Super Big Solar Panel FAQ from Solar Mango – 100+ Questions on Solar Panels Answered

adminAugust 13, 2016September 15, 2016 Uncategorized 44 Comments

Solar-panel-questions

(pic credit: Trico Cooperative)

Over the past 5 years, we have handled dozens and dozens of questions on solar power plants. Not surprisingly, a good number of these had to do with solar panels.

The Solar Mango team spent the last few weeks putting together all these questions, and also answers to these.

And this is has resulted in – A SUPER BIG LIST OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON SOLAR PANELS.

Yeah, over 100 questions on solar panels, answered by the expert team at Solar Mango.

Here you go.

Oh well, hang on!

100 is a fairly large number, isn’t it? Questions are arranged on the following categories, to make it easy for you to read:

Performance
Costs & Prices
Risks & Warranties
Evaluation Parameters
Companies
Types
Components
Maintenance & Repairs
And the Rest

PERFORMANCE

Will a Solar Panel Really Last 25 Years?-Here
How Much Electricity Will Solar Panels Produce in a High Sunlight Region?-Here
How Much Electricity Will Solar Panels Produce in a Moderate Sunlight Region?-Here
How Much Electricity Will Solar Panels Produce in a Low Sunlight Region?-Here
Do Some Solar Panels Perform Better than Other in Low Sunlight?-Here
How Do I Know if My Solar Panels are Generating Maximum Possible Electricity?-Here
How Do I Know Thin Film Solar Panels Can Work for 25 Years?-Here
Is Choosing a Very High Efficiency Panel a Good Idea?-Here
How Can I Maximise Generation from Solar Panels from a Limited Rooftop Area?-Here
What is the Highest Efficiency for Solar Panels in 2016?-Here
Do High Efficiency Solar Panels Generate More Electricity than Low Efficiency Panels?-Here
What Will be a Solar Panel’s Efficiency After 25 Years?-Here
What are the Typical Solar Panel Efficiency I Should Look for?-Here
How Much Generation Decrease Can Result from Dust on Solar Panels?-Here
How Much Electricity will a Solar Panel Generate in a Year?-Here
What is the Warranty Available for Solar Panels?-Here
How Does a Standard Performance Guarantee Work for Solar Panels?-Here
How Does a Linear Performance Guarantee Works for Solar Panels?-Here

COSTS & PRICES

What is the Price of Solar Panels in 2016?-Here
What Will be the Price of Solar Panels in 2017?-Here
How Best Can I Negotiate to Ensure I Get High Quality Solar Panels at Best Possible Prices?-Here
What are the Best Ways to Get High Quality Solar Panels at Low Prices?-Here
Can I Get Solar Panels at Low Prices if I Buy in Bulk?-Here
Can I Get Solar Panels at Low Prices If I Buy Directly from Manufacturer?-Here

RISKS & WARRANTIES

How Much Do I Stand to Lose If I Choose a Poor Quality Solar Panel?-Here
Have there been Real Life Failures of Solar Panels within a Few Years after Installation?-Here
Can Solar Panels Withstand Hailstorms?-Here
Can Solar Panels Withstand Snow and Rain?-Here
Can Solar Panels be Damaged by Floods?-Here
What Happens if the Solar Panel Manufacturer Goes Out of Business?-Here
What Warranties Should I Look for While Purchasing Solar Panels?-Here
What Happens if there are Bird Droppings on Solar Panels?-Here
What Happens if Heavy Objects Fall on Solar Panels?-Here
What Happens if Someone Accidentally Walks on Solar Panels?-Here
What is PID (performance induced degradation) of a Solar Panel?-Here
How Can I Protect Solar Panels Against Monkeys and Other Animals?-Here
What All Can Go Wrong with Solar Panels?-Here
What Types of Insurance are Available for Solar Panels?-Here
What is the Shading of Solar Panels all About? What are Its Implications?-Here
What are Light Induced Defects in Solar Cells?-Here
What is a Solar Module Derate Factor?-Here
If a Cell in a Solar Panel Doesn’t Work, Does It Affect Generation from Other Cells?-Here

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
What are the Advantages of Having Anti-reflective Coating on the Glass 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

COMPANIES & BRANDS

Which are the Top Indian Solar Panel Brands?-Here
Which are the Top International Solar Panel Brands?-Here
How Do I Choose Between Solar Panels from Top Brands?-Here
Who are the top solar panel makers in India?-Here
Are Chinese Solar Panels of Poor Quality?-Here
Are Indian Solar Panels of Better Quality than Chinese Solar Panels?-Here
Why do Indian Solar Panels Cost a Lot More Than Chinese Panels?-Here

TYPES OF SOLAR PANELS

What is a Crystalline Silicon/c-Si Solar Cell/Module?-Here
How do Monocrystalline Solar Panels Compare with Polycrystalline Solar Panels?-Here
What is an Amorphous Silicon (a-Si) Solar Module? Is it Used Now?-Here
What are CdTe (Cadmium Telluride ) Thin Film Solar Cells? Are These Commercially Available?-Here
What are CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium Selenide) Thin Film Solar Cells? Are These Available Commercially Today?-Here
What is a CIS Solar Module? Are These Commercially Available Today?-Here
What are Bifacial Solar Cells? Are they Commercially Available?-Here
What are Concentrating Photovoltaics (CPV)? What are their Benefits?-Here
What Single-junction Solar Cells? How are they Different from Conventional Solar Cells?-Here
What is a Tandem Solar Cell? How is it Different from the Conventional Solar Cell?-Here
What is a Transparent Solar Cell? And What are Its Advantages Over Conventional Cells?-Here
What are Heterojunction Solar Cells? Are these Commercially Available?-Here
What is the Smallest Sized Solar Panel Available Currently?-Here
What is the Largest Capacity/Size Solar Panel Currently?-Here
What are n-type Solar Cells? And how are they Different from p-type Cells?-Here
What are Multi-junction Solar Cells? How are They Different from Conventional Solar Cells?-Here

COMPONENTS & SUB-COMPONENTS

What is a Solar PV Backsheet? What are its Functions?-Here
What are Solar Module Junction Boxes? What are their Functions?-Here
How Important are the Aluminium Frames around the Solar Panels?-Here
Are There Ratings Available for Solar Module Junction Boxes?-Here
Is the Glass Used in Solar Panels Customised for Solar?-Here
Where are EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) Sheets Used in a Solar Module? What is their Role?-Here
Should I be Concerned about What Backsheets are Used for Solar Panels?-Here
What is a Silicon Wafer? And How Does It Affect the Quality of a Solar Cell?-Here
What is a P-N junction of a Solar Cell?-Here

MAINTENANCE & REPAIRS

How Frequently Should Solar Panels Be Cleaned?-Here
What are the Best Ways to Clean Solar Panels?-Here
What is the Cost of Maintaining Solar Panels for 25 Years?-Here
How Easy Will it be to Replace Solar Panels after Installation?-Here

AND THE REST…

What is a Solar PV Array? How is it Different from a Solar Module?-Here
What is the Difference between Solar Module and Solar Panel?-Here
Can Solar Panels be Recycled?-Here
Can I Use Different Brands of Solar Modules in the Same Rooftop or Solar Farm?-Here
Is It a Good Idea to Have Elevated Solar Panels on My Rooftop to Get an Extra Room?-Here
How Many Cells are there in a Solar Panel?-Here