Sorting Through the Solar Panel Hype
Brightstar Solar
Solar panel manufacturers are doing a great job giving consumers a variety of panels to choose from. To some, solar panels are considered a commodity because they are often alike in size, powerrating, and quality. Depending on your preferences, there are slightnuances you can pay attention to like cell type, efficiency, powertolerance, and warranty periods.
However, it is difficult to do research on your own on which modulesare most aesthetically pleasing, environmentally sound, or best suitedfor certain environmental conditions. You should discuss yourrequirements with your solar installer who can suggest panels that will fit your needs. You will see a lot of good and bad information out there, and thepanels you may be reading about may not be commercially available orfeasible for your project. It is your solar installer’s job to educateyou about the advantages and disadvantages of one panel versus another.
There are two resources I want to offer in sorting through the hype:
CSI’s List of Compliant Modules – This is a list of solar modules that meets the California SolarInitiative’s eligibility criteria testing. Most state rebate programsrequire that your equipment meet these requirements. You will see a STC power rating and a PTC power rating for each solar panel that is listed. STC, or Standard Test Conditions, is the power ratingthat is measured under laboratory conditions. PTC, or PV USA TestConditions, is the power rating under more practical climatic and solarconditions. For that reason, the power output of PTC will always belower than STC conditions. STC and PTC conditions will not account for all “real world” losses due to dust ordirt, temperature loss, DC and AC wire losses, and inverter efficiency.
Solar Design Tool – I think this is the best tool out there for evaluating solar panels. Did I mention it’s free? You can’t beat that. You can select up to 7different models for a side-by-side comparison of 27 differentcriteria. I’m not sure how often new solar modules are added, but I’vehad little trouble finding what I’m looking for. The only deficiencywith the tool is that they are sometimes behind with the “CSI listing”field. I suggest you go to the previous site to see if a module is CSIcompliant.
Brightstar Solar is a licensed solar installer in Massachusetts and Connecticut. We work with residential, commercial, and public customers to maximizeincentives, navigate the installation process, complete grant and rebate paperwork. Please reach out to us you are interested in a complimentary solar evaluation of your home, business, or institution in Massachusetts or Connecticut.
Source
Brightstar Solar is a New England-based company that markets, designs, and installs phtotovoltaic systems which provide measurable and meaningful benefits to our customers, our country, and our environment. We enable our residential, commercial, and non-profit customers to create their own clean electricity safely, dependably, and with an attractive return on investment. Our blog covers the latest topics in the solar electric (PV) industry - technology, legislation, incentives, etc. Bloggers include husband and wife team and co-founders of Brightstar Solar, Jon Reese and Mona Reese.