How to Choose Solar Panel for Cottage

Some time ago, the idea of autonomous electrification seemed unattainable. However, with the advent of solar panels , this has become more real than fantastic. There are a lot of houses “powered” by solar panels. If you decide to install a similar structure on your site, it’s time to start collecting information about what it is and what it is eaten with.

The principle of operation of solar panels

To understand how a solar battery works, you will have to refresh your knowledge of physics on the topic of converting light energy into electrical energy:

• Two silicon wafers are coated with substances with different types of conductivity.
• When light hits one of the plates, free electrons appear, which move to the “free places” of the other plate, i.e. an electric current appears.
• And it is transmitted using thin copper conductors.

Types of solar panels

To date, of the entire range, the most popular are 3 types of batteries made of silicon:

1. Single crystal batteries

They are easy to recognize by their appearance: these are panels with beveled corners. Solar cells have a square black shape and “look” in one direction.

The efficiency is quite high – from 15% to 25%. Such panels should always be facing the sun. If the day is cloudy, the sun has set or has not yet risen, the power will be minimal.

2. Polycrystalline batteries

A square plate of dark blue color, sometimes with inclusions of silicon crystals.

Compared to the first ones, they have a large area and are ideal for installation on large surfaces. The efficiency is lower – from 12% to 15%. But, despite this, it is polycrystalline batteries that will be able to work on a rainy day.

3. Amorphous silicon batteries

This type of battery is cheaper than the previous two. Each panel looks like a film with blue photocells.

Their efficiency is low – about 6%. And the sprayed layers of silicon burn out quickly under sunlight. But they absorb scattered light and infrared rays well, so it makes sense to install it in places where it is often cloudy.

What is included

• Panels. Their number and type of connection may vary depending on the purpose for which the batteries are installed;
• Batteries. Are necessary for the accumulation of solar energy;
• Inverter. Converts direct current into alternating current, which feeds the electrical networks inside the building;
• Battery charge controller. This element is located between the battery and the panels. It is necessary to ensure that the voltage on the inverter is stable;
• Machines, connectors, wires, fasteners.

Who should pay attention to solar panels

To the question of who most often buys solar panels for home, experts answer quite clearly.

Few people make such a purchase in order to take care of the environment. Someone is attracted by savings.Others want to provide their home with a reliable Autonomous energy source so as not to depend on the whims of housing and communal services (residents of settlements where electricity is often cut off or there is no electricity at all).

That can be connected to solar panel

Before installing a set of solar panels, it is worth thinking about what electricity will be spent on. After all, the power can be different, and it needs to be calculated based on how much the equipment “eats”. A regular set of batteries will be able to master:

• 4 energy-saving light bulbs,
• class “A” power consumption refrigerator,
• TV or pump for irrigation and another low-power device.

In this case, the battery power will be 600W.

What to look for when choosing

• Power. This is perhaps the most important selection criterion. The larger it is, the wider the scope of the battery;
• Battery life. The larger the battery capacity, the more energy you can save on rainy days;
• Natural factor. Cloudy, rainy weather does not allow the batteries to work effectively. In winter, energy does not have time to accumulate. The situation is the same at night;
• Floor scale space;
• Expected load;
• Performance class (it is best to choose class A, it is more durable);
• Manufacturer (the most popular are Sanyo, Jinko Solar, Sunpower, etc.).

Pros and cons of solar panels

The undoubted advantages of this equipment include:

• the ability to have an autonomous power supply;
• saving on light bills;
• durability and reliability;
• caring for the environment.

They also have their disadvantages:

• high cost;
• dependence on the weather, time of day and time of year.

Time will tell whether this is a worthy alternative to centralized power supply or not. Meanwhile, solar panels are just beginning their “path” to our cottages.