How Much Power Does a Solar Panel Produce?
It is a good idea to understand the amount of power a solar panel produces per square foot. This is not a trivial thing as most people might think. It involves figuring out the size of a solar panel system that a homeowner needs. Also, it is necessary to factor the price as the cost of a photovoltaic solar system is determined by the kWh of the system.
To determine the amount of solar power that is produced per square foot is important to know what the solar panels are made of. The solar cell technology combines strong copper backing with the ultra-pure silicon and light-trapping glass surface that makes the solar panels more efficient at generating more energy as compared to conventional panels.
It is vital to understand how a photovoltaic solar system works in real-world conditions. To ensure there is a maximum amount of power produced per square foot, your solar panels must be designed to handle the amount of light, angle, spectrum, and temperature.
Temperature
Most people associate solar energy with heat as heat is associated with a lot of sunlight. However, too much heat will make solar panels not to work effectively. When temperatures get to 77 degrees Fahrenheit, there is a drop-off in power production. You can find solar panels that are designed to minimize losses in the production of energy. Such panels have a low-temperature coefficient to ensure power production losses because of high temperatures.
Spectrum
Ideally, you cannot avoid cloudy days. Contrary to what most people think – solar panels work on cloudy days. That is because they have a wide spectrum of light. Some of the light is visible to the human eye, while others like ultraviolet and infrared are invisible. Clouds can block a lot of visible light, but they do not block out the entire spectrum. It is a good idea to get solar panels that harvest more ultraviolet and more infrared light. In this way, you will need fewer panels on the roof to generate the energy you need.
Angle
Your home’s solar installation is unique because the home has a specific orientation to the sun. Usually, solar panels are installed facing south to capture most direct sunlight. Also, the sun’s rays will hit at different angles. Most panels available on the market are made of anti-reflective glass that means once the light enters the panel, it will bounce back into the solar cell to harness as much power as possible.