Glass for solar panels is catastrophically expensive


sunlife solar
Created by sunlife solar Feb 19, 2021

At the same time, the materials and raw materials required for their manufacture were in a significant shortage. In particular, this concerns glasses for solar panels, which protect the surfaces of PV modules from external influences.

Experts say that due to the fact that manufacturers do not have enough time to produce glasses for equipping solar panels, they are already sorely lacking in production this year. And all this is happening against the backdrop of the increasing popularity of efficient double-sided solar panels, which can receive energy even from reflected sunlight. Solar Panel in Pakistan And for the production of such PV modules, the volume of glass products is much larger than for standard ones. It is expected that in the very near future the share of such double-sided equipment in the world market may significantly increase - by more than 10%.

As the news portal Elektrovesti.net informs, the reason for this bias was the restriction on the increase in production capacity, which the Chinese government imposed on the glass industry 2 years ago. Representatives of six of the world's largest solar energy producers (including Longi) held an official meeting with the PRC government, at which they made strong arguments in favor of lifting this restriction.

But even with the elimination of restrictive quotas, the problem will not be resolved quickly. Since it takes time to build additional facilities. Therefore, it is worth preparing for the fact that in 2021 there will still be a shortage of glass within 20-30% of the volume required by production. In the best case, the problem will be resolved only in 2022, when the newly launched capacities at glass factories are fully operational.

How to choose solar panels?

A set of panels is the most expensive part of a solar installation. Therefore, their choice should be approached carefully. Today I want to share with you the knowledge based on my many years of experience and tell you which type of solar panels to choose, which brand to give your preference to and how to pre-check the components you are interested in.

Choice of technology: single crystal or polycrystal

Solar panels can be of three types:

monocrystalline ;

polycrystalline ;

film.

The first and second types are used as a component of solar installations. You should immediately decide which type of panels suits you best: single crystal or polycrystal.

In the first, the wafers (modules) for panels are grown as a pure silicon monocrystal.

In the second, the wafers are produced by conventional molten silicon casting.

This difference in structure determines their performance in the future. And that's why:


single crystal plates have the highest efficiency, they can collect up to 21-23% of the energy of the light incident on them. However, the full efficiency of the modules is possible only in direct sunlight. In weak and diffused light, their recoil is noticeably reduced;

polycrystalline plates have lower efficiency, up to 17-18%, and catch scattered light a little better. In addition, their price class is cheaper compared to monocrystalline panels of the same power.

When making a choice, it is also worth considering the location, orientation and illumination of the site. In general, a single crystal will perform better in almost any of the options.

If the budget is limited, but the area is sufficient, polycrystal is suitable for surfaces oriented to the East or West. When oriented to the North, the placement of SPP is not advisable.

In the modules of film panels, a thin amorphous silicon film is applied to a special substrate. Their main indicator is low cost, as well as small size. But very low productivity and too short service life (2-3 years) do not yet make it possible to use this class of panels in "green energy". Moreover, their already low efficiency begins to decline almost immediately due to the burnout of the battery film.

Manufacturer's choice: price, quality, warranty and reliability

When comparing solar panel manufacturers, first of all, consider the following:

The company's position in the Bloomberg rating. This agency introduced a gradation of firms in this area, conditionally dividing them into three groups:

tier1 - premium level companies that own their own module development facilities and separate research laboratories, and carry out production on the best equipment with strict quality control.tier2 - companies in this group hardly differ from tier1, but for the most part these are new firms on the market that do not yet have a strong authority in business. They use not their own, but ready-made developments of other companies. Their investments in the development of production are more modest, but the cost of such panels is also lower.tier3 - basically, these are platforms for assembling panels from ready-made component materials. Solar Panel in Pakistan Availability of a guarantee. Most manufacturers provide a guarantee that after 25 years the panel degradation rate will not exceed 10%. But it is important to remember that it is respected as long as the company exists. Here, too, the tier1 and tier2 firms have the best prospects. In addition, it will not be superfluous to make sure if there is a service center of the selected company in Ukraine.

Price / power ratio. We divide the cost of the panel by the power and determine the cost of a watt for each of the manufacturers under consideration. By this ratio, you can compare the real price of the potentially generated energy from each panel and choose the option that is best for you.

Model selection for a specific object

The best option is an open, well-lit place. But do not forget that on very hot days the temperature can affect the efficiency of the panels. In such a situation, it is important to pay attention to the temperature coefficient and give preference to the model with its lower indicator. Polycrystalline panels will be more acceptable in such a situation. For areas in cool places, this moment can be ignored.

On the other hand, if your station is located in an area with more cloudy weather, its capacity may also decrease. To prevent the occurrence of situations when the SPP does not generate the planned volume, you can add an additional number of panels to the installation specifically to ensure the required production volumes in the off-season.

Main technical parameters of the panel

In the selection process, pay attention to the technical characteristics of the panels. First of all, these are:

Power Pmax: the rated maximum power of the panel in watts. It can vary depending on the current supplied to the load. This is one of the main characteristics of the panel.

Open circuit voltage Voc: voltage in volts at the panel output when the load is off. It can be useful for monitoring the health of individual panels.

Nominal voltage Vmp: voltage at the moment of delivery of maximum power to the load. It is used when choosing inverters (the second most important element after the panel in your installation).

Rated current Imp: current at the moment of delivery of maximum power to the load. It is also used mainly when choosing inverters.

Short-circuit current Isc: The current that flows in the panel when the output terminals are closed. It is necessary when selecting the rest of the installation components, and can also be an indicator of the panel's performance. Solar Energy in Pakistan Panel efficiency FF (%): the actual performance of the panel, calculated using special formulas based on the results of its production tests. The value of this parameter has already been mentioned in the subsection on panel selection by technological features.