Our sun is a source of renewable energy called solar energy. Solar cells are employed to transform this energy into electricity. Solar cell is also known as photovoltaic cell or PV for short. A single solar cell generates only small amount of electricity, so solar cells are interconnected and packaged into panels. At present one can buy both solar panels for commercial purposes and solar panels for homes.

Crystalline silicon is normally the material used for solar cells. When exposed to sun rays, wafer-based crystalline silicon cells make electricity. An average of 13% of solar power is converted to electrical energy. At present, 18% is achieved, but 30% is a targeted figure by researchers.

If you are intending to install a solar-powered system for your home, solar panels for homes are the primary hardware you need. In general, methods of manufacture and materials used differ for each kind of panels available in the market, so you should understand the parameters of your application to be able to buy the required home solar panel.

One thing to consider is whether your system will be stand-alone or grid-tied. Keep in mind also your geographical area and pick the right solar panel for your location. If you live in a place where the sun always shines, buy the concentrating solar collectors. These kinds of panels are angled to collect direct sunlight. Otherwise, buy the non-concentrating solar collectors, because they are able to absorb reflected sun rays as well.
Solar panels that can be used in your home are available in a variety of power output ratings, from 60 to 190 watts. If you need greater output than 190 watts, you need to get more panels and set up an array of panels.

Depending on the brand, a single solar panel costs approximately $1,000. Popular brands are Sharp, Mitsubishi, Sanyo, Kyocera, Evergreen adn Uni-Solar. These products carry a 20-year warranty. Preferably, select brands that have low manufacturing impact on nature.

You should consider the efficiency of different brands because panels with higher efficiency will pay for themselves faster. Efficiency of 16 to 18% is already good, so you sould expect around 10-year payback period. This will be cut down to four years when panels with 25% efficiency become available in the future.

With new panels priced at around $1,000 a piece, the entire system for your residence can cost you up to $20,000, provided that a contractor installs it for you. If you are able to do it yourself, the cost would be cut to less than half. Another way to save would be to find broken panels and repair them yourself.

The market trend for solar panels is towards less expensive panels. On top of that, both the federal and state governments offer incentives that would reduce the total cost of a solar energy system. With these factors in mind, many homeowners are contemplating installing solar energy system for their homes.