A Comparative Guide to the Best Solar panels for your Home

Solar panel array

PANORAMIC: Array of solar panels

For a long period of time, people looking to transition from fossil fuel power to green alternatives such as solar panels found themselves with very few alternatives. For starters, the available green energy sources were priced so highly as to be unaffordable to most families. In addition too, it was very rare to find systems available at a scale small enough as to make sense to the average homeowner. In the recent past, this state of affairs has changed dramatically as we shall see presently.

Over a period of about a decade today, solar panel prices have reduced by incredible margins such that solar is now the most realistic alternative energy source for homeowners and small businesses. However, not all solar modules are the same. As you look for a solar energy system that fits in with your needs and budget, you should be systematic in your considerations. To make the process easier, we have carried out a comparative review of popular solar panels and selected the best four after considering factors such as affordability, efficiency and innovative design.

Best bang for your Buck: RENOGY

Renogy 240 Watt Poly solar panelRENOGY is a standout brand when it comes to efficiency and custom design. Their PV modules are designed to work just as well on residential rooftop solar panel systems as they are for large, utility scale ground mounted solar plants.

The company has been making a big push for the utility solar energy market and this has meant that they have managed to reap economies of scale that come with such endeavors. As such, when you buy RENOGY solar panels, you can be certain of getting high performance at a price that will come as a pleasant surprise for such superbly designed photovoltaic modules.

Most Innovative: Canadian Solar

Canadian Solar 290 Watt Monocrystalline solar panelCanadian Solar is a brand that is synonymous with quality and innovative product design. Their newly launched AC solar panels are a testament to this philosophy. They are designed with inbuilt solar microinverters which optimize performance and make the process of installation a simple DIY affair.

Canadian Solar’s PV modules also come standard with Zep Solar’s revolutionary rail-free, auto-grounding system. With this technology, it takes about 75% less time for installers to put the modules on your roof. All the panels have been passed for efficiency and quality using the most stringent industrial certification standards.

Most Efficient: Trina Solar

Trina Solar 255 Watt Polycrystalline solar panelTrina Solar is widely reputed to be the largest manufacturer of solar products in the world. It is easy to see why their products are such a hit with solar energy system installers all around the world. The company has an award winning research and design system in place which ensures that all the modules leaving the factory floor are optimized for the highest efficiency even in inclement weather conditions.

Each Trina Solar module comes with the patented Trinasmart Optimizer and Monitoring technology integrated to give you a product that has guaranteed high performance. In effect, by choosing Trina Solar, you will buy photovoltaic solar panels which have added value, much more efficient and with guaranteed safety features.

Best Priced: Perlight Solar

Perlight Solar 230 watt Poly solar panelIf you are looking for quality solar panels on a bargain, you can’t do better than betting your fortunes on Perlight Solar Panels. The pocket friendly prices of these solar panels should not take away from the fact that these are modules designed to give you robust performance and long life at above par performance.

As a company that has been providing energy solutions for three decades, Perlight Solar is a brand that is trusted the world over for its innovative approach to value added equipment and systems. Perlight Solar’s modules are manufactured in the United States; assuring you high standards and conformity to your home electrical system. Their quality and pricing model has earned them recognition by Home Power Magazine as the best solar panels of 2012.

 

What Holds Us Back (from adding Solar to our Rooftops)?

Reblogged from TGSolar:

Click to visit the original post

Quite a loaded question, eh?

The answer is most likely similar to other similar questions. What holds us back from exercising? From taking our vitamins? From eating healthy? Or any other similarly-sensible, good-for-us but no-fun types of tasks or projects.

Inertia.  Or the absence of a concrete action plan. Or lack of proper (strong enough) motivation. Or possibly its the handy-dandy rationalization (I don't have the time/need/money, etc)

Read more… 155 more words

Is Green Power in Your Future?

Reblogged from The Plum Street Treehouse:

Click to visit the original post
  • Click to visit the original post

If you've ever thought of using solar energy to power your home in Northern Virginia, you've probably been discouraged by reports of the high cost of solar panels and the inability of consumers to sell excess energy back to the Dominion Power grid to offset the cost.

On March 22, 2013, the Virginia State Corporation Commission approved the Dominion Solar Purchase Program. 

