Do you know what to look for when you buying solar panels? If you are setting up a solar panel system for the first time, here are some tips on what to look for before you go shopping.
First of all, you will need to calculate how much power you need to produce. If you are buying solar panels for your home, the best way to calculate this is to have a look at one years previous utility statements. It is important to do this because these statements will give you an idea of how much power you use over the different seasons.
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Let's assume you had a solar panel providing approximately 80 watts of power. If you charged the panel for 7 hours a day for 7 days, this would be 3920 watts of power, or enough to run a radio for 24 hours a day for 7 days. This may not sound like much, but of course you can have several panels for maximum power. Also, there are solar panels that provide more than 80 watts of power.
Besides taking into account how many panels you need, you have to consider where they will be placed. Sometimes if you have optimum placement for the solar panels, you can get away with less.
Solar power can also be used for boats, recreational vehicles and remote locations for generators, just to name a few, so you need to keep the application in mind when shopping for the panels. You can even get flexible panels, so depending on where they will be used, plan your requirements before going shopping.
Some of the other items that you will need when setting up a solar power system is an inverter, a charge controller and a battery. The inverter converts the raw DC current from the solar panel into AC current, which is what you need to run your household appliances. Charge controllers are devices used to protect batteries from damage due to overcharging. They limit the voltage and current delivered to a battery by the solar panels.
It's important to do your homework before buying your solar panels and all the accessories so that you don't spend more than you need but at the same time get the right amount of power for your needs.