Solar System FAQs

Solar panels are made up of photovoltaic (PV) cells made of silicon. When the sun’s rays hit them, these cells convert sunlight into electricity (DC). Individual cells are wired together to form a solar panel. Panels are typically three feet by five feet.

Most homes and businesses run on alternating current (AC) electricity. The DC electricity is passed through an inverter to convert it to usable AC electricity. At that point, you either use the electricity in your house or send it back to the electric grid. You can also divert the energy from solar panels to a battery to store excess energy. Batteries also operate as DC power.

The electricity produced by a single solar panel is not enough to power a home or business, so multiple solar panels are definitely required. The number of panels varies by installation. But every solar system (also called an “array”) will include a series of panels mounted and wired together. This array may be installed on a roof (“rooftop solar”) or on the ground level (“ground-mounted solar”).

Solar panels are made up of photovoltaic (PV) cells made of silicon. When the sun’s rays hit them, these cells convert sunlight into electricity (DC). Individual cells are wired together to form a solar panel. Panels are typically three feet by five feet.

Most homes and businesses run on alternating current (AC) electricity.  At that point, you either use the electricity in your house or send it back to the electric grid. You can also divert the energy from solar panels to a battery to store excess energy. Batteries also operate as DC power.

Multiple solar panels are needed because the electricity produced by a single solar panel is not enough to power a home or business. The number of panels varies by installation, but every solar system (also called an “array”) will include a series of panels mounted and wired together. This array may be installed on a roof (“rooftop solar”) or on the ground level (“ground-mounted solar”).

A solar array is a collection of multiple solar panels that generate electricity as a system. So think of your solar array as a 25-year investment. Solar panels will produce electricity for at least 25 years. Panels will continue to generate electricity after 25 years but at a decreasing rate. While microinverters will likely last for the duration of the PV system, you may need to replace central inverters after 15 years.

The size of your optimal solar array will be influenced by many variables. To get the total power (in watts) of your solar array, add together the wattages of each panel (250-300 W). Let’s say you had 10 300 W panels installed. The total wattage of your system would equal 3,000 W. 1,000 W is equal to 1 kilowatt (kW), so another way to describe the size of that system would be 3 kW. The average size of a solar array is 5 kW.

Your installer will estimate how many panels can fit on your roof. Given its footprint and shade susceptibility determine the ideal size of your system. These panels will have a higher power rating (typically 300-350 W) and therefore will produce more electricity per panel. Installers will also use geospatial data to determine the optimal system size for your property, as roof orientation and climate factors will affect how much electricity your system produces. The final factor that will influence the size of your solar array is your project budget. Installers work closely with clients to maximize the amount of solar they install for the customer’s budget.

While sizing your solar array, installers will consider how much the solar electrical output will offset your electricity needs. While the power capacity of solar panels is measured in watts (or kilowatts), the amount of electricity produced by the panels is measured in watt-hours (or kilowatt-hours).

The amount of power your solar energy system can generate is dependent on sunlight. As a result, your solar panels will produce slightly less energy when the weather is cloudy and no energy at night. However, because of high electricity costs and financial incentives, solar is a smart decision even if you live in a cloudy city.

Rain is actually great for cleaning dust from your panels, which also can cause a lower power output.

Solar is the perfect partner for battery storage. A properly sized and configured solar system will recharge your batteries on a daily basis. Providing the fuel to keep your battery fully charged and ready for use. Unless you have special inverters which can allow you to use a portion of the array while the sun is shining, without batteries, your solar system will not provide electricity to your home during a power outage.

Solar Panels require direct sunlight to produce power. So do solar panels work at night? No, but there are ways to get the power you need from the solar panels at night. Batteries are a great way to cover your power when the sun is not shining.

Solar panels need direct sunlight to generate electricity, so shading will have a major impact on the power output.

The price of solar power has dropped drastically over the past decade. Cost really depends on a lot of factors such as brand, size, type, and other things. To get a better good idea of the cost, please check out some of our specific solar panels.

We at Greenwatts Power will be able to walk you through several options depending on your budget and individual preferences. If you chose to finance your system, you may owe very little upfront and see savings right away.

There are three solar financing options: you can purchase your system in cash, take out a loan to buy your system or sign a solar lease/power purchase agreement (PPA).

Several things go into pricing out a battery storage system:

• Soft costs – installation, permitting, system design, labour
• Hardware costs – battery equipment, inverter, other electrical components
• Maintenance – visits from a qualified professional to ensure your system is operating properly

The cost of battery storage priced by an installer will include both soft costs and hardware costs and can range widely from ₦450,000 to upwards because it is customized to the amount of energy a homeowner wants to power loads in their home during an outage.

