Solar panels present as alternative energy sources which have been in use since decades. They have crowned our roof tops and signs on the roadside.[i]
What are Solar Panels?
A piece of a photovoltaic system makes p a solar panel. Solar Panels are made of the network of a parallel photovoltaic cell which is spread on a board. They are found in a cubical sequence and these are connected to a system to help in the generation of electric power. Solar panels which are also known as the photovoltaic gather the energy from sun rays and then create power in form of electricity which can be utilized for private or industrial use. They are generated in form of boards which have such structural capacity which enables them to provide power to non-reachable areas. They are not only utilized in private or business areas instead a lot of enterprises utilize this type of energy. They are also being used these days to provide energy to the metropolitan areas.
Costs for Solar Panels
In the last decade the prices of solar panels have increased immensely because of its high demand. Now the price of a solar panel is ten times more than what it was around 10 years ago. In 2020, most of the solar panels cost in between $0.6 – $0.7 per watt. The top quality ones can even start from $1 per watt and it increases from here depending on the quality, size and also the area of solar panel.
Installation expenses of solar panels can be different according to the brands providing the services. The installation expenses can be even higher than the original price of the solar set. This can be explained here with an example that if a 5watt solar system costs $2500 its installation expense would be around $7000-$10000 with all arrangement overall the expense would be estimated around $15000. An alternative option could be to buy the solar panel from a wholesaler which can be easily installed even by a layman. In this case many producers and wholesalers provide recorded instructions and help in installation of the solar panel. In this way a lot of money can be saved because these solar panels have high installation charges. If you chose to install the solar panel through an expert they would charge you $0.75 to $1.5 for each watt.
Process of Installation of Solar Panels
The ideal position to place or install the solar panels is actually on the rooftop or on places where most of the sunlight is readily available. In most of the houses there is an ideal arrangement of a large area at rooftop where the solar panels can face the sunlight for a larger period of time. On the other hand, in the houses where it is not easy or feasible to install the solar panels at the roof top there the panels could be set into an open ground. In this case a precaution should be kept in mind that if solar panels are installed on ground then no object should be facing them in such a way that it blocks sunlight. There are following steps which are a part of installation of solar panels. These steps are explained as follows:
- Setting up the platform:
For security and safety it is better first to create a scaffolding for the process and to keep the platform intact during the process of installation.
- Creating mounts for Solar Panels:
After raising a platform for solar panels there is a need to introduce mounts which will make the base of the photovoltaic boards or the solar panels. The mounting should be created in such a way that when solar panels are affixed to them they should be at the angle of 18-36o so that they face the sunlight properly.
- Installing the solar panels:
When the mounts have been fixed it is time to install the solar panels themselves. They should be arranged or affixed in such a way which insures their safety and protection.
- Completing all the wiring for solar panels:
When the solar panels have been placed then there is a need to set up the wiring to connect it with electric supply needs of the house or any office where the solar panel is being installed. MC4 type connectors are best suitable because they are adaptable for many types of solar panels. Before conducting this step the power of the whole house should be shut.
- Installation of invertor:
When all the wiring has been completed then comes the crucial step of linking all the system to the inverter. It is mostly installed near the mainboard of the electrical supply and it can be placed both inside and outside. They work best and more profitably when they are placed in a cool and shaded area. Even if the inverter is placed outside it should be protected from the heat of sunlight. Best places to install the inverter would be a store room or any area where the temperature is cool all the time.
- Attachment of an interface solar battery:
A rechargeable battery should be connected to the system so that at times when there is such a weather that there is less exposure to sunlight this battery can provide power.
- Connection of solar panel invertor to consumer unit:
For the generation of power the inverter should be connected to the consumer unit. A meter should be attached here as well in order to monitor the power generated by the solar panels
- Starting and testing the solar panels:
In the last step the electric supply is switched on to test the whole system installed.[ii]
The Return Investment Plans for Solar Panels
The replacement period for the solar panel actually measures the time period which represents that when is time to get back the investment done on the initial installment. In the US most of the solar panel providers allow the guarantee period of around 7 to 7.5 years. That would be the case is initial total cost for installment was around $15000 and yearly saving wan $2000 then the compensation time would make up around 7.5 years that is the initial costs divided by savings per year.
[i] https://www.livescience.com/41995-how-do-solar-panels-work.html
[ii] https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/2014/09/solar-panel-installation-and-maintenance