Read more… 130 more words

UK Solar Demand to Rise to 10% of Global Solar Panel Market in Q’1 2013

Union Jack and solar panel

BULLISH: The UK solar market is expected to perform well in Q’1 2013

According to a recent report by NPD Solarbuzz, the United Kingdom solar market over the first three months of 2013 will perform very well. After studying solar panel shipment analysis, solar supplier surveys as well as current solar projects in the pipeline, NPD Solarbuzz expects that the UK will prove to be the 5th largest solar market in the first quarter of 2013. If this is proven to be the actual case, then this will be the very fist time that solar panel sales in the British Isles will exceed 0.5 gigawatts in a three month period.

The findings are detailed in the forthcoming issue of the NPD Solarbuzz Quarterly report. The news comes as a surprise to many in the industry considering that there has not been a shortage of negative press about the prospects of growth in the solar PV industry in Britain. As such, there will be some who will meet the pronouncement that expectations of a 10% share of the global solar market are a little bit over-ambitious on the part of Solabuzz analysts.

Anyone who has been following Energy market news in the UK over the last couple of months will not have expected this leveled of renewed interest in solar energy systems. Firstly, there was a lot of press coverage of the Hinkley Point nuclear power stations which are expected to be commissioned very soon. The recent coalition budget also saw secretary of the Exchequer George Osborne commit plenty of funds to exploration and development of shale gas energy reserves.

The analysts at Solarbuzz expect that the resurgence of growth in the UK market comes at a time when the market has weathered the frenzied FIT induced growth witnessed in 2011 and early 2012 as well as the hangover that happened right after the FiT terms were readjusted. As of now, most of the growth is coming from large scale, utility focused ground mount systems. Over the past few months, the number of proposals for large-scale MW ground-mount solar farms has approached 200 and planned installations include accessing ROC levels both pre and post April 2013.

 

Kaco to Supply Inverters for South African Solar Projects

Kaco's Powador 39.0 TL3  Inverter

Kaco’s Powador 39.0 TL3 Inverters will be used in the 2 South African Solar projects

German renewable energy solutions provider, Kaco GMBH has been contracted to supply their award winning solar inverters for two utility scale solar projects in South Africa. The two projects with a combined capacity of 33 megawatts are being built in the Northern Cape region of South Africa. They are part of a vigorous drive by the South African government which has seen the country emerge as one of the fastest growing solar markets in the MEA (Middle East and Africa) region.

Kaco has been contracted by Tenesol SA to provide their Powador 39.0 TL3 inverters. Tenesol SA, a company based in La Tour De Salvagny, France is the provider of Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) services for the two plants. The projects are owned by the South African company AE AMD Renewable Energy which is a joint venture enterprise by Tenesol and AMDA Energia of Spain.

“South Africa has a rapidly rising demand, encouraged by strong economic growth,” stated Kaco South Africa Regional Director Christoph Heinermann. “The local energy suppliers are lucky to be early adopters of renewable energy as the best way to address this need. Due to the high solar radiation and the area available solar power plants are particularly well suited to achieve this goal. Since we rely on our expertise and our proven products.”

Kaco states that the next goals of its South African branch will be to supply projects in the industrial sector, as well as to expand its network of distribution partners to serve the residential market.

 

Understanding of Various Components of Roof Top System

Reblogged from Firstgreen Consulting Pvt Ltd:

Click to visit the original post

A Solar System generally  comprises of the following elements: Solar Panel, a Charge Controller, a Power Inverter, a Monitor and Electrical Distribution System. As seen with each other technologies each component has different manufacturers , quality, features and price.

Solar Panel: A Solar Panel consists of silicon crystals which converts the rays on the sun into electricity. They supply electricity, required for charging batteries and running the appliances either directly or through power inverter.

Read more… 402 more words

Going Solar

Reblogged from Chelan Traveler:

Click to visit the original post
  • Click to visit the original post


My earlier cost/benefit analysis of solar electric for our RV (in which I concluded cost outweighed benefit) was superseded a few days ago when our neighbor offered us some panels and a controller for about $1.75/watt. That's about half what they cost new so we joined the renewable energy crowd and bought the panels.

