For lots of years, the only types of solar panels commercially obtainable have been crystalline solar panels put in a rectangular frame and placed on a roof. That is why most people, when they consider solar power for their house, envision this as their single choice. Below are a few recent advancements in solar power and mounting options you may well have never heard of before.
Thin Film Solar Panels – Man Is This Thin!
Think of the solar panel you have in a solar calculator. That is a thin film solar panel. Thin film solar panels are used extensively in satellites. Thin film technology is at the present 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 flexible, nothing like polysilicon cells found in traditional crystalline solar panels. These thin film solar panels are being labeled as second generation solar power technology.
Thin film solar panels are more resilient to hailstones, dust, and so forth. If part of a crystalline solar panel is broken, the entire solar panel will stop functioning whereas a thin film solar panel will continue to function.
Thin film panels can also be bendable and tailored to numerous surfaces. They can be applied in places conventional crystalline solar panels cannot be mounted on. I have even witnessed a thin film panel sewed onto a jacket that powered a MP3 player.
The downside to thin film panels is that they do not take up as much energy because they are so skinny. These panels are not nearly as efficient as traditional photovoltaic panels but they cost less. Thin film solar panels are printed onto the rolled backing, eliminating many of the high energy and chemical intensive methods that are standard in conventional PV manufacturing.
Thin film solar panels are low wattage and have need of more room than traditional solar panels and they are more prone to degradation. In an attempt to counter a few of these competitive disadvantages they have against conventional solar panels, manufacturers give better warranties for thin film panels.
The biggest 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 built out of cadmium telluride. At full power, the plant will produce enough electricity to power an expected 17,000 homes.
Now let’s look at traditional solar panels and a few of the mounting options that are offered you may well have never heard of before.
Mounting Selections For Conventional Solar Panels – It’s All In the Mount
Solar panel mounts come in three main types: pole mounts, roof-ground mounts, and flush mounts. Using these mounts, you can install your solar panel on your roof, onto an RV, on top of or against the side of a pole, or even install them as a free-standing unit.
Pole Mounts – No This Isn’t Something Santa Claus Needs For His Sled
Pole mounts, specially top-of-pole, have been well-liked for a long time. Top-of-pole mounts are essentially a steel or aluminum rack and railing system bolted or welded to a large sleeve that sets on top of a pole with set-bolts to keep it stationary. Side-of-pole mounts are frequently used when you must mount to the side of a communications tower or telephone pole. Tracking mounts are similar to top-of-pole mounts, but they also have a system of automatically aiming the mount to track the sun.
Top of pole mounts (including sun trackers) are one of the simplest mounts to install. They basically only need one steel pole set in the ground (normally in concrete), and the mount slips onto the top of the pole. Most ordinary sizes use a 2-inch to 8-inch pole, usually around 11 to 13 feet in length. They can go higher if you want to get the panel up higher to get out of shading from nearby shrubs.
Common Roof-Ground Mounts
Roof-ground systems can be mounted onto a roof or ground without much reworking in setup. They are usually created from stainless steel in a grid-like system of supports. Roof-mounted panels for smaller systems are the easiest to install, using small flush-mount brackets which raise 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 that allow you to optimize their vertical orientation for solar exposure. Ground mounting systems usually entail plenty of steel supports, concrete foundations, and galvanized footings, which can be troubling, when you are trying to keep your system low cost. Ground mounted systems require structural strength to avert load bearing failure.
Even though module mounting systems are offered for ground and roof installation, roof mount installation is the most popular and cost effective method. The roof mounted panels are attached to a mounting system usually consisting of an aluminum or steel support structure that attaches the panels to the roof.
The Smack Down On Flush Mounts
Flush Mounts are economical and simple to install – these are perfect for single panel installations and smaller solar arrays. Flush mounts are put onto a level exterior 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 serve to separate the solar panel from the mounting surface and permit airflow to go beneath and cool the solar panel for smooth operation. Flush Mounts are normally used with small solar arrays on roof tops and RVs, because the structural design of a flush mount cannot hold big solar panels.
There are many new options available in the expanding realm of solar technology. Discover how to stop the big energy companies from taking all your hard earned money by visiting