The essential element of a self-consumption project are the solar panels, the profitability of the installation will largely depend on these. Therefore, we consider it important that our readers know the different characteristics, based on which their performance, effectiveness and durability can be assessed.

We found four essential characteristics when evaluating a solar panel. However, in this blog at the moment we are only going to comment on two, the operating conditions and the electrical characteristics.

Operating conditions

The first thing we are going to talk about is its electrical parameters that depend to a large extent on the operating conditions. Here we find two situations (the data shown is from our Panel Vision 60M Style):

  • STC (Standard Measurement Conditions): 1,000 W/m2 irradiance, spectral distribution AM 1.5 and temperature 25±2°C according to EN 60904-3.
  • NMOT (Nominal Module Operation Temperature): 800 W/m2 of irradiance, spectral distribution AM 1.5 and temperature 20°C. Weak radiation: irradiance 200 W/m², Temperature 25°C, wind speed 1m/s, load operation.

*Irradiance: The power per square meter that the plate receives from the sun.

Electrical characteristics

The electrical characteristics that we find most important are:

  • Peak power: It is the highest power that the panel can give in STC or NMOT conditions, although it is not the maximum that it can give since in good irradiation and temperature conditions it can be exceeded.
  • Voltage and intensity: It is the voltage that will be between the terminals of the plate at the moment that the inverter works at maximum power. They are two pairs of values and are also essential to be able to design a configuration of modules compatible with the inverter.
  • Efficiency: It is the quotient between the peak power and that received from the sun. It is usually between 18-22%, the latter can be roughly estimated by multiplying the reference irradiation by the panel surface. This parameter refers to the conversion capacity of the panel.
  • Form factor: It relates the peak power to the open circuit voltage and short circuit current, which are the maximums that the panel can reach. It usually has a value greater than 0.7.

The most indicative parameters on the panel are usually the efficiency and the form factor. Thanks to these characteristics, a priori we can assess the quality of the panel in the long term.

Did you find it interesting? Well, be aware that there are still more characteristics and qualities of our solar panels that we will discuss later.

Do not forget to ask us about our Solarwatt plates and we will look for those that are best suited to your home. Ubora’s goal is to make your installation as efficient as possible.