Solar Panel Array Efficiency

Most solar panels are between 15 and 20 efficient with outliers on either side of the range.

Solar panel array efficiency.

If a solar panel has 20 percent efficiency that means it s capable of converting 20 percent of the sunshine hitting it into electricity. Solar arrays that convert energy to electricity on the international space station are made of thousands of solar cells made from purified chunks of the element silicon. The average efficiency of solar panels falls between the 17 to 19 percent efficiency range. The solar panel with the highest watt is the sunpower e series a commercial solar panel line.

The efficiency of a panel refers to the ability of the panel to convert sunlight into usable energy. The highest efficiency solar panels on the market today can reach almost 23 percent efficiency. Solar panels usually range in wattage output from around 250 watts to 400 watts but some panels exceed the 400 watt mark. Solar panel efficiency is a measure of how much sunlight that hits the surface area of a solar panel is converted into usable electricity.

The efficiency of the solar cells used in a photovoltaic system in combination with latitude and climate determines the annual energy output of the system. So if a solar panel has an efficiency rating of 15 that means 15 of the sunlight that hits the solar panels will be converted into electricity. Solar panel efficiency is another factor that affects how much energy a particular panel will produce. However the economics of installing solar panels on a roof that does not face the south still usually stack up for the homeowner.

Solar panels installed on a roof facing southwest or southeast will generally produce about 8 less power than the same panels in the same climate on a south facing roof. Engineers have developed technologies to convert solar energy to electrical power efficiently. It may seem counter intuitive but solar panel efficiency is affected negatively by temperature increases. The top panel in the e series comes out at a whopping 435 watts.

High quality solar panels can exceed 22 efficiency in some cases and almost reach 23 but the majority of photovoltaic panels available are not above 20 efficiency. Panels mounted on a standard pitch roof facing east or west will produce approximately 15 less output than panels mounted on a south facing roof of a standard pitch. Photovoltaic modules are tested at a temperature of 25 degrees c stc about 77 degrees f and depending on their installed location heat can reduce output efficiency by 10 25. For example a solar panel with 20 efficiency and an area of 1 m2 will produce 200 kwh yr at standard test conditions but it can produce more when the sun is high in the sky and will pro.

This article gives some pointers on avoiding unexpected energy loss in an array.