Solar cells

Solar cells

Function and Purpose Solar cells, also known as photovoltaic cells, are devices that convert sunlight directly into electricity. They are made of semiconducting materials such as silicon, and they have become increasingly popular in recent years as a source of renewable energy.

Saving tips General saving tips for household electricity include selling electricity at a higher price during the day and buying electricity at a lower price during the night, rather than using the electricity yourself.

Economic The installation of solar cells increases the value of the property by the cost of the installation. Therefore, the installation can be considered free.

Installation tips

Compass direction If you must choose between east and west, east is preferred as it tends to be more cloud-free on summer mornings. Clouds tend to form in the afternoon.

By spreading out the solar cells in several compass directions, you can achieve more even production throughout the day and make it easier to use the electricity yourself.

Inverter The inverter will emit heat due to losses in it. If appropriate, you can place it where supplementary heat is desired. However, inverters do emit a certain amount of fan noise, so you do not want to have it in your living room.

Maintenance Solar cells are virtually maintenance-free. They deliver their electricity. The inverter is usually the component that breaks down.

Energy efficiency

Technology Solar cells are a highly efficient technology for generating electricity from sunlight. They can be used in a variety of applications, from small-scale residential installations to large-scale power plants.

User behavior Controlling and regulating the use of solar cells is important for optimizing their economic return. Strategies for controlling electricity prices include selling electricity at a higher price during the day and buying electricity at a lower price during the night.

Electricity price control Most people sell their electricity at the spot price, the hourly price set on the day-ahead market on Nord Pool. It varies whether you also buy at the spot price or have a monthly average price or fixed price. If you have a fixed price that is lower than the spot price, it is also worthwhile to use the electricity at night. The same generally applies to monthly average prices, as the price is normally higher during the day than at night.

Higher electricity prices during the day may change during the summer if we have a lot of solar electricity in the grid.

This reasoning usually works in conjunction with services that control electricity usage during low-price times, such as Tibber, Gridio, and others. If the price is low, you buy electricity. If the price is high, you sell electricity.

Control technology The technology for controlling the use of solar cells varies depending on the manufacturer and model specifications, as well as the geographic location of the installation.

Specific to geographic location In Sweden, a good rule of thumb is that 10 kWp produces approximately 10 MWh = 10,000 kWh.