Home Solar Power

The Watt Power output of a Solar module is the number of watts output when it is illuminated under standard conditions. Watt Peak (Wp) is the direct current watts output of a solar module as measured under an Industry standardized Light Test.

Solar modules has dropped from around $27 Watt Peak (Wp) in 1982 to around $2.49 Wp today and can be expected to dive much further in the future. At $1 Wp, grid parity will have been achieved and Photovoltaics (PV) will be able to compete with the prevailing price of electricity.

Solar panels that cost less than $1 per watt to produce are on their way, as Colorado State University’s new method for low-cost, high-efficiency solar panels looks set to begin mass production. They will be sold for about $2 per watt to the public, about half the cost of current solar panels. The cost reduction comes from a new, continuous manufacturing process which uses cadmium telluride thin film rather than the more expensive crystalline silicon.

CdTe (Cadmium Telluride) permits a low cost production process. Automated high put though production processes have been employed successfully eliminating the need for expensive clean rooms or other specialty equipment.

Thin Firm CdTe (Cadmium Telluride) semiconductor material also converts low and diffuse light to electricity more efficiently than conventional cells under cloudy weather and dawn and dusk conditions. As a result, Thin Firm CdTe (Cadmium Telluride) modules will generally produce more electricity under real world conditions than conventional solar modules with similar power ratings.

Some sixty companies have announced to start thin film production by 2010. Thin-film solar cells consist of layers of active materials about 10 m thick compared with 200- to 300-m layers for crystalline-silicon cells. The technology allows for more flexible and robust shapes and is more cost effective.

The measurement of kilowatt-hours per kilowatt installed is an important factor. Calculate the average total solar watt output per dollar outlay. In most cases, when you are reach $0.15/kWh or better, you are competitive with your electric company.

There are cabling costs battery banks and inverters to consider. Calculating solar output, use an average of 5 hrs per day of sun. Eg. 4 x 80w panels produce 320 watts x 5 hrs should produce 1600 watts or 1.6 Kw per day. A 1000w system would produce about 4 Kwh per day. Most families use between 3-10 Kwh per day. Harness your very own experience with a do it yourself solar panel kit and discover this energy saving technology.

Create your unique do it yourself home solar power system. Home solar systems can form a vital part of any home emergency survival kit. Having a solar backup could be life saving in a natural catastrophe, or any other emergency where you could be cut off from main power but you have a need for electricity

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