s the big difference? At this time, the biggest difference is efficiency in the amount of electricity they will produce as well as their performance over the long run.

Thin film solar panels are not yet as efficient as traditional solar panels. Traditional solar panels may be more efficient in your region than amorphous thin film solar panels, especially if weather is often cloudy. If your area receives a lot of strong direct sunlight, your solar panels will need to be constructed from materials that do not degrade under constant exposure to direct sunlight, so make sure the material are UV resistant.

If your region has frequent hail or ice storms, make sure that the solar panels you buy are encapsulated with tempered glass or other materials that are break resistant, will withstand low temperatures and exposure to moisture.