Alex Carey
3 Upgrades to Your Solar Power System That Are Worth the Cost
If you’re considering installing solar power on your home, you’ve likely noticed that it’s going to require a major investment. While it’s natural to be looking for ways to cut down on those costs, it’s important that you not sacrifice the efficiency and performance of your system in order to save a few bucks on the upfront investment. Instead, it’s a much better idea to consider a few additional upgrades that will make your system more efficient and more functional for your home, thereby increasing your ROI over time. Which upgrades are well worth the cost on a solar power system? Keep reading to find out.
Upgrade to Monocrystalline PERC Panels
There are several different types of solar panels on the market, and it’s important that you not simply select the cheapest ones you can find. Different types of panels have different levels of efficiency, and those cheap panels are less likely to help you earn back your investment. For a little bit more of an upfront cost, monocrystalline PERC panels can provide a big efficiency boost that gives you a better chance of receiving an ROI on your system.
Monocrystalline refers to the cell structure of the panels, which use a single silicone crystal instead of fragments of many crystals. PERC stands for passivated emitter and rear contact; that may be a mouthful, but essentially, it means that the cells have an additional rear layer that helps reflect back uncaptured sunlight so that the panels have a second chance to convert those rays into electricity. Both of these factors improve efficiency significantly.
Add Power Optimizers
Adding power optimizers to your solar panels can help you get more power from them throughout the day, every day. Without power optimizers, shading on one of your panels can drop the performance of the entire solar array. By adding these devices to each panel, you optimize their individual efficiency so that they’re not impacted by shading on other panels. This consistent efficiency boost can really pay off in the long run.
Add Solar Energy Storage
Finally, consider making your solar power system a hybrid system, instead of a simple grid-tied system. By adding a solar battery bank, you can get more use out of the solar energy your panels produce, rather than simply funneling your excess power back into the grid. This means you can become truly independent from the grid, save money by avoiding peak usage fees from the city grid, and keep your lights on in an emergency. While adding solar energy storage does increase the cost of your system significantly, it pays for itself by allowing you to use pure solar energy and making you independent from the city grid.
by Alex Carey on 2023-02-23 06:20:27
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