Solar home panels (advantages and disadvantages)

Since last October 2018 the self-consumption with solar panels  without “sun tax” was approved in the Council of Ministers  , there are many doubts and questions you may have about the  use of solar panels for home and also the advantages and disadvantages of solar energy in a home . In this article we try to address precisely that second point that refers to the pros and cons of solar energy for your home, your company … etc.

Solar panels for home, how are they different from the rest ?:

In case you are not very knowledgeable about the photovoltaic sector, the first thing you should know is that there is no difference between solar panels for homes than those used in large solar energy installations. The same types of photovoltaic panels are used.

Although it is true that there are models of panels designed for homes that are what we call “Black.” That is, many homes, for an aesthetic issue (nobody likes our house to look “ugly”), solar home systems are installed with panels that are completely black.

An example of a solar panel designed for a house would be the following:

Paneles solares para casa (ventajas y desventajas)

 

As you can see, they are completely black modules, which give an aspect of excellence to the roof of your house in addition to having a solar energy system for home that is above average, since we are talking about a panel manufactured by SunPower, the most efficient and of best performance in the world.

Therefore, the  types of solar panels  for a house are the same as the rest of the installations, with the exception of that type of all-black model that is manufactured specifically for houses and for photovoltaic installations that require architectural integration.

Solar panels for a house and its prices:

If there is something that is used as a rule to compare solar panels for houses, it is, above all, its price. What  a major mistake . Long-term performance and return on investment is much more important.

If the  solar panel for a house is not of good quality , the low price will actually be very expensive.

If you are interested, remember that you have another section of our website where you can consult more information about  models and prices of photovoltaic panels  available for solar panel installations in homes and companies.

These are some aspects that are more important than price, which should be taken into account before asking for solar panel prices for homes:

Efficiency of the solar panel that we want to install:

The efficiency will be worth to us, the more efficiency the solar panel has for your home, get more kilowatt-hours of production. And as you will be imagining, the most efficient panels, that is, those that allow you to “squeeze” the maximum surface of the roof of your house, are the best quality and also the most expensive.

Because the limitations of the roofs are usually a barrier to meet the growing energy demand of homeowners, the  efficiency of solar panels  is something key in maximizing the space you have in your country house for example.

That is, higher efficiency panels produce more kilowatt hours, with a higher return on investment.

In addition to this, an added advantage for  solar panel installers : the use of  solar panels with greater efficiency  and performance means that fewer modules are needed in general, so labor costs are reduced.

Another key factor, especially in Spain – The Temperature Coefficient

The nominal power, which is in its data sheet, of a solar panel is measured at 25ºC and the power begins to decrease as the cell temperature exceeds those 25ºC.

As the amount of power lost above 25 ° C is directly related to the temperature coefficient of the module. The higher the temperature of the panel rises from those 25ºC, the less that solar panel will produce.

This is why the temperature coefficient of a solar panel is so important:

why the lower the temperature coefficient, the better the performance of the module as the temperature rises.

This is important in all regions, not only in hot climates, but especially in countries such as Spain and Portugal. The reason is that when the sun is shining, the roof temperatures of your home can easily exceed 25ºC, even with ambient temperatures below 15ºC.

Imagine almost anywhere in Spain, where it is easy to reach 25-35ºC of room temperature almost 6 months a year … the temperature of the solar panel can go perfectly at 50ºC or more in central hours.

The guarantee is essential if you want to have solar panels in your home without worries:

Sometimes it is difficult to quantify the warranty value of a solar panel. The fact that a company offers a   25-year product warranty does not guarantee that it will be here to comply, that is obvious.

But for an investment that we know that, at least, should last 25 years, an installer or a homeowner must choose a manufacturer that is financially sound, stable and has a long reputation for the quality of its products and service. to the client.

The  performance guarantee  is also important, almost more than the product. He thinks that the difference of a guarantee of production at 25 years of 80% (which is what almost all manufacturers usually give) and 90% (which only manufacturers such as  Panasonic  or also  SunPower  offer), can be thousands of euros of difference in savings.

Solar Energy Advantages and Disadvantages

Let us now go with the advantages and disadvantages of using solar energy for homes or for any small or medium business.

Like any other consumer product, solar panels also have pros and cons, or in other words, they have many advantages but also some disadvantages that you should know to possess all the possible information before making the decision to install solar panels on the roof from your house.

As benefits, we have highlighted the following  advantages of solar energy :

  • The first is the most obvious,  save on the electricity bill . Placing photovoltaic solar panels on the roof of a house or any other property, will drastically reduce spending on electricity.
  • Minimum maintenance costs . If the photovoltaic installation is carried out by a professional and with good quality products, the annual maintenance is almost zero.
  • Become independent of the power grid . As long as batteries are used, of course. Otherwise, the dependency would continue to exist although to a much lesser extent than another person who does not have plates installed.
  • Reduce your carbon footprint . If you are concerned about the environment and do not want to contribute to the pollution caused by climate change, the use of solar energy in a home can save almost 1 ton of CO2 emissions every year. Imagine if we all did the same, the environmental impact would be very positive.
  • Increase the value to your ship or house . If you have solar panels installed on the roof of your house or your ship, and you want to sell or rent it, think it will always have much more value.
  • Tailoring every day.  This point is one of the advantages that all the owners of a solar energy installation comment more. Look at the light meter and see that, at many times of the day, it is stopped. This seems silly, it is something unanimously commented by  all the owners of this type of installation , and it generates happiness to those who experience it.

Regarding the  disadvantages of solar energy , these would be some of the few that exist:

  • Investment starts l. The price of a solar energy installation is always an initial pitfall. It is true that it amortizes excessively over the years, but, in the first instance, it is an important outlay.
  • If there is no sun, there is no energy . It is obvious but on cloudy days, with rain … the solar energy production of a solar panel will be minimal. Of course, at night, you would have to resort to the power grid (in case of self-consumption) or batteries if you have them.
  • Space and place for placement . Generally solar panels are placed on the roof of the house, but it is not always possible. Sometimes due to the bad orientation of the roof, you have to look for other alternatives (floor, pergola …) that are not always feasible.
  • Visual impact . Here is a somewhat more subjective issue, there are those who like the aesthetics of solar panels on a roof, and there are those who find it horrible. It is true that for those who do not like to see them, there are options in the market, with Mono-Black (Totally Black) panels that help a good integration and aesthetics in construction.

So far the advantages and disadvantages of using photovoltaic solar panels to generate electricity with solar energy in a home, industry, ship…. As a summary, we leave you a table where the commented points are collected.

Advantages of solar panels at homeDisadvantages
Saving on the electricity billInitial investment
Low maintenanceSunlight dependence
Independence of the power gridSpace and place of installation
Carbon footprint reductionVisual impact
Higher property value
Satisfaction

 

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