If you decide to use solar energy, you may want to ensure that you can maximize the utilization of your solar system. Fortunately, you can do many things to improve the efficiency of your solar energy, from selecting the appropriate photovoltaic cells to installing the maximum exposure panel. After installation, proper management and maintenance can help ensure that your panel continues to work as efficiently as possible for many years to come.
- Use panels with grade A monocrystalline cells. Monocrystalline solar panels have the highest efficiency. In solar energy systems, the quality of photovoltaic cells is the largest predictor of solar panel efficiency. If efficiency is important to you, whether it's purchasing or renting, don't be stingy about quality. Battery panels using low-level batteries may be cheaper, but their efficiency is lower and they generate less energy. This means that, in terms of actual value, their operating costs are higher than those of high-quality battery panels.
- Invest in anti-reflection coatings to increase cell efficiency. Anti reflective coatings can allow cells to absorb more radiation. If there is no anti reflective coating, more than 30% of the light reaching the battery panel will not be absorbed and converted into energy. The photovoltaic cells in high-quality solar panels have anti reflective coatings to prevent light loss due to reflection. These coatings ensure that your battery board absorbs as much sunlight as possible. Cells with textured surfaces also exhibit anti reflective properties.
- Orient solar panels for maximum exposure. In the northern hemisphere, orient your panels facing geographic south. If you live in the southern hemisphere, on the other hand, have your panels face north. These directions are different from the directions you might find with a compass, which points you toward the magnetic poles, not the geographic poles. Your panels' orientation also depends on how you're using your solar energy. For example, if you're powering your home with solar, you'll get more value from energy collected later in the day. In the northern hemisphere, this might mean turning your panels slightly southwest. If you can't have your solar panels facing south (or north in the southern hemisphere), face them west, since that's the direction the sun sets. If those aren't an option, orient them east, or north (or south in the southern hemisphere) if that's your only option.
- Set up your panels to track the sun. Tracking the sun allows your battery panel to absorb maximum energy. If you have a solar panel installed on the ground, a tracker can make your panels follow the sun, so they can absorb the most light. But there are also smaller trackers that allow your battery panel to arc from east to west, following the sun from sunrise to sunset.
- Reduce the number of devices using solar power at a time. Using less electricity can reduce battery consumption. Generally speaking, if you don't run at full speed, you can use your stored energy for a longer period of time. Using less electricity within a few hours is also more cost-effective than using the maximum electricity in a shorter period of time. For example, do not run both the dishwasher and washing machine simultaneously. You can also turn off the lights in rooms you are not using, or unplug electronic devices you are not using.
