Energy Solar Panels

Types of Solar Panels

August 29, 2021

There are three main different types of solar panels. Each type has its own unique set of advantages and, maybe, disadvantages.

It is important to know the different types of solar panels because your choice will determine the cost and amount of roof space your solar installation requires.


What are solar panels?

Solar panels are used to collect solar energy from the sun and convert it into electricity. A solar panel is composed of individual solar cells. Each solar cell is made from layers of silicon, boron, and phosphorus.

The boron layer provides the positive charge, the phosphorus layer provides the negative charge, and the silicon wafer acts as the semiconductor.

When the sun’s photons strike the surface of the panel, it knocks out electrons from the silicon “sandwich” and into the electric field generated by the solar cells. This results in a directional current, which is then harnessed into usable power. The entire process is called the photovoltaic effect, which is why solar panels are also known as photovoltaic panels or PV panels. A typical solar panel contains 60, 72, or 90 individual solar cells.


Types of solar panel

There are three main types of solar panels that are commercially available. They include:

  1. Monocrystalline solar panels
  2. Polycrystalline solar panels
  3. Thin-film solar panels


1. Monocrystalline solar panels

The monocrystalline solar panels are the most popular types of solar panels used in rooftop solar panel installations today.

Monocrystalline solar panels have unique features that are considered better than the other two types of panels. They are as follows:

  • The pyramid pattern of the cells offers a larger surface area to collect more energy from the sun’s rays.
  • Cells are coated with silicon nitride to reduce reflection and thereby increase absorption.
  • The produced electricity is collected through metal conductors printed onto the cells.
  • It has a higher efficiency of conversion of solar energy into electric energy than its two other counterparts.
  • These panels have a longevity of up to 30 years.
  • These panels exhibit greater heat resistance.


Applications

Because of their many advantages, monocrystalline solar panels can be used as follows:

  • Can be used as solar rooftops in urban and rural areas.
  • These panels are highly recommended for solar applications on a larger scale—on vast tracts of uncultivable land.
  • These panels are also useful for residential and commercial applications.
  • These panels are extremely useful in lighting up gardens.
  • These panels can form an array and be used to power rural homes.
  • These panels are perfect for street lighting as stand-alone panels.


2. Polycrystalline solar panels

Polycrystalline solar panels are solar panels that consist of several crystals of silicon in a single PV cell.

Features of polycrystalline solar panels include:

  • Polycrystalline solar panels have lower heat tolerance than monocrystalline panels. So, at higher temperatures, these solar panels have lower efficiency than others.
  • Polycrystalline solar panels have a higher temperature coefficient than monocrystalline panels.
  • These panels have a high power density.
  • They come with a structural frame of their own which makes mounting cheaper and simpler.


Application of polycrystalline solar panels:

  • They can be used in large solar farms.
  • They are suitable for roof-mounted arrays.
  • They are used in self-powered devices such as traffic lights, and off-grid households.


3. Thin film solar panels

A thin-film solar panel is made up of one or more thin layers of photovoltaic materials that are laid onto a substrate.

Features of thin film solar panel:

  • They are more flexible and lightweight.
  • Installation is much easier than the others.
  • These solar panels are most suitable for applications with large rooftops or wide open spaces.


Application of thin-film solar panels

  • They can be used in solar farms.
  • They can be used to power traffic lights and street lights.
  • They can be installed in large-sized steel water tanks to provide electricity for pumping water.


Conclusion

There are three main different types of solar panels: monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film solar panels.

Knowing the difference between each of them helps you in making the right choice during solar panel installations.

sustainable-development-by-solar-panels-energy-consumption
Solar Panels

Things That Could Affect Your Solar Panel Efficiency

July 29, 2021

Is it possible for your solar panel to lose efficiency? It is very possible! You didn’t know? Now you do. There are certain factors that affect solar panels, and this results in a decline in efficiency.

Knowing these factors will help you do better with maintenance. In this article, we’ll be looking at things that could affect your solar efficiency. Keep reading to find out more.

What is a solar cell?

A solar cell or photovoltaic cell is a device that converts sunlight into usable energy. The amount of sunlight that can be converted into electricity is referred to as solar cell efficiency.

What are the things that could affect your solar panel efficiency?

There are some factors that should be taken into consideration to guarantee the optimal efficiency of solar panels.

The factors include:

  • Sun.
  • Installation issues.
  • Weather.
  • Mounting position.
  • Poor maintenance.

Sun

As we know, solar panels work with the amount of sunlight and not heat from the sun. The greater the amount of light incident on the panels, the greater the efficiency of the solar panels.


Installation Issues

Unfortunately, there are problems that are caused from the very start, caused by a less-than-stellar installation job. It’s important to remember that solar panel installation is not a simple or easy job.

It’s not just a matter of installing panels onto the roof — because the solar system is a source of energy for the entire home, it has to connect with the electrical grid, and a careless installer might not implement these connections as well as they require.

Also, the condition of the roof is also a major factor.


Weather

Solar panels are designed to stand on top of your home all day, every single day, for decades.

For this reason, they’re engineered to hold up well against the elements, but that’s not to say they’re completely immune. Sadly, the weather can indeed have an effect on your solar panels, and in extreme conditions, can even damage them.


Mounting position

Even if your solar panels are perfectly installed with zero issues in the connections or structural integrity, they might not work at optimal efficiency if they’re not oriented well.

We all know that solar panels absorb sunlight, so they should be positioned in such a way that they get as much exposure as possible at all times of the day.

Poor maintenance

Maintenance is key in prolonging the life span of a thing. In a case where you don’t carry out periodic cleanup on your solar panels, the presence of dust and dirt on the solar panels will drastically reduce their efficiency. Regular cleaning is recommended for all solar panels.

