Average Solar Panel Efficiency

The increasing energy requirement has brought the energy resources on the verge of extinction. This is the reason why people are nowadays concentrating on the inexhaustible energy options. The sun is the major source of energy and solar energy is one of the best option in category of inexhaustible energy. Solar energy can be converted to electrical energy with the help of solar cell or photovoltaic cells. This electricity can be used for various purposes. But the question that arises is how efficient are solar panels? So, let's move further as this article will deal with the solar panel efficiency and the factors affecting solar panel efficiency.

What is Average Solar Panel Efficiency?

In the early years, solar energy was very expensive hence normal people were not able to afford it. But later on with improvement in technology the efficiency of the solar panel increased and the products became affordable. The average efficiency of a solar panel is around 11% - 15% for home use. But how to calculate solar panel efficiency? It is calculated by measuring the percentage of the sunlight received by the panel and the amount of solar energy which is converted into electricity. This percentage is very low but installing more panels may help you to fulfill your needs. However, many researches show that nearly 40% solar panel efficiency is acquired in the laboratory but the same amount of efficiency is difficult to get outside the lab. There are many companies in the market which perform better than the average solar panel efficient companies. SunPower is one among those companies. Many solar home panel products of SunPower are 19% efficient. Sanyo is the second in this race with 18% efficiency. Below given table will help you to get a solar panel efficiency comparison between few top rated companies.

Solar Panel Companies	Efficiency
Sun Power	19.3%
Sanyo	18%
China Sunergy	15.49%
Trina Solar	15%
Suntech	14.9%

Factors Affecting Solar Panel Efficiency

In case of solar panels, efficiency matters only when you are ready to keep some of the factors in mind while installing solar panels. If you avoid these factors then whatever be the efficiency rate of the product, you will not be able to get the desirable amount of energy outcome. So for understanding solar panel efficiency just go through the following factors.

• First thing to check is the amount of sunlight you get in a day. If you get just 1 to 2 hours of sunlight daily then installing a solar panel will be of no use.
• Shade can spoil the entire purpose of installing solar panels. So find a place where there is no shade at all. Solar panels can be installed on the roof tops where they can capture more sunlight.
• The size of your house will also matter. A bigger house will require more panels which may in turn increase the total cost.
• Latest technology will always give you better results and more efficient energy. So try to get the recent technology developed.
• Insulation will also count. If your solar panel system is insulated then there will be a very small amount of energy loss which will again increase the efficiency of the set up.

Installing a solar panel at your home or in your office will also give you many benefits. There are deductions in tax and many other facilities from the government if you have solar panels at home. The government even gives you some part of the expenses to install the solar panels. Solar energy is eco-friendly and will help to save the environment from the ill effects of the other energy sources. So, switch to this valuable and free form of energy. It is just a one time investment and you can make use of its benefits for more than 10 to 12 years.