Who doesn't want solar energy now? You will have noticed, there are many providers on the market at the moment. The prices are therefore competitive and the quality of solar panels has also improved significantly in recent years. So you can invest in this time. But what should you pay attention to? And what are the costs? You should read practical information, useful tips and checklists then compare installers in your area.
Price structure
When installing solar panels, the material is the largest cost item, as you can see below. The costs that you can possibly save on are the labor costs. By comparing multiple quotes from installers in your area, you can see what each of them charges for labor. Experience has shown that this can be quite different from each other.
What is a solar panel?
Everyone knows that with a solar panel. However, you hardly ever buy a solar panel alone; the power that comes from it cannot simply be used for any application. In addition, you will want to switch more than one solar panel for most applications. Companies therefore also offer so - called PV systems in addition to individual modules. These are complete systems in which the entire path from sunlight to device is taken care of. The word 'PV system' is actually a contraction between Dutch and English. After all, the PV comes from the English 'Photo Voltaic', which means photovoltaic in Dutch. The PV systems can actually be divided into two main types:
Grid-tied solar panels: the vast majority of Dutch households will opt for a grid-tied system that sells the unused electricity back to the electricity company. Such a complete system contains a set of solar panels (usually around 1000Wp), an inverter and mounting material. See the page installation of solar panels for more information about the installation of such a system. Stand- alone PV systems: there is a chance that you already have a stand-alone PV system without realizing it. The solar cell on a calculator, for example, may be regarded as a separate PV unit. In addition to this calculator, there are indeed separate systems that are also worthwhile. These systems are often specialized in a single task and will therefore usually have a relatively low power. Think of maintaining the battery or charging a gadget. You can also check solar energy news on list.solar
Why invest now?
Is it wise to invest in PV panels at this time: yes or no? Partly due to the price drop and increased quality, which results in a higher return, we can say that an investment in solar panels is smart. Most suppliers dare to give a 10-year warranty due to market development. And point out that after 25 years most solar panels still give 85% of the yield from the early years. Your solar panels can therefore last much longer if everything goes well. Whether you choose a mid-range solar panel or the more expensive version with a higher yield. The average payback period is only ⅓ of the useful life.