Orange County Solar: Know the Solar Panel Components

Whether you’re doing the work yourself, or hiring a professional, you still need to know the components of the solar panels. Knowing what to look for and what is actually needed will be a tremendous help and will save you money in the process.

You don’t want to use parts that won’t work well together. Quality parts installed with inferior parts will cause your solar panels to work inefficiently. So before you decide educate yourself.
The basic part of solar power is the solar cell or photovoltaic. The cells are made of materials that will create a reaction when exposed to the sun. This harnesses electricity from this reaction. Compare the solar cell with a small hand held solar calculator that works on the same principle but on a much larger scale.

The most identifiable part of the solar power system is the solar panel. It will also be the most expensive and most important element of the entire system. They come in a variety of sizes and depend on the homeowner’s needs and budget. They have improved them so vastly that they mount directly onto the roof instead of shingles. The design only requires a ½ pound ballast without drilling or penetration of the surface of the roof.

The second, the power inverter, a critical component that takes the low voltage DC power generated and converts it to high voltage (110v) that you use in your home.  Make sure the inverter is high in quality components with large heat sinks. That will keep your equipment working at high capacity so you won’t lose energy while it transforms.

You need the right gauge of wiring with shielding that brings it up to code without potential fire hazards.

When you have a monitoring system you will be able to accurately check the system and it should give you a read out of the amount of power your system generates. Many panels come with an extended warranty of 20-25 years depending on the quality of the system.

If all of this sounds too difficult for a home handyman to tackle, then consider contacting a professional. The solar panel contractor will come to your home and tell you exactly what you will need to upgrade your power needs. Just be sure the contractor is licensed and will have a contract that will have everything spelled out including cost. When any contractor asks for the entire payment up front, beware, but be fair and give him a decent down payment and withhold the final payment until the job is done.

SolarGem specializes in Orange County solar power, Riverside solar power, San Bernardino solar power.

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