What are the best solar panels for houses in the UK?

Which is the best house solar panel?

Popular brands include Perlight, JA Solar, and Jinko. The best house solar panel for you will depend on your roof space and the amount of power you’d like to receive each day from your system.

Here are some factors to consider when choosing:

1.Panel Efficiency

The efficiency of the panel is how much sunlight the panel can turn into energy. For example, if a has an efficiency rating of 19%, the panel can turn 19/100% of the sunlight it receives into electricity.

The efficiency of a panel usually ranges from 19-23%, depending on the brand and model.  No panel is 100% efficient as the technology simply doesn’t exist yet. Whilst 19-23% doesn’t seem like a lot in the grand scheme of things, this percentage is actually the result of years of study and billions of pounds in research. An rating of 19-23% will power your home and even give you excess energy.

Remember, the more efficient the panel, the more energy you will convert, and the more electricity you will have for your home or business.

2. Solar Panels Wattage

The maximum power output of a solar panel under standard test conditions (STC) is referred to as it’s wattage. For example, a 390W panel can provide 390 watts, but a 400W panel can produce 400 watts. A higher wattage panel generates more power. If you don't have a lot of space on your roof, you may opt for fewer panels with a higher wattage.

3. Solar Panels Sizing

Between brands, the sizing will vary, however the average size of a panel is around  5.4 feet by 3.25 feet.

If your roof is smaller, you may want panels with a higher wattage in order to get more power per square metre. If you have a larger roof, you might not be as fussy as to the wattage of the panels.

4. Safety Features Of Panels

Solar panels obviously conduct and carry electricity. It’s important to get panels from a trusted source and brand with warranties and safety features to prevent any issues such as electrocution, electrical fire, or damage to your inverter.

It’s important to get MCS approved panels so that you can get an MCS certificate and access the SEG scheme to get paid for your exports.

A List of Key Safety Features of a Solar Panel:

1. Fire Resistance: Solar panels are constructed to be fire-resistant. They are rigorously tested to guarantee that they can resist high temperatures and are less prone to spark or spread flames. This is especially significant given that solar panels are exposed to sunlight as well as possible electrical currents.

2. Overvoltage Protection: Overvoltage protection devices are integrated into solar panels. These devices protect the panels and linked electrical equipment by restricting voltage levels to safe limits. This safeguard protects against power surges and lightning strikes that may occur in the electrical grid.

3. Electrical Isolation: Solar panels have electrical isolation features to guarantee that the direct current (DC) generated by the panels does not cause electric shock or damage to the electrical system. When maintenance or repairs are necessary, panels can be switched off to avoid electric shock. It’s important to never make changes to your system without turning off your system first.

4. Grounding Protection: Ground fault protection is intended to detect any electrical current leakage from the solar panel array to the ground. It is often incorporated into the inverter or the system's electrical wiring board and helps to reduce the danger of electric shock.

5. Durability and Weather Resistance: Solar panels are built to endure a variety of climatic extremes, such as severe winds, hail, and extreme temperatures. To guarantee long-term dependability and safety, they are often composed of sturdy materials such as tempered glass and aluminium frames.

Warranty And Output Warranty

Panels have long warranties. The average panel warranty is around 25 years. Others have even longer warranties, such as Perlight panels which have a 30 year warranty.

It’s also important to take a look at the linear output warranty. The linear output warranty will be slightly shorter but guarantees a minimum output of energy for your system. The percentage of guaranteed output diminishes at a steady pace year after year. For instance, it may be 98% the first year, 97% the second year, 96% the third year, and so forth.