The technology behind solar panels: what you should know

Solar self-consumption installations allow the electricity production from photovoltaic solar panels in the home context. These have the ability to transform sunlight into direct current electricity that, through an inverter, becomes alternating current and, therefore, becomes accessible to homes.

Beyond these essential components (panels, inverter and batteries) there are other resources that determine the performance of the installation and that cover different functions. Some of the most important are the wiring, the optimizing devices or the anchors. In addition to the mechanics or the process of generating solar energythe effectiveness of the installation for self-consumption and its overall performance also depend on an effective planning process and the enabling of resources or the integration of accessories that multiply its potential.

A well-executed solar installation for self-consumption can have a service life between 25 and 30 years. However, it is important to maintain some supervision and, in the event that a decrease of 10% or more in its performance is registered, a thorough technical inspection is carried out and those equipment or devices that affect it are subjected to revision or repair. require.

The presence of a Specialized Team it becomes essential to assess the viability of the project and detect opportunities for efficiency and long-term improvement. The most advisable thing is to turn to a company in the trusted segment such as EDP Solar and receive adapted advice. Only a trained professional can measure and take into account all the technical factors as well as the most appropriate technological resources so that the installation results in a long useful life and maximum long-term economic savings.

When starting an installation project, you can choose two self-consumption models. On the one hand, it is possible to enable the Connection to the electric grid, which can provide some guarantees in the event of a breakdown. On the other hand, one can use the isolated self-consumption facilities. These can operate without the need for backup, although sometimes they can be accompanied by a generator set.

The most recommended alternative, at least during the first years, is the one that has a connection to the electricity grid. One of the reasons for its popularity lies in the fact that isolated options tend to require higher investments, which is why they are usually relegated to those geographical environments where there is no accessibility to the supply network or it is poor.

Types of self-consumption photovoltaic installations

The installations that are backed by the electricity network are configured to offer a response to part of the electricity consumption and, in this way, partially minimize the costs of the electricity bill.

Direct self-consumption facilities

From this model, the electricity that is produced by the self-consumption solar installation is consumed. In addition, if there are surpluses, they are discharged into the network. In the opposite case, that is, the installation generates less energy than is required, it is possible to access the electricity grid.

Direct self-consumption installations allow up to 50% reduction in electricity bills.

Self-consumption with batteries or accumulation systems

In this mode, the energy generated by the solar panels is consumed directly. In the event that surpluses are produced, in this case they would not end up in the electricity grid, but would be stored in batteries to cover future needs. As a result, consumption is produced mainly from solar energy and, therefore, the possibilities of saving are increased to the point of reaching a reduction rate of 80%.

In this type of facility, there is also the possibility of allocating consumption to the electricity network for, in return, receive an economic benefit between €0.05 and €0.06 if the installation meets the required requirements.

It is also possible to install a hybrid inverter and purchase a battery later, although in these cases the price increases considerably.

Isolated self-consumption facilities

In these cases, the presence of batteries is essential because they do not have any type of physical connection with the general distribution electrical network. Although there are different ways to deal with this type of installation, one of the most affordable is solar pumping. It is based on pumping water with solar energy through photovoltaic panels and a converter that uses the accumulated energy for self-consumption.

Making a good purchase decision when selecting batteries is essential, and factors such as the maximum depth of discharge, the electricity consumption incurred daily within the home and its degree of autonomy expressed in total days must be taken into account. .