Are Solar Panels Worth It in Ireland?
Although many people in Ireland want to use solar panels, they’re still confused about whether they can use the solar panels in their cold country or not.
Indeed, Using the solar panels reduces the dependence on fossil fuels and foreign oils. Consequently, it protects our environment and saves lots of money every year. Therefore, it would be definitely good to use solar PV Ireland.
But are solar panels worth it in Ireland? It is actually confusing, particularly when you’re living in a cold place like Ireland.
Although Ireland is a cold country, According to CLover Energy System it still receives sunshine almost 260 days of the year. And the solar panels Ireland system needs sunshine to produce highly efficient electricity.
What Are the Types of Solar Panels?
Based on efficiency and costs, solar panels are divided into three types. All solar panels are popular for their aesthetic appearance and unique making.
Let’s break down the three types of solar panels at once.
Monocrystalline Solar Panels
Monocrystalline is the most developed and oldest single crystal solar panel. These are made of 40 monocrystalline solar cells, which include the pure silicon wafer.
The silicon wafer is assembled in a rectangular shape with rows and columns. The entire solar panels are covered and framed with a glass sheet.
Polycrystalline Solar Panels
Polycrystalline is an affordable solar panel that is made of different types of silicon crystals. Due to the mix-up of different silicone crystals, the polycrystalline absorbs lower power compared to the monocrystalline.
Besides, the solar panels feature comparatively lower heat tolerance and less efficiency. Still, the solar panel performs well compared to the price you spend for it.
Thin-Film Solar Panels
The thin-film solar panels aren’t made with silicon crystals, but their composition includes silicon materials. This type of solar panel is actually made of cadmium telluride, amorphous silicon, and so on.
Compared to the silicon panels like monocrystalline and polycrystalline, the thin-film solar panel is much thinner like its name.
How Do Solar Panels Work?
The solar panel works efficiently by transforming the sunlight into electricity. But, how does it extract the sunlight and transform the energy into electricity? Let’s discuss the consecutive process.
Step 1: Activation of The Panels
At first, the sunlight activates the solar panels when the sunlight falls on them. Usually, the solar panels, including the silicon cells, metal frame, and glass casing, are installed individually.
Step 2: Conversion of Sunlight into Energy
Abstracting the sunlight, the solar panels convert the light into solar energy through the photovoltaic effect. The silicone cells of the solar panels use their photovoltaic effect to convert the sunlight.
Step 3: Production of Electrical Current
Converting the sunlight to energy, the solar panel easily produces DC electricity. But, you cannot use DC electricity for your home; instead, it should be AC electricity for use in the home.
With the installed inverter, the solar panel covers the DC electricity to AC electricity for easy use.
Step 4: Conversion of Electric Power to Your Home
When the electricity transforms into AC, it can easily transform through the electrical wire. In the end, the electricity powers up all the electric equipment of your home.
Step 5: A Smart Electric Meter Usage
A smart electric meter is attached with the solar panel to measure the electricity flowing. Sometimes, the solar panels extract and store much energy from sunlight.
Solar panels use energy for electricity production when the sunlight is unavailable, especially in the winter and rainy seasons.
The electric meter usages enable the measurement of the surplus power in the solar panels. It makes you assure; there’s sufficient energy that’ll produce electricity when there’s no sunlight.
Are Solar Panels Worth It in Ireland?
Yes, the solar panels are worth it in Ireland, although the solar PV Ireland is dependent on weather. Frankly speaking, solar panels give a decent level of output to the inhabitants of Ireland.
That’s because Ireland has consistently favorable weather for using solar panels.
Solar panels depend on the energies from sunlight, not the sun’s heat. Although Ireland doesn’t get extreme sun heat, there’s sunlight almost 260 days around the year.
So, you can easily operate solar panels in Ireland until winter comes.
In winter, Ireland hardly gets sunlight, which is crucial for generating the power of solar panels.
How Much Costs Will You Save With Solar Panels?
Indeed, the installation costs for solar panels are high. The costs comparatively become more when you’re installing the solar panel in cold countries like Ireland.
But, once you install the solar panels, it reduces 50% of your regular electricity bills. Furthermore, adding an extra battery with the solar panel may boost the electricity savings up to 70%.
Based on the house size and roof space, the installation costs for solar panels might range between €6000-€17000. But you can save the installation costs up to €3000 using the SEAI battery with solar panel.
Compared to the winter, you can save much more on house fuel and costs when it’s summer in Ireland. According to SEAI Using solar panels in Ireland is much more profitable.
Do Solar Panels in Ireland Work Well in Winter?
Winter is an obvious reason for getting low electricity power from solar panels. But it doesn’t mean that you won’t get electricity from the solar panel at all.
The sun also appears in winter, so the solar panel can produce electricity during the winter.
Unfortunately, the days become shorter in winter, which means you’ll get sunlight for a short time.
Moreover, the sun doesn’t expose properly during the winter day. Consequently, the solar panels cannot store sufficient energy and produce electricity from it.
So, if you ask, do the solar panels in Ireland work in winter definitely, the answer will be yes. But, you won’t get the same flow of electricity that you usually get in the summer.
The Sum Up!
Using solar panels is an efficient way of reducing your electricity bill. It transforms natural energy into electricity, which costs too little.
Nevertheless, the installation costs of the solar panels are very high, most importantly, when you’re in Ireland. Anyway, you’ve good news if you’re inhabitants of Ireland. The solar PV Ireland is worth to the country both in the sense of costs and weather.
