Types of solar panel:

The solar panel is a major part of any solar photovoltaic system, which absorbs the
sun’s energy and converts it into an electrical current. Different types of solar PV
installations require slightly different components. There are three types of solar panel
(also the hybrid version) which is currently in commercial phase all types solar panel
are made up of silicon semiconductors:

MONOCRYSTALLINE SOLAR CELLS

Monocrystalline solar cells are made up from thin wafers of silicon cut from
artificially-grown crystals. These cells are created from single crystals grown in
isolation, making them the most expensive of the three varieties (approximately 35%
more expensive than equivalent polycrystalline cells), but they have the highest
efficiency rating – between 15-24%.

POLYCRYSTALLINE SOLAR CELLS

Polycrystalline solar cell are also made from thin wafers of silicon cut from
artificially grown crystals, but instead of single crystals, these cells are made from
multiple interlocking silicon crystals grown together. This makes them cheaper to
produce, but their efficiency is lower than the monocrystalline solar cells, currently at
13-18%

AMORPHOUS SOLAR CELLS

Amorphous solar cells are the cheapest type of solar cell to produce and are
comparatively new to the market. They are not produced like the two other types. In
amorphous solar cells Instead of using crystals, silicon is deposited very thinly on a
backing substrate. There are two real benefits of the amorphous solar cell; firstly the
layer of silicon is so thin it allows the solar cells to be flexible, and secondly they are
more efficient in low light levels (like during winter).

This, however, comes at a price; they have the lowest efficiency rating of all three
types – approximately 7% – 9%, requiring approximately double the panel area to
produce the same output. In addition, as this is a relatively new science, there is no
agreed industry-wide production technique, so they are not as robust as the other two
types.
HYBRID SOLAR CELLS

This is not a type of solar cell in its own right; instead it is a combination of both
amorphous solar cells and monocrystalline solar cells. These are known as HIT solar
cells (Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin Layer – a bit of a mouthful!), and have
higher efficiency ratings than any of the other three types of solar cell alone. In
addition, they are also better suited in sunnier climes, where temperatures often
exceed 250C, creating up to 10% more electricity.

We think in many cases polycrystalline cells are the most suitable option, as they
provide value for money while still also being relatively efficient.

Solar PV inverters:

All the electricity produced by the solar panels is produced as direct current (DC),
which differs from the electricity that is distributed through the grid and we use in our
homes, which is alternating current (AC). For this reason most solar photovoltaic
systems are now connected up with some type of inverter, which changes the DC to
AC, allowing the individual to sell the electricity back to the grid (in grid-tied
systems) or to be used easily in homes.

There are 2 major types of inverter that can be installed in your solar photovoltaic
system:

STRING INVERTERS (ALSO KNOWN AS CENTRAL INVERTERS):

These are used in grid-tied systems where the solar panels are wired together in series,
which is known as a string of panels. Each string of panels is connected to a string
inverter, which converts the DC current to AC for use in the home and selling back to
the grid. You can imagine each string as a mini power station, producing electricity.

The main issue with string inverters is that if one of the panels in the string fails or
produces less electricity (from things like shading), this impacts the output of all the
panels. They will all operate at the output of the worst panel, so a small amount of
shading or debris on your solar array can disproportionally reduce the total output of
your entire solar photovoltaic system.
They also have relatively short lifespans when compared to micro inverters. The
benefits include simple wiring and that you can use thinner wires within your solar
PV system, so less copper is used which makes the system cheaper. Buying one string
inverter (which is normally the case of most home solar PV systems) is also
considerably cheaper than buying multiple micro inverters.

MICRO INVERTERS:

These are a newer technology and service each solar panel individually, so each panel
requires its own micro inverter and acts as an individual power station. As a result,
micro inverters do not suffer the same performance reduction as a result of shading
because any power reduction in a particular solar panel is handled by one micro
inverter, having little effect on the combined power output from the entire solar
photovoltaic system.

Micro inverters are much more expensive than the string inverters. However much of
this cost is offset by the increased performance (25% more power produced using
micro inverters) and the fact that they are more reliable than string inverters
(warranties for micro inverters are up to 25 years).

BUYING INVERTERS FOR YOUR SOLAR PV SYSTEM:

When looking for which inverters to buy, ideally you want your alternating current
(AC) to match that provided by the utility companies. Waveform relates to the quality
of the AC signal that an inverter produces. Cheaper inverters will provide modified
sine wave signal, while the more expensive versions will produce the pure sine wave
signal. Some appliances (such as computers) simply don’t work unless they are
powered by a pure sine wave signal, so we recommend strongly that you spend a little
more to get this type of inverter.

Grid tie inverters differ slightly from your regular inverters in that the AC pure sine
wave signal has to be perfectly coordinated with the waveform from the grid. As such,
these tend to be more expensive than the typical inverters that you buy. They also
have a built-in safety feature to cut off power from the solar array if the electricity
grid goes down for any reason.

It is also worth noting that most inverters now also have ‘Maximum Power Point
Tracking’ (known as MPPT) installed within them, which helps to maximize the
electrical output of your solar photovoltaic array system.
The principle of MPPT is to extract the maximum available power from the
photovoltaic module by making them operate at the most efficient voltage (known as
the maximum power point voltage). The algorithm included in the MPPT inverter
compares the output from the photovoltaic module with grid voltage and then fixes it
at the most efficient voltage, to allow you to export the maximum amount of kWh of
electricity back to the grid. An MPPT charger in your solar photovoltaic system will
improve your power gain by 20-45% in the winter and 10-15% in the summer.

The Battery

One of the major issues with solar PV systems is that they only produce electricity
when the sun is shining. If you are looking to go ‘off-grid’ or have battery back up in
times of grid blackouts, you will need batteries within your solar PV system.In these
systems, electricity produced from the solar cells is either used in the home as
required, or if there is no demand in the home, it is converted to chemical energy in
the form of batteries. These batteries can then produce the electicrity at night to allow
you to use your solar PV system ’24/7.

Solar array mounting

As discussed earlier, the amount of power that your solar photovoltaic system
produces is dependent on the intensity of light hitting your solar array. There are three
types of mounting you can get for your solar panels to help maximise the amount of
light that they receive.

FIXED SOLAR ARRAY MOUNTINGS

These are the simplest of all the mounting systems, and also the cheapest. In this
system, the solar panels will not move at all at any time during the year, so you want
to ensure that when you put in the panels they are facing the equator to maximise
sunlight.

MANUALLY ADJUSTABLE SOLAR MOUNTINGS

These can be changed a few times a year to adjust for the winter and summer sun. The
sun is highest in the sky during the summer months and lower in the winter, so by
being able to adjust the angle of your solar array ensures that the sunlight hits the
array at the best angle to avoid reflection.
FULLY AUTOMATED TRACKING SOLAR MOUNT

These mountings track the sun, to ensure that at all times the angle of the solar array is
maximising sunlight. These are certainly the most expensive type as they are
constantly moving, but they are also by far the most efficient. Despite this, it has been
proven to be more cost effective to add an extra solar panel to your array and use the
fixed or adjustable mountings.