When people choose to go green with their energy needs, they start thinking about installing solar panels at their home. It doesn’t mean that you can buy the first solar panel that you find in the market.
The solar panel you buy should be capable of producing the amount of power you need at home. If you look at your monthly electricity bill, you can find out how much electricity is consumed at your home during a month. If you divide the electricity consumed in a month by 30, you will get the amount of electricity you need for a day.
Electricity produced by a Photovoltaic (PV) solar panel is directly proportional to the amount of sunlight it gets. The longer it is exposed to sunlight, the more energy it can produce.
To find out the wattage of electricity produced by the solar panel, divide the amount of electricity you need for one day by the number of hours the solar panel is exposed to sunlight. If you think that the solar panel will get sunlight for 6 hours, divide your daily electricity need by 6. The resulting figure is to be then multiplied by 1.15.
The product you get is the wattage of electricity your solar panel can produce in a day with 6 hours of exposure to sunlight. Checking the wattage of the solar panel before you buy it is important to ensure that the panel produces enough electricity for your needs.
Another important thing you should check before buying your solar panel is the size and direction of your roof. If you think that your roof is strong enough to support the weight of the solar panel and other installations, you can contact any solar energy company to install the panel on your roof. If your roof is facing the south, it will still be better.
Remember to engage a company that has a clean track record and experience in installing solar panels. Poorly installed solar panels may not produce the amount of energy you expect. To compare the installation costs charged by different companies, it is better to take quotes from all the companies serving your area.
By comparing the solar panel installation quotes and checking on the business record of all the companies, you can easily find out the right company to install the solar panels at your home. Before the company arrives to install the PV panel, choose the area of your roof suitable for installing the panel.
The area you choose should face the south. If there are any obstacles which might prevent the solar panel from getting sun light, remove them beforehand. While the technicians install the panel, check whether they are following the right procedure.
Once the solar panel is installed, clean it from time to time to remove the dust and debris that may get deposited on it. If the panel is covered with dust, its efficiency to produce power may be affected. A well maintained solar panel is expected to produce electricity for a period of 30 years.
Other than regular cleaning of the solar panel, there are no additional costs once the solar panel is installed. This is the reason why installing solar panel at your home is encouraged. The energy produced by the solar panel is stored in batteries and it can be used whenever you need it.
The greatest advantage of installing solar panel is that the environment is not at all harmed in the power production process. There are no harmful gases produced by a solar panel.