Conclusion

Solar panels can lose their efficiency. Some of the factors that can cause this include: Poor maintenance, mounting position, weather, installation issues, and the sun.

Solar Panels

What is The State of Renewable Energy Development in Nigeria

April 25, 2020

What is Renewable Energy?

Renewable energy in Nigeria refers to the energy that comes from renewable resources.

It is also referred to as clean energy and it comes from natural sources or processes that are constantly replenished. 

For example, sunlight or wind keep shining and blowing, even if their availability depends on time and weather.

Types of Renewable energy includes solar, wind, hydro, oceanic, geothermal, biomass, and other sources of energy that indefinitely renew itself in nature.

Forms of useable energy include electricity, hydrogen, fuels, thermal energy and mechanical force.

Beginning of Renewable Energy

While renewable energy is often thought of as a new technology, man has been harnessing nature’s power for a very long time.

We have been using renewable energy for heating, transportation, lighting, and more. 

For instance, man has been using wind to propel boats to sail the seas and windmills to grind grain. 

Also, man harness the sun to provide warmth during the day and help kindle fires to last into the evening. 

But over the past 500 years or so, humans have been increasingly turning away to cheaper, dirtier energy.

Such energy sources like coal and fracked gas have greatly affected our climate and weather conditions.

Now that technology is helping the world to increasingly innovative and uses less-expensive ways to capture and retain wind and solar energy, renewables are becoming a more important power source.

In the U.S.A, for instance, renewable energy sources account for more than one-eighth of US total energy generation. 

The expansion in renewables is also happening at scales large and small, from rooftop solar panels on homes that can sell power back to the grid to giant offshore wind farms. 

Even some entire rural communities rely on renewable energy for heating and lighting.

What are the Sources of Renewable Energy in Nigeria?

Nigeria has an abundance of various renewable energy resources.

However, Nigeria generates a small amount of energy from only four main renewable energy sources. They are 

  • Hydropower
  • Solar
  • Wind
  • Biomass

Status of Renewable energy in Nigeria

Electricity distribution is holding Nigeria back. 

Electricity shortages significantly impede Nigeria’s economic growth. 

Some parts of the country have little or no access to the national grid.

Meanwhile, in other areas electricity is only available for short and varying periods of the day.

Renewable energy penetration in Nigeria is still in its beginning stage.

The only source of renewable energy in the country is hydro-power and biomass.

Even though there is the presence of wind and solar energy, they have only been deployed in a minimal amount.

To date, fossil fuels entirely dominate the national energy supply in Nigeria. 

Renewable energy resources are grossly underutilised in the country despite their availability in reasonable quantities.

Government Contribution to the Development of Renewable Energy

Even though many homes have been using renewable energy sources prior to this time, the Nigerian government, in 2003, introduced renewable energy as part of its national energy policy.

Successful implementation should result in the installation of enough wind, solar PV, solar thermal, and hydroelectricity sources by 2025 to provide the equivalent of the entire grid capacity in use in Nigeria today.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) is already committing to stimulate investment in renewable energy generation in Nigeria. 

With a vast and mostly untapped potential in renewable energy resources, the Commission has set a target of generating a minimum of 2,000MW of electricity from renewables by the year 2020.

The main feature of this project include;

  • Guaranteed price & access to the grid
  • Feed-In – Tariff for Solar, Wind, Biomass & Small Hydro
  • Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) based on the plant life cycle of 20 years
  • Electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to procure a minimum of 1000MW (50 per cent of the total projected renewable sourced electricity)
  • Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET) to procure a minimum of 1000MW (50 per cent of the total projected renewable sourced electricity)

If this project becomes real, we can be very sure of it having a positive impact on the state of electricity generation and distribution in Nigeria.

The use of renewable natural resources, in combination with efficient supply and use of fossil fuels with cleaner technologies, can help reduce the environmental effects of energy use.

It will also help Nigeria in replacing the existing, inefficient fossil fuel technologies that pollute the environment.

Private Sector Participation in Renewable Energy Development

When it comes to private sector participation in the development of renewable energy in Nigeria, GVE Projects Limited is at the forefront of this.

Green Village Electricity (GVE) Projects Limited is the foremost and most innovative renewable energy solutions provider in West Africa.

The company is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria (RC1071222).

GVE Projects Limited has a lot of achievements in its coffers.

This is because of incredible clients and sponsors like you, private and public partners.

Also, we have been able to position the company as the leader in Nigeria’s renewable energy industry.

We create value for our numerous clients through world-class service delivery with a touch of unique local contexts.

Thanks to the expertise and dedication of our board of directors, management, employees and our various business associates.

We also have a long history perfectly completing renewable energy projects especially solar mini-grid installations around Nigeria.

Most recently, we completed a 1MW interconnected solar mini-grid in partnership with the AEDC to provide constant electricity to the modern Wuse Market in Abuja.

Obviously, this interconnected electricity distribution agreement is the first of its kind in Nigeria.

Moving Foward

As pioneers launching new frontiers in the renewable energy industry in Nigeria, we hope to reach that point where Nigeria has most of its energy coming from renewable energy sources.

In addition, we are working really hard to see that Nigeria continues to get a 24/7 supply of electricity for daily economic activities.

It’s our vision to be the first-choice global renewable energy solutions provider while also providing reliable and sustainable energy solutions to our clients.

With our eyes set on this mission alongside a strategic collaboration with companies and sponsors, we hope to transform the energy and electricity situation in Nigeria.

Are you starting a new renewable energy project? Contact Us Today!

Phone: +234 909 2227 483, +234 909 2229 483

Email: info@gve-group.com

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