For lots of years, the only kinds of solar panels commercially available have been crystalline solar panels put in a rectangular frame and positioned on a roof. That is why nearly everyone, as soon as they consider solar energy for their home, imagine this as their only choice. Below are some new advancements in solar power and mounting options you may have never heard of before.
Thin Film Solar Panels – Man Is This Skinny!
Think of the solar panel you have in a solar calculator. That is a thin film solar panel. Thin film solar panels are used to a great extent in satellites. Thin film technology is currently being extended into residential and commercial use and was named one of the greatest inventions of 2008 by TIME magazine.
Thin film solar panels are bendable, unlike polysilicon cells found in conventional crystalline solar panels. These thin film solar panels are being labeled as next generation solar power technology.
Thin film solar panels are more resistant to sleet, rocks, and so on. If a segment of a crystalline solar panel is broken, the whole solar panel will stop working whereas a thin film solar panel will continue to operate.
Thin film panels can also be bendable and adapted to lots of surfaces. They can be useful in places traditional crystalline solar panels cannot be mounted onto. I have even seen a thin film panel sewed against a jacket that powered a MP3 player.
The downside to thin film panels is that they do not absorb as much energy because they are so skinny. These panels are not nearly as efficient as traditional photovoltaic panels but they are much cheaper. Thin film solar panels are printed onto the rolled backing, eliminating many of the high energy and chemical intensive processes that are standard in conventional PV manufacturing.
Thin film solar panels are low wattage and have need of more space than traditional solar panels and they are more prone to degradation. In an attempt to counteract several of these competitive disadvantages they have versus traditional solar panels, manufacturers offer better warranties for thin film panels.
The largest thin film solar photovoltaic (PV) project in the United States is the Blythe plant located 200 miles east of Los Angeles, California. The 21-megawatt solar power plant uses thin film solar cells constructed out of cadmium telluride. At full capacity, the plant will generate enough electricity to power an estimated 17,000 homes.
Now let’s look at conventional solar panels and several of the mounting options that are available you might have never heard of before.
Mounting Selections For Conventional Solar Panels – It’s All About the Mount
Solar panel mounts are available in three main types: pole mounts, roof-ground mounts, and flush mounts. With these mounts, you can install your solar panel on your roof, onto an RV, on top of or against the side of a pole, and even install them as a free-standing unit.
Pole Mounts – No This Is Not Something Santa Claus Needs For His Sleigh
Pole mounts, especially top-of-pole, have been common for awhile now. Top-of-pole mounts are basically a steel or aluminum frame and railing structure bolted or welded to a large sleeve that sets on top of a pole with set-bolts to keep it in place. Side-of-pole mounts are often used when you need to mount to the side of a telephone pole or communications tower. Tracking mounts are similar to top-of-pole mounts, but they also have a method of automatically aiming the mount to stay on the sun.
Top of pole mounts (as well as sun trackers) are one of the simplest mounts to install. They basically only need one steel pole set in the ground (usually in concrete), and the mount slips onto the top of the pole. Most common sizes use a 2-inch to 8-inch pole, usually around 11 to 13 feet in length. They can go higher if you need to get the panel up higher to avoid shading from nearby shrubs.
Common Roof-Ground Mounts
Roof-ground systems can be mounted onto a roof or ground without a great deal of change in setup. They are usually constructed from stainless steel in a grid-like system of supports. Roof-mounted panels for smaller systems are the easiest to set up, using small flush-mount brackets which elevate the panels to the most excellent position for solar collection.
Ground mounts, as the name implies, are solar panel mounts that are installed on the ground (as opposed to a pole mount or roof mount). They have supporting, changeable legs which allow you to optimize their vertical direction for solar exposure. Ground mounting systems usually require plenty of steel supports, concrete foundations, and galvanized footings, which can be troubling, when you are attempting to keep your system low cost. Ground mounted systems call for structural strength to prevent weight bearing failure.
While module mounting systems are offered for ground and roof installation, roof mount installation is the most common and cost effective approach. The roof mounted panels are attached to a mounting system typically consisting of an aluminum or steel support structure which attaches the panels to the roof.
The Smack Down On Flush Mounts
Flush Mounts are low-priced and easy to install – these are perfect for single panel installations and smaller solar arrays. Flush mounts are put onto a level face such as a rooftop, the top of a boat, or the top of a recreational vehicle and are not used for ground installations. These mounts act to separate the solar panel from the mounting surface and permit airflow to pass underneath and lower the temperature of the solar panel for efficient operation. Flush Mounts are usually used with small solar arrays on roof tops and RVs, because the structural design of a flush mount cannot support large solar panels.
There are many new options available in the expanding realm of solar technology. To learn how to calculate the number of solar panels you need for your home and other solar power secrets they don’t want you to know about, go to where can I buy solar panels