Many purchasers of solar panels have not heard about anti-reflective coating. But they should have!
Wherever glass meets air, about 4% of the light hitting the glass at a perpendicular angle is reflected. And that percentage rises steeply as the light’s angle of incidence increases. Obviously, for solar energy systems, reflected light is wasted light!
AR coating on solar panels perform the simple function of reducing the amount of light reflected from the glass of the solar panel. This is important, as you will want as much sunlight to pass through the glass and as little as possible to be reflected, in order to maximise electricity generation!
Studies by prominent solar panel makers have shown that energy production gain from modules with anti reflective coating was to the tune of 3.5-5% depending on the type of installation and location. That’s a lot of units added over 25 years!
Check with your vendor or installer if the solar panel has AR coating or any other of its equivalent, before you purchase the solar panels.
You Might Want to Check Out these Questions Too on Evaluation Parameters
- What are the Main Parameters I Should Evaluate Solar Panels before Purchase?-Here
- Are There Ratings Available for Solar Panels?-Here
- What Questions about Solar Panels Should I Ask My Installer or EPC?-Here
- How Do I Know I Am Getting the Solar Panels with the Same Specifications as Promised?-Here
- What is the Typical Wattage of a Solar Panel in Watts?-Here
- How Can We Find Out the Grade of a Solar Panel?-Here
- Is it a Good Idea to Use Monocrystalline Solar Panels as They Have High Efficiency?-Here
- How Can I Use Datasheets Provided with Solar Panels?-Here
- Can My Roof Can Take the Weight of Solar Panels?-Here
- How Are Solar Panels Tested Before They are Sold?-Here
- What is the Highest Temperature Solar Panels Can Tolerate?-Here
- What is the Temperature Coefficient of Solar Panels? And Why Is It Important for Solar Power Plants?-Here
- What is Peak Capacity of Solar Cells?-Here
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