Solar energy PV cells - how and where to install
72Solar PV panels
Save money and make electricity!
Solar power is plentiful, essentially free in use, and eco friendly, and once installation is complete, there is very little maintenance. Solar energy is called insolation.
Solar power is used for the most part to heat water and air in homes and small office buildings, but its potential goes beyond with increased technologies in photovoltaic cells, or solar PV.
Solar contractors can calculate the best system for the home. They will provide the technical knowledge and installation schedule, providing a painless experience.
For instance, roof selection is critical in the UK and US and any Temperate Zone building due to the sun's orientation.
Also the weight of the system has to be calculated to make sure the roof is strong enough.
There are various methods for fitting solar PV panels. They can be:
- bolt-on - on top of the existing roof
- semi-embedded
- solar shingles - blend in better than normal panels
- sunslates - or solar roof tiles - completely replace the existing tiles, seamlessly integrated with any other roofing system.
For a typical domestic system, costs are around £5,000- £8,000 per kWp installed, with most domestic systems between 1.5 and 3 kWp.
Solar tiles cost more than conventional panels, and panels that are integrated into a roof are more expensive than those that sit on top. Solar shingles are a good compromise and can be larger than normal panels.
The average household in the UK uses about 4,500 kWh per year. This would need 30 sq. metres of panels.
Before fitting expensive PV panels, do all the other energy reducing and retaining things first, such as fitting low energy lightbulbs and improving insulation.
When building new Ecotist eco houses, we have done solar fittings with bolt-on panels, as a roof will be installed as a complete water-proofed project by a roofer, at a standard price; any complications of 'holes' in the tiles to fit solar panels increases the risk of leakage, damage, infestation, etc. This might seen a bit odd but is practical.
Newer systems using printed PV cells are not yet onstream, and will be in short supply at first. This could revolutionise solar use, as even though they make less electricity per unit area, they are very cheap to make.
Normal silicon cells are made with a furnace, and so they have a high embedded or embodied energy.
See my other Hubpages for more aspects of Solar PV and also Solar Thermal panels that heat water. I will also be putting up more Hubpages on sustainable building and similar topics.
- Building DIY advice and techniques - all text from book
Vast amount of information for professional and amateur builders. Includes article about solar thermal for energy saving. - BBC Solar news story
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There are several new technologies coming out - including printable cells which will be cheaper. The decision is whether to wait for an untested tech, or go with current systems.
See para 5 for weight. It is an issue same as for a green roof. Any decent roof system should be OK though, but check professionally, this should be done by the installer. A green roof is much heavier as it holds water.
We live off grid and have done so for the past 10 years. We started with a hybrid system that included a gas generator, wind turbines as well as solar panels. The house runs from an inverter that converts the 24 volt power into the 240v we need for the house.
In a very short time we discovered that the wind turbines just weren't paying for themselves so we sold them off and our plan is to upgrade our solar array and install a grid-tie system and sell our surplus power back to the power company.
Our array is located in a pasture so we don't have to worry about the weight on the roof and we can use a solar tracker to maximize the daily production. Managment of the system does require some time and attention but in the end it is definately worth it.
Great hub, maybe you could include some information for where to find low cost panels?
Lucinda - TheDigitalBard
We are in the UK, where everything is expensive! Your solar farm is a great idea. Germany has a 'feed in tariff' (FIT) system that guarantees a price for excess electricity; UK is supposed to have one sometime soon. It is possible to make money out of installing many microgenerating systems.
Congratulations on your eco activities!
I'm looking forward to the printed PV cells you write about. You will have to put up another hub on them - when they will be readily available, cost etc.
Thanks for the info.
Jason
You can get the Solar PV article as a free chapter from our Green Home & Building Book at ecotist.com
What a great hub Jeff. We need more forward thining green ideas such as this. Thank you
This is very useful information for someone who wants to instal solar panels. Thank you.
Great info Geoff. As solar cell technology advances and gets cheaper to buy I think it will become more widespread. If we could cover more things with solar cells and not have them look like they are it would boost use immensely. For example, if a car was manufactured with a plastic exterior and a coating of solar cells underneath that covered the entire veihicle and couldn't be seen, electric cars would be much better. They'd be lighter, probably very durable, never scratch and not have a solar panel but a solar body. Since the cells wouldn't be seen everyone would accept them. The only problem is that I don't believe sunlight can get through tinted plastic. So maybe nicer looking solar cells? With art painted on them perhaps?
They are making printed solar cells now - Nanosolar make them, along with a foil and other types. This greatly reduces the cost and the environmental impact as furnaces are needed to make traditional cells.
So yes, all this is coming soon - especially as oil is so expensive!
The walking solar panel seems good enough for apartment blocks.
Thanks for sharing this information. Great hub! a lot of solar devices are now coming out and who knows? many there would be even more.
- Building and DIY tips and techniques with a green approach.
All aspects of building for the professional and DIY enthusiast. Useful for all interested in sustainable, modern and traditional building. Save energy and save money. - Cornwall Sustainable Building Trust
CSBT is a charitable company committed to making building design and construction as sustainable as possible, with minimal negative impact on the environment, both locally and globally.
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lloydl 3 years ago
Also the weight of the system has to be calculated to make sure the roof is strong enough.
I was watching CBS news a couple of months ago and they had a piece on Solar panel and one of the things they mention was how far they have come. They now have pliable sheets that you can lay on your roof like a blanket and fit it like you would a fitted sheet on your bed.