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Once you have ascertained what size solar panel system you would like, the next step is to work out what kind of solar panels will meet your needs. This shouldn’t be a decision based only on price, as power efficiency, longevity, warranty, and the area needed are all important factors.

All too often people base their purchasing decisions on cost alone, and then in two years wonder why no-one answers the phone from the “fly-by-night company” they bought their solar panels from when the inverter dies or their output is reduced by half. It’s also quite important to know that there are different qualities of panels on the market and you should compare “apples with apples”.

There are 3 main types of panels: Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline, and thin-film or Amorphous, and you should recognize the advantages and disadvantages of them all. If your main hurdle when purchasing panels is price, then I suggest you compare “like with like”. It’s wrong to compare the price of Mono with the most recently developed Amorphous panel and make your purchasing decision from the price alone.

One very important distinction to make with regards to solar panels is the range wattages available. Watts are related to the output of each panel, so a 200W panel would output 200 watts per hour. You should expect to pay twice the cost of a 100W panel.

Warranties
Solar PV (photo-voltaic) panels come with a performance warranty that should last up to 25 years, and a guarantee of five to ten years. As well, your specialist can provide a warranty on workmanship, which is typically five years. Ask your solar specialist who is providing the warranty, the name of the importer and/or manufacturer, and what to expect if something breaks.

Be aware that if a cheap solar panel importer stops trading sometime in the future, their warranty obligation ceases. You’d probably feel far more comfortable with a well-known brand which has service agents for warranty work in Australia.

These are three main types of solar panel available, each with their own benefits:

Monocrystalline Cells
Monocrystalline panels are a proven and reliable technology, used for the past 50 years and still popular today. They have the best conversion efficiency at 12-18% of all sunlight. As these have the highest power to size ratio, they are the best option if you have limited roof space. They also degrade very slowly, generally losing 0.25 – 0.5% per year. Their lifespan can be 25 years, and even up to 50 years if looked after.

Disadvantages:
Monocrystalline cells don’t perform as well as other panels in shady conditions, and they are quite fragile. They can be more expensive to manufacture due to their complexity.

Polycrystalline Cells
Polycrystalline compares fairly well in performance and longevity to monocrystalline, and provides an efficiency of 12-13%. Well known brands include BP SX, Sharp and Kyocera.

Polycrystalline panels withstand great longevity (around 25 years). They work best at 25 degrees C and will lose some efficiency at higher temperatures (over 50 degrees C), which is typical in the Australian summer.

Amorphous Thin Film
Thin film panels typically have a lower efficiency at 6%, however, Cadmium Telluride Thin-Film panels (CdTe) have progressed to 11% efficiency. These are more suitable for inland Australian conditions where space is no problem and temperatures are hot. Amorphous panels don’t lose energy in higher heats.

Disadvantages are: Expected lifespan is less; there is a 3-6 month breaking-in period; and they typically require double to triple the roof space for the same output of crystalline cells.

When choosing solar panels remember to focus on the aim of recouping your initial costs through savings in electricity. The more efficient and higher watt panels can achieve this faster. However, if you are looking at solar farms in Outback Australia where temperatures routinely climb higher than 40 degrees celcius and there is a bit of cloud cover (these panels also work much better in the shade}, then these panels may be for you.

The Requirements of Solar Panels
With the various types of solar panels, the owner must ensure they are kept free from dirt and shade, because these factors impinge on solar power output.

Panels are installed facing north and at a roof angle of a minimum 10 degrees. Do the solar panels you want physically fit in the space you want to place them? Each solar panel is about 1.6 m long by 0.8 m wide. A 1.5kW solar panel system requires around 12 m² of north-facing roof space. As mentioned, this footprint varies depending on the type of panel. Don’t worry if you can’t work out the amount of unshaded space the roof has for your panels, because your specialist will calculate it precisely when quoting. You may want to be conservative with the space, however, in the event you would like to add more panels later to cover more of your energy needs.

My Solar Price specialise in solar power, solar hot water, and solar pool heating quotes. For three free quotes you can visit My Solar Price.