Understanding Solar Panel Efficiency Ratings

Using solar energy to help supplement or completely power your home’s HVAC system is a cost effective option in the Orlando area since sunshine is plentiful year-round. Solar panel efficiency not only maximizes the ample natural resource, but also reduces your home’s monthly utility costs. Here’s more information to help you determine if solar panels are right for your home.

The way in which solar panels work is fairly straightforward. Energy from the sun is converted into electricity via panels placed on your roof. But when you start shopping around for solar panels, you may be confused by all of the solar panel efficiency rating claims. How do you know which type of panel is best for your needs, and if the manufacturer is rating their product correctly?

Terms for understanding solar panel efficiency
Here are some tips to help you understand the associated efficiency ratings:

• Minimum warranted power is the amount of power the manufacturer guarantees the solar panels will produce. This number may also be expressed as peak tolerance rating or negative tolerance rating. When you’re looking at solar panel efficiency ratings, look for either the highest or lowest minimum warranted power. Both of these numbers tell you the same thing, but in a different way.
• Florida offers rebates for installing solar panels on your home, and the PTC rating is used to calculate these rebates. The PTC rating refers to the amount of power generated under real world testing conditions. Look for solar panels with a high PTC rating.
• Solar module efficiency is an important efficiency rating to be aware of. Manufacturers stress what each panel produces, but you need to know how much energy the entire module will produce. This will tell you if the solar system is right for your needs.

Solar energy has been around for many decades, and with the bounty of Florida sun, it’s a cost-effective way to supplement your home energy needs. For more information about solar panel efficiency, contact the experts at Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions. We’re proud to help homeowners throughout the Orlando area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about Solar Panel Efficiency  and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock