Solar Panel Efficiency Uk

Placement the angle and orientation is crucial to maximising the available efficiency of your solar array.

Solar panel efficiency uk.

What is solar panel efficiency. The majority of residential solar panels typically have an efficiency of 15 18 although premium models can reach over 21. Solar panel efficiency is a measure of how much sunlight a solar panel can convert into usable electricity. Solar panels available in the uk market are certified by first passing extensive testing.

While this is rarely a large problem in the uk where the weather is moderate it does mean that you won t be achieving maximum efficiency on very warm days. The efficiency of the individual cell will be a higher number but doesn t represent the overall capacity of the solar panel. So if a solar panel has an efficiency rating of 15 that means 15 of the sunlight that hits the solar panels will be converted into electricity. At the same angle facing east you d lose 20 of the relative output.

The best angle for solar panels in the uk is 35 40 degrees to the horizontal facing directly south. The manufacturer has to prove that the solar cells have long term durability and long term efficiency. If a solar panel has 20 percent efficiency that means it s capable of converting 20 percent of the sunshine hitting it into electricity. However while the maximum efficiency of thin film solar cells is 21 7 most panels on the market achieve an average of 12 efficiency.

A solar panel with an efficiency of 19 or more is what you should be looking for but they are more expensive. Why your solar panels might be more or less efficient than listed. Modern solar panel efficiency usually sits between 16 20. Oxford pv a university spin off says it reached 28 efficiency with a commercial perovskite based solar cell in late 2018 and will have an annual 250 megawatt production line running this year.

The average efficiency of solar panels falls between the 17 to 19 percent efficiency range. Solar panel efficiency testing is carried out in order to prevent low quality solar panels from being sold in the market. Uk firm s solar power breakthrough could make world s most efficient panels by 2021 oxford pv says tech based on perovskite crystal can generate almost a third more electricity oxford pv s. Solar panel efficiency is a measure of how much sunlight that hits the surface area of a solar panel is converted into usable electricity.

Panel placement and efficiency. The majority of solar panels on domestic systems in the uk are around 10 20 efficient although some types of solar panels can reach an efficiency level of up to 25.