101 Guide for Buying Best Solar Panels

Installing Solar Panels for your home or business is an important and long-term decision; you will see the effects of this decision for a long period of time. On the other hand,  there are lots of information regarding purchasing solar panels and many manufacturers that can confuse you when you want to build your solar power system or choose the best solar panels in Canada. 

This article is a comprehensive guide, but easy to read, that you can find out everything you need to know before investing in any solar power system on top of your roof, for your business and many more.

What Factors Should We consider when buying Solar Panels?

Living off-grid has been increasingly popular in recent years, and a reliable source of energy is one of the essential requirements. Solar energy is the most widely used of the few energy options currently accessible for obvious reasons, including its extraordinary flexibility and dependability of operation, as well as the ease of installation.

 To build a solar PV system for residential or commercial purposes, you need to consider these four essential parts: 1- Reliable Solar Panels 2- Choosing the best Solar Inverters 3- Having an efficient Battery bank 4- Installing Solar Charge controllers. Although we have some other components, like Battery monitors, that help you run your PV system properly, we can not sort them on the must-have list if you have a limited budget.

In this article, we will help you find the best solar panels available on the market, and for the rest of your PV system, you can refer to our previous blog posts and read about Lithium batteries, Inverters, Charge Controllers and many more.

Installing Solar Panels and producing your clean electricity is a costly investment in a few first steps but think of it as a long-term investment. By installing solar panels, you are not only saving money on your electricity bill and removing your Carbon footprint but also increasing your property value for the future.

On the other hand, buying solar panels is, going to be a one-time action for the long term, and it needs your full attention and, consequently, a wise decision. In this regard, in the following paragraphs, we will review some factors you should consider regardless of the level of your technical knowledge.

Warranty

The first and foremost factor you need to consider is the warranty period the solar panel has support from its manufacturer. Everything degrades and loses efficiency over time, including solar panels. Many manufacturers will promise that their panels' power output won't drop below a specific level over the course of 25 years. In case the panels themselves fail, several panel manufacturers also offer a materials warranty.

Generally, we have two types of warranty: 1- Performance Warranty and 2- Product Warranty. So when you are choosing solar panels for any purpose, just make sure to check both warranties. The industry standard is 25 years for performance and ten years for products/materials. It is evident that the more years you get support from the manufacturer, the more relief you will have for the future of your solar power system.

Technology

When it comes to technology, reading through various factors and technical information can be overwhelming for many customers. All technical details have been written on any solar panels spec sheet, but reading for a non-technical customer is quite tricky. You can just ignore all those bulky files and use this as a technical guide to picking the right panel tailored to your needs.

Solar panels can use different Cell types, cell arrangements and cell efficiency: 1- Monocrystalline, 2- Polycrystalline, 3- Half-cut, and 4- Shingled. We will briefly review two famous types and their pros and cons. 

Monocrystalline: The most efficient ones

As the most effective choice, monocrystalline solar panels are frequently recommended and work best when placed for bigger energy systems in commercial and residential buildings. Monocrystalline might nevertheless be employed in smaller systems because panel sizes do vary.

Due to their high silicon purity, monocrystalline solar panels are the most effective at converting light into energy. Despite this, monocrystalline solar panels are frequently the most expensive; if you want the highest productivity and cost, choose this kind.

Polycrystalline

Polycrystalline solar panels, as their name suggests, are made by melting many pure silicon crystals together. However, having more crystals isn't necessarily better. The efficiency of polycrystalline panels is actually lower than that of monocrystalline panels. However, given that they are available in a range of power levels from 5W to 250W and above, they make a viable choice for both modest and large-scale installations.

Moreover, the "greenest" panel choice is polycrystalline solar panels since they make full use of the silicon used in their production. Although they are not quite as efficient, polycrystalline solar panels are also less expensive than monocrystalline ones.

Size

Solar Panels come primarily in two sizes: 1) 60-66 cell Residential Size and  2)72 cell commercial size. Despite the name, you can use either on a residential roof, but commercial-size panels are a bit bigger and heavier than the residential ones. 

Their advantage is they can pump out more watts so that you can squeeze more power out of fewer panels on the roof. But the downside is because they are bigger and heavier, they are challenging to work.

Efficiency

The amount of light converted into electrical energy by a solar panel determines how much power your system will produce. The better, the more effective (and more expensive). Purchasing the largest and most effective solar panel is not always the best option since you risk paying more money than necessary to meet your energy needs.

You should evaluate your needs and choose the solar panel that best meets them. This means that you shouldn't undervalue your requirements but also shouldn't overestimate them either. If you need any further assistance in this regard, our experts in Volts Energies in Canada are ready to help you determine and choose the system you need.

Temperature Coefficient

Temperature Coefficient is about how heat affects a solar panel's operating effectiveness after installation. The lower the percentage per degree Celsius, the better, as solar panel warming hastens their ageing.

The best Solar Panels available on the market

Various types of solar panels are available on the market, and they produce different types of Solar panels in different sizes. Among Brands like LG, CanadianSolar, SunPower, Peimar and Renogy, we will review the top efficient and highest-quality brands that our solar experts have tested in Volts Energies in Canada.

LG Solar Panels

For all home and commercial uses, LG Solar Panels from LG Electronics have a remarkable power output. All solar energy products from LG, including the Neon and bifacial solar panels, benefit from the company's most recent cell technology, which offers the most robust performance in the market over a 25-year warranty. The minimum output of LG solar panels is guaranteed to be between 86% and 88.4% after the 25-year warranty period.

Peimar Solar Panels

You can get the ideal blend of high efficiency and adaptability from Italian-made Peimar solar panels. These solar panels operate remarkably well and guarantee maximum output even in bad lighting and weather situations because they make use of high-quality solar cells. Installation is straightforward because of the sturdy yet incredibly light frames. In either home, commercial, or large-scale situations, these panels offer a sturdy installation.

The high-efficiency Peimar monocrystalline solar panels offer clients maximum output and super high performance (over 20% efficiency) by combining revolutionary production processes and cutting-edge technical approaches. This makes it possible to utilize fewer panels to produce more energy, which is useful if space is limited or there are difficult environmental conditions. 

Conclusion

One of the most concerning questions or concerns among people who want to go green and install solar power systems on top of their residential or commercial buildings is how they can find the best solar panels on the market. 

This article is a thorough 101 guidance for those who want to know more about the critical factors that make a solar panel worth buying before any investment. If you have any further questions or need a more personalized consultant, contact our experts, who will help you build your dream Green home.