Unless your solar energy system includes battery storage and you are fully off the grid, you will still receive a bill from your electric distribution company or have to recharge your prepaid meter. However, you can dramatically reduce your bill, or even cut the amount you owe to ₦0, with a solar panel system that matches your energy use.

In most cases, and especially if you factor in the environmental costs, solar energy is indeed cheaper than fossil fuels.

The easiest way to find out how much you pay for electricity (and how much electricity you use per month) is to take a look at your utility electricity bill. We will be happy to walk you through how to read your electricity bill.

Absolutely, but first, you will need to factor in your budget and how much energy you use. You will also need to add battery storage to account for the power you would use when the sun is not shining.

It is a great energy source because it doesn’t burn fuel and is becoming extremely affordable.  Solar Energy is a great solution for combating climate change and does not put off any harmful emissions. Solar Power offers a magnitude of advantages. The fuel source (the sun) is free, so you don’t have to buy a fuel source to generate power. Which is great for combatting climate change or reducing pollution. Solar power can help you get power for an off-grid setup, so you don’t have to rely on the electric grid. Additionally, Solar Energy is relatively efficient, durable, and long-lasting.

When you install a solar energy system on your property, you save money on your electricity bills and protect yourself against rising electricity rates in the future. How much you can save depends on the utility rates and solar policies in your area, but going solar is a smart investment regardless of where you live.

Solar power, like other renewable energy resources, has many environmental and health benefits. Going solar reduces greenhouse gas emissions and results in fewer air pollutants like sulfur dioxide and particulate matter, which can cause health problems.

Yes, solar panels can be recycled. You can also find information on vendors, equipment donations, equipment resale, and solar recycling facts.

We expect the options for panel recycling to increase in the coming years, but there will be challenges ahead. The solar industry is young and the market for solar recycling is small. The cost to recycle components and materials from those panels is still high. Additionally, the industry is getting better at using less expensive materials in solar production. While this has the benefit of lower the cost of solar panels. It also lowers the financial benefit of recycling them.

Solar panels do not burn fuel, so their generation doesn’t cause pollution.

Use these four factors to know:

Orientation: Ideally, you should have a south-facing roof. South-facing roofs maximize the amount of sunlight your solar panels collect. The more sunlight they collect, the more electricity they produce, and the quicker you can pay off your system. You can still mount solar panels to your roof if it faces due east or west. But the panels will produce less energy (about 75% of what a south-facing roof would produce). If you have a flat roof, we can engineer the panels to face due south regardless of your roof’s orientation.

Shading: The shade can significantly reduce electricity production. Trees, water tanks, and HVAC vents are factors that can cause shading on a roof. Your installer can use a tool called the “solar pathfinder” to figure out if trees or other objects will cast shade during the day.

Surface: Solar arrays are very efficient if installed in a large, uninterrupted space. Things like windows, chimneys, vents, skylights, and air conditioning units can be obstacles to installing an array.

Durability: Finally, if your roof is more than 15 years old, you may want to consider replacing it before installing solar panels. Most solar vendors recommend using roofing material that will last as long as the system (minimum of 25 years).

When choosing an installer, you’ll want to consider many criteria. We’ve distilled the most important into a comprehensive list below.

• Experience
• Reviews
• Materials
• Licensing and certifications

At Greenwatts Power, you’re sure to get a good return on your investment when you entrust us with your solar project.

Solar panel installation is a multiphased process that can take between 2 days – 2 months to complete depending on the requirements, survey results, and approvals. But once your system is up and running, it will produce clean energy for you and your family for decades to come.

There are three types of solar panels primarily available today: monocrystalline, polycrystalline (also known as multi-crystalline), and thin film. Solar panels vary in appearance, performance, costs, and manufacturing methods. Depending on the type of photovoltaic (PV) installation you’re considering, one option may be more suitable than the others.

No, solar panels do not require relatively any maintenance. You will, however, want to clean them occasionally, as collected dust can slightly lower power output.

Battery banks in a home serve the same purpose as a traditional generator that runs on diesel, gasoline, propane, or natural gas. Unlike a traditional generator, a battery backup system does not require you to buy and store fuel or rely on fuel delivery during an outage. The battery charges with the solar electricity you produce when you pair it with a solar array. If you do not pair your batteries with solar, the battery will charge and recharge only from utility-supplied grid electricity.

Powering your entire home with a battery system can get expensive. This is why many homeowners install a smaller battery bank to power select “critical loads”. Such as medical equipment or a refrigerator, in their home/organization during the event of a grid outage. If you feel strongly about powering your entire home/organization during an outage, a whole-house fossil fuel-powered generator may be more cost-effective.

Solar Energy sees its’ best production during the dry season/summer months, though the difference in months isn’t that much.