We know that there are many energy sources that we use in our day to day life.
But What’s energy? Energy is the ability to do work. There are mainly two kinds of energy.
- Renewable Energy
- Non-Renewable Energy
Renewable Energy is the energy that we can get from nature which is limitless i.e they never run out. Some of the examples of renewable energy include Sun, Wind, Water, and Earth. These energy sources are automatically restored or recreated by nature.
Non-Renewable Energy is the energy that is artificially created by humans and are limited as they are not automatically restored by nature. Coal, Oil, Natural Gas, and nuclear gas are some of the examples of this type of energy.
In this article, we are mainly going to know about Solar energy and panels.
Table of Contents
What are Solar Energy and Solar Panel?
Solar energy is the energy that we get from the sun. Every day there is a lot of energy being generated from the sun and we can utilize this enormous amount of solar energy to convert it to other useful forms of energy like electrical energy using various scientific methods.
Solar energy reaches the earth in the form of sunlight and it’s measured as a one-meter square area of the atmosphere as it travels through the atmosphere before it reaches earth.1.4 Kw/m (meter square) is known as the ‘Solar Constant‘.
But, as the sunlight travels through the atmosphere which consists of vapor and other gas particles some of the energy is lost so the sunlight that reaches the earth is 1 Kw/m (meter square).
Solar Energy can be converted into electrical energy with the help of solar cells. These solar cells are also known as ‘Photovoltaic (PV) cells‘. The photovoltaic cells are made up of silicon. Electrons in the cell gain energy from sunlight as a result produce voltage.
We need a large amount of voltage to use to run electrical appliances. So, many of these solar cells are connected together forming a solar panel that produces a sufficient amount of voltage to perform various types of work.
Nickel-cadmium batteries can be connected to the solar panel to store the energy during the day and can be used in the night for providing electrical energy to home appliances.
How to select the Best Solar Panel?
There are four different techniques to select the best solar panel.
- Technical data sheet
- Performance of the module based on comparison
- Brand and experience of the company ratings
- Availability and affordability
1. Technical Data Sheet
Check the technical data sheet of the solar panel which consists of specifications, output, test conditions, certifications, conditions based outputs and information about the company creating it.
This sheet is provided by the manufacturer along with the module then you do a figure-based comparison. There are different types of solar panel modules like multi, mono, mono-perc, cut-cell, and bi-facial.
Create a table and add columns such as efficiency, size, watt, 3kW/9nos, required area, and output and fill all these for each type of solar module.
You can find most of these data sheet. In this technique you compare different modules in terms of number.
2. Performance of the module based on comparison
Solar panel produces the output based on the input. So climate plays major role here i.e. more the temperature more the output produced by each solar cells in the panel.
Nominal operating cell temperature is the data that you can refer from the technical data sheet.
Mono Perc is the best module when you have problems related to climate as there is an extra module known as ‘Perc’ which improves the efficiency of the solar cells in producing energy.
3. Brand and Experience of the Company ratings
Tier 1 manufactures of solar panel have more experience as a result they get more ratings from the agencies.
4. Availability and Affordability
This is the most important thing because as soon as select a particular solar panel you have to check whether it’s available at your location and will you be able to afford it.
It’s better you can contact the local vendors as they know about availability and policies at your area.
Cut cells are small cells of different solar panels that are used for demo purposes and sales enablement.
Different Types of Solar Panels
There are several different types of solar modules or panels. Basically, some of them are-
1. Monocrystalline Solar Panel
Monocrystalline solar panel is a solar panel of higher quality with higher cost.
The monocrystalline solar panel price of this panel is 25-30Rs/Watt i.e. you need to spend 25,000 to 30,000 Rs to produce 1Kw of energy.
If you have a huge requirement you can buy at a cheaper price from in wholesale.
2. Polycrystalline solar panel
Polycrystalline or Multicrystalline solar panels are very suitable for India. And they are available at a comparatively lower price.
Polycrystalline solar panels have comparatively less efficiency compared to other types of solar panels.
They are the most popular in India with cost from Rs 15-25/watt. This is the most ideal type of solar panel for residential use and for the supply of a smaller amount of energy.
3. Thin Solar Panel
Thin solar panels are very rare and are not a widely used type of solar panel.
Top Solar Panel Companies
Here are the best solar panel company in India for home you should consider.
These companies are ran or ked based on manufacturing capacity, certifications, years of business, availability, and strong business segment.
Luminous Solar Panel
Charge controllers are inbuilt in its solar inverters. It has a very good service provided.
Microtek Solar Panel
Microtek solar panel have a very good name in the solar industry. In the residential industry, Microtek and Luminous are in the top.
But, there are other good companies too which mainly focus on large commercial product which has a huge requirement of energy output.
Tata Solar Power Panel
Tata is a very trustworthy brand in India that builds high-quality products. They are one of the big players who mainly focus on commercial projects with energy requirements in megawatt and gigawatts.
They are currently penetrating slowly into the residential market. They are in this business from 22-25 years.
Waaree
Waaree is one of the oldest solar brands in India. Their quality of delivery of products is very good.
They have two manufacturing units with capacity to manufacture units producing energy of 2 Giga Watts. They started in 2007. They are also MNRE and BIS certified.
Vikram Solar Panel
Vikram solar panels are very well in the residential industry as they have provided the best customer service and support. They are in this business from 10-12 years.
Some of the other core companies manufacture solar panels in India. You can consider are Adani, Renew Systems, Goldi, Loom, Patanjali, and Usha solar panels.
When you want to buy a solar panel for home look for the warranty, price, customer service, and certifications (MNRE: Ministry of New Renewable Energy).
First, you can check with the local vendors and then visit the e-commerce websites like Amazon, Flipkart and also check the companies website where you also find details about distributors, vendors. And you will get a clear understanding of the solar panel price comparison.
Advantage & Disadvantage of Solar Energy
Pros of Solar Energy
- Solar energy is very easy to use and can be easily set up compared to other renewable sources of energy.
- They are renewable sources of energy.
- There is enormous supply for solar energy daily.
- This type of energy can be stored for future use and can be transmitted through wires for various electrical appliances.
- They are environmental friendly as they don’t cause pollution.
- Easy to convert or transform to other forms of energy like heal, potential, kinetic and electrical energy.
- It reduces a large amount of non-renewable energy generated for your home and city.
- It is highly economical for commercial use as it saves a lot of money on electricity expenses and tax benefits. As a result it gives more ROI (Return of Investment) making your business more profitable.
Cons of Solar Energy
- Solar energy is expensive in terms of buying solar panels for our homes.
- Maintenance of solar panels is difficult and time-consuming.
- It is also climate-dependent. It can’t be used in low temperatures areas and in the rainy season.
Applications of Solar Energy
They are used in Space stations and Satellites where they act as a source of producing an ample amount of energy.
They are used to run various electrical devices like calculators and in developed countries solar energy is also used to run cars.
The most popular use case of the solar panel is it is used in windmills to produce wind energy and it’s also installed in various residentials to power the home appliances like lights and fans.
