How to reduce solar system costs
There are various approaches to improve the economic efficiency of a solar power system. Two main approaches include optimizing to reduce equipment costs and optimizing to increase the conversion efficiency of solar energy.
In today’s article, we will share effective ways to reduce equipment costs. However, to apply this method, engineers need to calculate carefully to ensure that cost reduction does not affect the performance and durability of the system. Here are three frequently used methods to directly reduce costs for investors.
Estimate real-world performance (PTC) to reduce inverter costs
As known, the power of all solar panels is recorded under standard conditions (solar radiation is 1000 W/m², atmospheric pressure 1.5 AM, environmental temperature is 25°C), so the actual power under real-world conditions is often lower than the standard conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust and reduce the number or power of inverters proportionally to reduce total costs while still achieving the highest efficiency. This will help save a significant amount on inverter equipment.
Note: If reducing inverter power is not done reasonably, for example, when the actual power of the solar panels is higher than the inverter power, it can lead to overloading the inverter, resulting in a loss of electricity output. Especially in Vietnam, with its diverse terrain characteristics from North to South and significantly different environmental temperatures and solar radiation levels, adjustments must be made according to geographical coordinates.
Connect the solar panel system using the Leap-frog method
Taking advantage of the long cable length of Canadian Solar panels, which can reach up to 1.67m, DAT engineers have chosen the “leap-frog” cable connection method to reduce the amount of expensive peripheral cable equipment. With the traditional method, two adjacent solar panels are connected seamlessly, so each panel array needs an additional cable segment to connect the last panel back to the first panel. With the “leap-frog” cable connection method between solar panels, the need for expensive cables is almost eliminated. In addition, this method helps make the system neater by avoiding excess cables between adjacent solar panels. Note that this method is only applicable to solar panels with cables long enough to connect to the panel behind the adjacent panel.
Use solar panels with split-cell technology
The KU solar panel is a product from the top 3 global brand – Canadian Solar. This solar panel integrates many advanced technologies such as LIC, Black Silicon, PERC, 9 Busbars, etc. Particularly, with split-cell technology, investors can now reduce the entire system cost, including peripheral equipment such as frames, cables, while still generating the same amount of electricity.
The KU solar panel is a product from the top 3 global brand – Canadian Solar. This solar panel integrates many advanced technologies such as LIC, Black Silicon, PERC, 9 Busbars, etc. Particularly, with split-cell technology, investors can now reduce the entire system cost, including peripheral equipment such as frames, cables, while still generating the same amount of electricity.
In addition to optimizing methods to reduce equipment costs, DAT Solar also uses many methods to optimize performance, increase electricity output for investors. To get advice on a cost-effective solar solution, call the free hotline 1800 6567 to consult with DAT Solar engineers.