We have really enjoyed our winter spent in the Southwest and expect to be returning in the coming winters.

Read more… 190 more words

Is Photo Voltaic Energy Worth The Cost?

Reblogged from solarpanelsbrisbane:

Click to visit the original post

The uptake of solar technology has never been greater than in recent years as compared to any other time in history. There are way more manufacturing businesses of solar cells and inverters than there ever was before. The value of panels has fallen by approximately 70 per-cent in the past couple of years. Government authorities have laws and regulations which accompany the revenue of Photovoltaic or pv by way of tariffs.

Read more… 710 more words

Reasons Why Buying Solar panels in Bulk Makes Sense to Homeowners and Businesses

RENOGY solar panels in bulkBoth small and large scale installers of solar systems can save plenty of money if they take advantage of solar panels in bulk offers from manufacturers and resellers. When solar panels are manufactured on the factory floor, they are packaged securely to ensure they can be shipped without danger of breakages. If you buy the modules in the original packaging therefore, you can avoid having to pay for new repackaging costs.

Solar panel manufacturers offer solar panels in bulk as either containers or in pallet quantities. There are two standards for shipping containers: those which are forty feet in length and the smaller twenty feet long ones. Twenty foot containers have ten solar panel pallets while forty feet ones have twenty pallets.

Most solar manufacturers package solar panels in quantities of 20 to 30 solar panels in a single pallet. It is for this reason that the term bulk solar panels has come to attain the meaning of any module quantity that is higher than twenty pieces. To ensure that the modules are protected adequately for freight, each pallet includes extra padding as well as an outer wooden casing.

Customers who opt to buy solar panels in quantities smaller than a pallet have to pay an extra charge called ‘pallet breaking’ cost which can be as high as $200 for some solar panels. This is because the solar pallet as packaged on the factory floor has to be broken and the modules repackaged again with the same precautions used in shipping larger quantities taken into consideration. It is worth noting that solar panels have to be packaged in sets of two at the very least.

As such, if you buy solar panels in bulk, you can save plenty of money. Not only will you enjoy quantity discounts but you can be certain that the solar panels will be shipped to you in the same conditions and quality as they left the factory floor in. You will also be certain to avoid paying more than you ought because of unnecessary pallet breaking charges.

Solar Systems USA is America’s online solar store with a continually increasing set of direct sales partnerships with leading global solar panel manufacturers. This means we are uniquely positioned to bring you a range of high quality solar panels at a price that is lower than you can access elsewhere on the web. Check out our special offer on solar panels in bulk now and start your journey to energy independence.

Canadian Solar Planning 15 Utility Scale Solar Projects in North Carolina

solar panel array

EXPANSIVE: Canadian Solar plans to install 85MW worth of solar panels in North Carolina.

Canadian Solar has a total of 15 solar projects already under works or in the planning stage in North Carolina. Working in conjunction with Strata Solar, Ontario based solar manufacturer announced that the projects will have a combined capacity for 85mW of solar energy. It is part of a strategy that has seen the company expand its operations in the solar energy market by installing and running solar power projects instead of depending on solar panel sales alone.

Strata Solar LLC is a leading provider of solar energy turnkey services. They provide complete design, construction and installation of utility and commercial photovoltaic and solar thermal systems. Headquartered in its LEED Silver certified office and showroom in Chapel Hill and expansive warehouse nearby, Strata Solar also has operations in California. Strata Solar had operated a similar partnership on projects in the state of North Carolina in 2012 with JinkoSolar and Chint/Astroenergy.

“Strata Solar is making great strides in bringing solar to North Carolina. We are thrilled to collaborate with a top tier firm that has a clear commitment to the future of solar in the region.,” said Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Solar. ”Fuquay Farm is the first of many, and we look forward to working closely with Strata Solar to generate clean energy for the residents of North Carolina.”

The first project to be commissioned is Fuquay Farm, a 6.4MW (DC) project located in Middle Creek, Willow Springs in Wake County, NC. According to the companies, the project broke ground in November 2012 and will be commissioned by the end of February. The rest of the projects are said to include mainly 6MW sized utility-scale projects, but will also include a 1MW rooftop solar system and a 3MW solar farm. All 15 projects are expected to be completed in 2013.