No electrical system is perfect. Regardless of your power source, some energy is lost during the process of using it. Solar power is no exception. Of course, losing some power is less of a concern when your energy is freely accessible and environmentally friendly. Still, it’s essential to know where the power is lost so that you can work to build a more efficient system and get the most from your solar equipment. Keep reading to learn more about the points at which energy is lost in a solar power system.

Panels

Solar panels are generally the least efficient part of any solar power system. Their efficiency is further reduced under high temperatures or when a portion of the solar array is shaded. Solar panels on the market today average between 15% and 20% efficiency, with the rest of the energy they absorb being lost to heat.

As a solar user, the best thing you can do to optimize your panels’ efficiency is closely monitor them using your inverter’s smartphone application. This allows you to catch any sudden drops in efficiency so that you can address the underlying issue more quickly and keep it at maximum efficiency—even if your panels’ maximum efficiency rating doesn’t sound all that impressive.

Inverter

Your solar inverter is responsible for converting the DC power your panels produce into the AC power that most appliances in your home rely on. However, the conversion process is far from perfect, and some energy is lost while the inverter does its important work. The good news is, that loss is far, far lower than it is in your solar panels.

Most solar inverters on the market are highly efficient, typically between 93% and 96%, depending on the model. However, achieving 100% efficiency isn’t possible for a solar inverter because they use some of the DC power input to keep themselves running—a small sacrifice compared to the amount of power they put out.

Batteries

If you have a system with batteries, you can get even more power out of your system by storing excess energy for later use. However, solar power storage doesn’t work like filling up a bucket with water. The batteries you store energy in use a series of complex chemical reactions to keep that power available to you. They are constantly using up a small trickle of energy to remain full. If you disconnected them from their power source, they would eventually run themselves down to depletion.

While no equipment or system will ever be perfect, buying the most efficient panels, Samlex sine wave inverters and solar batteries can help you get more power from your daily investment.