Price per watt is the primary unit of measurement for the solar energy. Watt Peak (Wp) is the direct current watts output of a solar module as measured under an Industry standardized Light Test before the Solar Module leaves the manufacturers facility.

Solar prices are falling fast, especially with thin-film technology. From early $27 per Watt Peak (Wp) prices to an expected $1 in the near future. At $1 Wp, grid parity will have been achieved in Photovoltaics (PV) and will be able to compete with the prevailing price of electricity.

Essentially, there are 2 types of solar panels. The more expensive kind using crystalline silicon and the new proprietary thin-film technology. CdTe (Cadmium Telluride) is the popular favorite thin-film technology favorite.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado to recognize CdTe’s (Cadmium Telluride) potential for achieving the lowest production costs among current thin film technologies. Because of thin film technology, mass-production of solar panels through the use of machines similar to a printing press, will aid in cutting cost for watt produced.

Thin Firm CdTe (Cadmium Telluride) semiconductor material also converts low and diffuse light to electricity more efficiently than conventional cells under cloudy weather and dawn and dusk conditions. As a result, Thin Firm CdTe (Cadmium Telluride) modules will generally produce more electricity under real world conditions than conventional solar modules with similar power ratings.

Thin-film solar technologies often use non-silicon semiconductor materials including copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS) to create photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight into electricity. Without the expensive and often sparse silicon, the cells are cheaper in terms of materials costs. The non-silicon materials can also be printed on flexible or light substances, which can create new applications for solar. Many companies are using thin-film technology to produce low-cost solar panels. The cost reduction comes from a new, continuous manufacturing process which uses cadmium telluride thin film rather than the more expensive crystalline silicon. Non-silicon semiconductor materials including copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS) used to create photovoltaic cells.

A crucial metric that most look at is the measurement of kilowatt-hours per kilowatt installed. Find the wattage produced by your solar panel into watts per dollar. Most likely, when you are reach $0.15/kWh or better, you are competitive with your electric company.

There are cabling costs battery banks and inverters to consider. Calculating solar output, use an average of 5 hrs per day of sun. Eg. 4 x 80w panels produce 320 watts x 5 hrs should produce 1600 watts or 1.6 Kw per day. A 1000w system would produce about 4 Kwh per day. Most families use between 3-10 Kwh per day. Harness solar panel kits and discover this energy saving technology.

About the Author:

Related posts:

  1. Homemade Solar Power System ? A Guide For Beginners
  2. Installing DIY Solar Panels
  3. Build Solar Power Houses to Be Environment-Friendly
  4. DIY Solar Power – How to Build Homemade Solar Panels
  5. Why Choose Wind Energy To Power Your Home?

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Leave a Reply