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Last update on 2023-06-04 / Affiliate links / Images, Product Titles, and Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API
Solar panels are an important element forming a solar power system (accounting for about 60% of the total investment cost).
The direct current (DC) part includes panels of panels, accounting for about 60% - 70% of the total investment cost of the project. Thus, choosing and determining which solar panels are good is very important, because after the installation, the cycle life within the next 25 years will depend on whether or not it will be effective. how you choose and invest in panels initially.
And throughout their operating life, solar panels will endure more than 100,000 hours of non-stop sunshine, environmental influences such as hot and cold weather, wind, rain, corrosive salt, rain rocks and more.
For an electrical appliance, this is really extreme working conditions, you have to make sure that the solar panel you buy will be able to withstand and provide the right performance throughout its life. Therefore, the choice of panels will greatly affect the efficiency of the system. Here are some notifications to help you choose the best solar panels on market
1. Photovoltaic cells
Solar panels are made up of many photovoltaic cells in a series circuit. If one cell fails or fails, it affects the entire panel. Thus, the uniformity of the quality of photovoltaic cells will greatly affect the quality of solar panels.
There are 24 quality ratings of photovoltaic cells and they are divided into the following 3 groups:
Group A (level 1 - 8): Photovoltaic cells are new and not defective.
Group B (level 9 - 16): Photovoltaic cells of this level are used but not damaged.
Group C (level 17 – 24): Photovoltaic cells still generate solar electricity, but their life cycle is very short and their efficiency is low.
If the quality is less than the standard of level 24, it will be a waste cell (rejected cell). Although it has to be abandoned, in fact, many factories still buy waste cells and assemble them manually to reduce costs. However, to achieve accuracy, it is necessary to assemble by robots. These panels have poor performance and their lifespan is only about a few years (a quality panel can be effective up to 25 years).
Normally, panels in group A are free of any visible defects, group B have few defects, such as: slightly curved, color deviation ... while type C panels may have a lot of defects such as warping, lack of circuit lines, scratches ...
In fact, the internal fractures and interconnections among photovoltaic cells cannot be seen with the naked eye, but must be viewed through an optical scanner (EL Test). Therefore, the best way is that you should only buy from reputable suppliers, genuine distributors and have guaranteed warranty services in the market.
2. Quality of aluminum frame, glass, EVA layer and output of solar panel
The aluminum frame, glass, EVA layer and the output of the solar panel are the accessories that come with the solar cell. A good battery will have quality accessories and vice versa. With these accessories, you can completely identify with the naked eye.
Firstly, the aluminum frame and glass surface must be thick and solid. Check the film behind the glass by touching it. The quality film will not be too thin and wrinkled.
Second, the EVA glass is thick and won't scratch or crack because it not only protects the panel, but is also aesthetically pleasing.
Third, the output of the solar panel must have a suitable capacity because it affects the value of the solar power system. If the output is too low power will cause power shortage and too high power will cost more money than it really costs.
3. Consider panel temperature loss factor
The temperature loss factor is an indicator of how well a panel is capable of handling under non-ideal conditions. Solar panels work better when they are kept cool (ideally around 25°C/77°F).
For every degree above 25°C (77°F), the panel's power output will decrease with the temperature loss factor. For example, the Canadian Solar CS3W-450MS solar cell has a temperature loss coefficient of -0.36% /°C. This means that, if the temperature of a solar cell increases by one degree from 25°C (77°F) to 26°C (79°F), its power output will decrease by 0.36%. If its temperature rises to 35°C (95°F), the power output will decrease by 3.6%. Thus, the lower the loss coefficient due to temperature, the more efficient the panel is.
4. Choosing panels equipment with many advanced technologies is priority
Solar panels are increasingly improved to create higher efficiency than before. To be sure of the quality, you should ask the panel supplier if it is equipped with the following technologies:
- Half-cut cells: The battery cells are half-cut, so the number of single battery cells will be doubled. Thereby reducing power loss, the panel is cooler in operation, increasing the efficiency of light conversion. In addition, these factors also help the panel have a longer life than usual.
- Black Silicon: With this technology, the surface is also coated with a nanostructure layer to reduce the rate of reflected light back to the maximum, thereby providing extremely high power generation efficiency.
- PERC: This technology improves the efficiency of the solar panel by allowing electrons to move more easily while increasing the reflection of light on the back of the solar cell, which converts a larger amount of light than with the usual.
- Multi Busbar: The busbar acts as the main path leading electrons from the battery cell to the external circuit to form an electric current. With a battery cell with many busbars, electrons are more easily concentrated to form a current. The more busbar, the more stable the current will be and less consumed.
5. Reputable supplier
Even choosing and identifying good solar panels is not at all. During the lifespan, it is difficult to ensure that there are no problems when the panel is subjected to unpredictable weather conditions. Therefore, finding a warranty service from a reputable supplier should be to buy solar panels on market.
You can have a look at some of typical brands producing solar panel. They have been experienced in solar panels for many years. I will give you my recommendations:
1. Top 1: Jackery SolarSaga 100W Portable Solar Panel
2. Top 2: Renogy Solar Panel Mounting Z Brackets
3. Top 3: Renogy 12 Volt Solar Panel 100 Watt
4. Top 4: Renogy 100 Watt 12 Volt Solar Panel
5. Top 5: Renogy Flexible Solar Panel 175 Watt
