Fun Facts About Solar Panels

As rooftops across the UK sprout shiny, flat solar panels and people throughout the country reap the benefits of lower energy costs, the planet reaps the benefits as well – solar panels produce clean energy that doesn’t pollute the air or contribute to global warming. Most people know the basic stuff about solar PV systems – that they’re made from silicon crystals and generate electricity from the sun. Anyone who has done even the most basic research also knows that most solar PV systems will pay for themselves in about 10 to 12 years. But there are also fun, obscure facts about solar panels that you can drop into your conversation here and there to impress your friends and family with how much you know about the subject. Here are just a few.

What country has the highest concentration of solar panels installed? If you guessed one of the tropical countries near the equator, you’d be wrong. The right answer is Germany, which installed its millionth grid-tied solar PV system in November, 2011. Solar panels account for about 3 percent of consumer electricity in the country, and will account for 10 percent by the year 2020.

Solar panels generate electricity even on cloudy days. In Germany, for instance, most cities average between 9 and 18 rainy days per month – hardly the climate where you’d expect solar panels to be so productive. Germany’s climate and geographical orientation is very similar to that of the UK, suggesting that solar PV installations will be as successful in the UK as in Germany.

There are credible reports that solar panels installed during the 1960s and 1970s are still operating and delivering electricity to their users. When you install a solar PV system, you’re guaranteeing yourself a source of electricity for life.

Leonardo Da Vinci had sketches of systems to use the sun’s energy in his notebooks way back in the 1400s. Solar energy has been around for a long, long time.

Installing solar panels reduces your reliance on outside sources of energy, which in turn, reduces the country’s reliance on outside sources of energy. When you install a solar PV system, you’re helping improve the energy security of the whole company.

Solar PV installation is generally a quick and painless operation. Once your home has been surveyed and a solar company has determined that you have an appropriate roof space for solar panels, your solar PV system can be installed in a few hours – or at most, over the course of a day. And you won’t even have to worry about disruption of your normal electricity. Generally, the installers only need to cut the power to your home for a few minutes to tie the new solar panels into your existing electrical system.

Want to know more about solar panels and solar PV systems? Contact a local company that installs solar panels and schedule a consultation.