top of page

How do solar panels work?

Solar energy is one of the most important renewable energy sources. With solar panels you can also save on your energy bill and increase the value of your home. So it's not surprising that about 1.5 million households have solar panels on their roofs. Are you also ready to make the power shift to solar energy?

How do solar panels work?

Solar panels consist of solar cells. These solar cells convert solar energy into electricity. As soon as the sunlight hits the solar cells, electrical voltage is generated in the form of direct current. The inverter then converts direct current into alternating current, so that you can use the power at home or sell it to the grid.

What are solar panels?

Solar panels - also called photovoltaic panels - are dark panels that convert solar energy into electricity. With the help of the sun you can generate energy for use in your home. A very sustainable solution!

Solar panels can be placed on the roof of your home, but also on garages or outbuildings. Do you have a lot of land? Then you can also consider placing the solar panels on the ground. We look with you to determine the correct direction for the solar panels, so that they can absorb as much sunlight as possible during the day.

Solar panels: advantages and disadvantages

Solar energy is one of the most environmentally friendly energy sources. And the sun is an infinite resource. If you choose solar panels, you are automatically committed to the environment and the climate. Every time the sun shines, you will produce green electricity. And in this way you help to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and the emission of greenhouse gases.

Of course, energy is needed for the production of solar panels. But even if we take that into account, the payback time for energy from solar cells is only 2.5 years. This means that after 2.5 years your solar panels have produced the amount of power that was needed for their production. And the average lifespan of solar panels is 25 to 30 years!

Solar panels are a one-time investment. Because the purchase costs of solar panels are high, this is the most frequently mentioned reason not to choose solar panels. Yet the investment is low in relation to the expected savings that you make with solar panels. The payback period is on average between 6 and 12 years, depending on your installation and the amount of electricity you generate.

​

Solar panels also increase the value of your home. More and more people value an environmentally friendly home. By generating your own energy, you also become less dependent on energy producers and their prices.

Do you not want to make a large investment in one go, but do you want to switch to solar panels? You can pay for your solar panels per month via a sustainability loan. Read more about a sustainability loan.

Are you curious how many years it will take before you have earned back your solar system? Request a quote for free en get the advice of our Svea experts.

How much electricity do solar panels produce?

How much solar energy your solar panels produce per year is influenced by a number of different factors. First and foremost, there are the different seasons, which create different conditions. In the summer we usually have a surplus of solar energy, while in the winter we have to make up for it with other electricity, simply because there are fewer hours of sunshine. But it is possible to make estimates of the expected power of your solar panels based on their efficiency and the amount of electricity produced (kWh) per installed kW.

When it comes to the measure of kWh per installed kW, we usually say that an installed kW produces about 800-1,100 kWh per year. If your solar panels have a peak power of 2000 Wp, they can therefore produce about 1,600-2,200 kWh of solar energy per year.

In addition to the solar hours, efficiency and the amount of kWh per installed kW, there are other factors that influence the amount of electricity that the solar cells produce. Namely:

  • Shade on your solar panels due to the environment, such as trees, buildings, etc.

  • Wind direction your solar panels are pointing at

  • Inclination of the solar panels

  • Temperature

  • Snow on the solar panels

  • Dirt on the solar panels

In other words: how much your solar panels produce depends on specific circumstances. In our solar calculator you can see how much electricity panels on your roof can produce.

Different types of solar panels

The three most common types of solar cells on the market are monocrystalline, polycrystalline and thin film solar panels. The different types have been developed for different conditions.

Monocrystalline panels
Monocrystalline solar panels are the best panels on the market. They are also the longest on the market. Monocrystalline panels are generally completely black. The solar cells in monocrystalline panels can also produce solar energy under less intense sun rays. They are slightly more expensive than polycrystalline solar panels because the production process of monocrystalline panels is more advanced/complex. Monocrystalline solar panels consist of a single crystal silicon, which allows the solar cells in the panels to move more freely. As a result, they have a higher efficiency than polycrystalline panels. Too high a temperature can have a negative effect on the panels, but this is rare in our country. After 25 years you can still count on a return of at least 80%.

Polycrystalline panels
For a long time, the polycrystalline variant was the most common on the market. These types of panels have a dark blue glow and a slightly lower efficiency than monocrystalline solar panels. They are also slightly cheaper compared to monocrystalline panels. That is because the production process of polycrystalline solar panels is easier. Polycrystalline panels consist of multi-crystalline silicon. This makes it more difficult for the solar cells to move, so that the generation is less than with monocrystalline panels. Polycrystalline solar panels are less sensitive to heat than monocrystalline panels. After 25 years you can also count on an efficiency of 80% with polycrystalline panels.

Solar roof tiles (Thin film)
Finally, there is the 'thin film' - slightly lower in price than crystalline, but they also have a shorter life. Both the appearance and the manufacturing process of this type of solar panels are different from the crystalline ones. This type of solar cells consists of a thin silicon layer that is applied to metal, glass or plastic. In other words, the material can be made bendable, which creates the possibility of applying thin film panels to rounded surfaces. Unlike crystalline solar panels, thin film solar cells are not as negatively affected by high heat. They can therefore be glued directly to roof tiles. That makes them real sunroof tiles!

What does an inverter do?

The inverter is the part of the solar system that converts direct current produced by the solar cells into alternating current. You can then use the alternating current in your home or sell it to the grid. You also use your inverter to know how much energy you generate, consume and sell to the grid.

At Sunexperts we recommend an inverter that best suits your circumstances. We start from your energy consumption and the number of panels.

bottom of page