4 Important Things You Must
Consider Before You Buy a
Solar Panel System

The electricity rates have exponentially risen over the last few years. And that is one of the reasons people have been looking for cheaper alternatives. One such alternative is the solar panel system that not only provides cheaper power but is also more environmentally friendly. That’s because the solar power system draws its energy from the Sun which is a free and green source of energy. So, if you too are planning to install a solar panel system on your property and need help with buying the right one, here are a few tips that would help. Let’s take a look.

Your Power Consumption

The choice of your solar panel system would depend on the amount of power that you would need to run the home appliances during a power cut. If you only need to run basic items that do not consume much power. For example, if you only need to run devices such as fans, tubelights, and LED bulbs, you would require a solar panel system with a lesser number of solar panels and a solar inverter with a low VA Rating. Whereas if you want to run heavy load appliances such as a washing machine, air conditioner, water pump, heater, etc.; then you would require a high-capacity solar panel system with multiple solar panels and a solar inverter with a high VA Rating. If you want to find out your power consumption you can check out Luminous India’s load calculator.

Your Home’s Location

The location of your home is a very important factor to consider when installing a solar panel system. That’s because the amount of energy a solar panel system generates has a lot to do with where the property is located. For instance, a property located in a southern state such as Tamil Nadu or Karnataka would not receive the same amount of sunlight as a property that’s located in J&K or Punjab. And while you can’t change the location of your property, you can change the tilt angle of your solar panels to ensure that they work as efficiently as possible.

Similarly, the surroundings around your roof matter a lot when it comes to installing solar panels. So, let’s say if your house is surrounded by trees, buildings or other structures that lead to shading, you may want to consider installing the solar panels on an elevated racking to ensure that your solar panels receive ample sunlight.

Types of Solar Panel Systems

There are three types of solar panel systems:

As the name suggests, the On Grid or Grid-Tied Solar Panel system is connected to the local grid. It primarily draws power from the solar panels, but in case there’s a shortage it draws the deficit power from the local grid. Similarly, when the solar panels generate excess power, the surplus power gets transferred to the local grid. This transfer takes place through a net-metering system that adjusts the surplus power supplied to the grid in the electricity bill.

The other type of solar panel system is the Off-grid solar panel system. It prioritizes the power produced by the solar panels over the power supplied by the grid, as the primary source of power. The system also has a battery array attached to it so that in scenarios wherein the solar panels aren’t generating enough power to cater to the household’s requirement, the battery supplies the required power. Off Grid solar panel systems work best for properties that lie in areas where there is either no availability of a local grid available or there are frequent and long power cuts.

Last but not least, there’s this third type of solar panel system – the hybrid solar panel system. Usually, most households choose between an On-Grid or an Off Grid Solar Panel System. But this third type, that is the hybrid solar panel system combines the best of both worlds – the ability to benefit from the local grid as well as the peace of mind of having a battery backed up system.

Your Roof’s Suitability for Solar Panel Installation

Once you know your power consumption requirement, you can easily determine the number of solar panels that you would require to install in order to generate the required power.  But now the question arises that does your roof have enough space to install the required number of solar panels? According to a general thumb rule, there are 3 panels of 330W each required to generate 1 KW of power.  And the space required to install these 3 solar panels is around 100 square feet. So let’s say if your house consumes anywhere between 3KW to 5 KW of power, you would require around 300 to 500 square feet of roof space.

Besides this you also need to get done with a thorough inspection of your roof to find out if your roof is sturdy enough to withstand the installation and last the solar panel system’s full-service life. In case of any damages, make sure you get the roof repaired first.

Ready to Take the Plunge?

Besides the above-mentioned factors, price is also an important factor to consider when buying a solar panel system. However, make sure you don’t buy one just because it is cheap. Instead, go for a brand that offers high quality solar panel systems at reasonable prices. For instance, Luminous India is one of the most trusted names in the solar products space and the best part is that their products are also reasonably priced. You must visit their website to get an idea of the wide range of solar panel systems they offer.