Efficiency Loss Of Solar Panels

You can optimise your solar system better by caring for your panels the right way.

Efficiency loss of solar panels.

Solar panel efficiency is a measure of how much sunlight that hits the surface area of a solar panel is converted into usable electricity. Due to the many recent advances in solar cell technology over the last 5 years average panel conversion efficiency has increased from 15 to 20. As the temperature of the solar panel increases its output current increases exponentially while the voltage output is reduced linearly. Factors that affect solar panel efficiency.

So if a solar panel has an efficiency rating of 15 that means 15 of the sunlight that hits the solar panels will be converted into electricity. The table below displays the daily energy yield difference between dirty and clean solar panels. Panels 1 3 5 7 9 and 11 are left dirty throughout the experiment. Tests by the german fraunhofer institute showed that solar panels which are susceptible can lose more than 30 of their rated power through this effect and as much as 90 in extreme cases.

We measured an average 3 5 higher energy yield with the clean solar panels. Or in other words 40 watts are lost with time. Read on to gain knowledge about minimizing loss of solar panel efficiency. The average efficiency of solar panels falls between the 17 to 19 percent efficiency range.

When solar panels loose efficiency how does that happen. Solar panel efficiency is a measure of the amount of solar energy irradiation which falls on a panel surface and is converted into electricity. Energy difference from control average. Realistically expect less than a 3 decrease in output the first year and about 5 decrease per year after that for most panels.

It may seem counter intuitive but solar panel efficiency is affected negatively by temperature increases. For example a solar panel of 200 watts will produce 80 of 200 160 watts in the 25th year from now due to degradation reversible and irreversible degradation with time. Use the solar panel s warranty to compare output loss over time because that is the only output you are guaranteed. Energy improvement from clean solar panels.

P potential induced degradation pid is a relatively recently discovered phenomenon which can occur in solar panels although a concise understanding of what causes it is still being finalised.