Knowing how to select the four main components can help you select a high performance solar power plant.
Click on each of the components to know the key selection parameters.
Panels
Solar Power System
Cables
Inverters
Mounting Structure
Solar Panels
Solar panel is the key component that converts sunlight into electricity. The following are the ten parameters you use to select the right panel.
Inverters
Inverters in the solar plant convert the electricity produced by the panels (which is in DC form) to AC for making it compatible with the grid. The following are the key parameters you use to select the right inverter.
Mounting Structure
Mounting structures support the solar panels on the ground or the rooftop. The following are the key parameters you use to select the right mounting structure.
Cables
Cables used in solar power generation cannot be the same as used for other power generation plants. They have to be designed to withstand long-term exposure to sunlight. The following are the key parameters you use to select the right cable.
How to use this section – a Quick Guide
Tour
Now that you know about the selection parameters for each of the four components viz., panels (for more details), inverters(for more details), mountings structures and cables, you are now ready to evaluate components.
Interactive Interface - For each of the 4 components, this section presents a simple and interactive evaluation interface. While you are at any of the four component sections, you will find the key selection parameters listed. For each parameter (for instance, Solar panel efficiency) multiple choices are given.
Selecting the Choice - Based on the value of that parameter provided in the data sheet, select the correct choice from the drop down box. For instance, the data sheet might provide the solar panel efficiency to be 15.8%, in which case you need to select the suitable choice from the drop down menu for this parameter.
Use “?” Icon for Assistance - Right next to each parameter, use the “?” icon to know more about the parameter and the choices.
Details about Your Selection in a Pop Up - Once you select your choice for each parameter, brief details about your choice will appear on a pop up. This will provide you some insights on how good your choice was.
Look Up to See Performance Changes - After you select each choice, look up for changes in performance, likely generation increase and cost increase. Spend a few seconds studying the changes after each choice as these contain a wealth of subtle insights – for instance, the extent of movement on the performance bar each time a choice is made indicates the criticality of the component. Once you have made all the choices, you will be able to see the overall expected performance, likely generation increase and likely cost increases for your panel over benchmarks.
Printout of Your Selection & Summary - Should you wish, you can even take a printout of your selection in a PDF format; this document will also provide you summary of the performances, with an analysis of how well each choice contributed to the overall performance. But please note that you can have a PDF download only if you have made a selection for all the parameters listed for the component.
Summary Section - The Summary section provides a summary of the overall performance of the solar power system based on your selection for each component. This page also tabulates the selections you made for each component for your reference.
That is it! You are now ready to use the evaluation section.
