For numerous years, the only kinds of solar panels commercially obtainable have been crystalline solar panels put in a rectangular casing and placed on a roof. This is why most people, as soon as they think of solar energy for their house, think of this as their single choice. Below are a few recent advancements in solar power and mounting options you may have never heard of before.

Thin Film Solar Panels – Man Is That Thin!

Envision the solar panel you see in a solar calculator. This is a thin film solar panel. Thin film solar panels are used to a great extent in satellites. Thin film technology is currently being expanded into suburban and industrial use and was named one of the greatest inventions of 2008 by TIME magazine.

Thin film solar panels are flexible, not like polysilicon cells found in long-established crystalline solar panels. These thin film solar panels are being labeled as second generation solar power technology.

Thin film solar panels are more resilient to hail, rocks, and so forth. If a segment of a crystalline solar panel is broken, the entire solar panel will stop functioning while a thin film solar panel will go on operating.

Thin film panels can also be flexible and tailored to numerous surfaces. They can be applied in places conventional crystalline solar panels cannot be mounted against. I have even seen a thin film panel sewed on a coat that powered a MP3 player.

The downside to thin film panels is that they do not take up as much energy because they are so slim. These panels are not nearly as efficient as conventional photovoltaic panels but they are much cheaper. Thin film solar panels are printed onto the rolled backing, eliminating many of the high energy and chemical intensive processes that are normal in conventional PV manufacturing.

Thin film solar panels are low wattage and need more space than traditional solar panels and they are more prone to degradation. In order to counter a few of these competitive disadvantages they have versus conventional solar panels, manufacturers offer better warranties for thin film panels.

The largest thin film solar photovoltaic (PV) project in the United States is the Blythe plant located 200 miles east of Los Angeles, California. The 21-megawatt solar power plant uses thin film solar cells built out of cadmium telluride. At full power, the plant will produce enough electricity to power an anticipated 17,000 houses.

Now let us examine conventional solar panels and some of the mounting options that are available you may well have never heard of before.

Mounting Options For Traditional Solar Panels – It’s In the Mount

Solar panel mounts are available in three main types: pole mounts, roof-ground mounts, and flush mounts. Using these mounts, you can install your solar panel on your roof, onto an RV, on top of or against the side of a pole, or even install them as a free-standing unit.

Pole Mounts – No That Isn’t What Santa Claus Needs For His Sleigh

Pole mounts, specially top-of-pole, have been popular for awhile now. Top-of-pole mounts are basically a steel or aluminum rack and rail structure bolted or welded to a large casing that sets on top of a pole with set-bolts to keep it in place. Side-of-pole mounts are normally used when you must mount to the side of a telephone pole or communications tower. Tracking mounts are similar to top-of-pole mounts, but they also have a method of automatically aiming the mount to follow the sun.

Top of pole mounts (as well as sun trackers) are one of the simplest mounts to install. They essentially only need one steel pole set in the ground (typically in concrete), and the mount slips onto the top of the pole. Most common sizes use a 2-inch to 8-inch pole, usually around 11 to 13 feet in length. They can go higher if you want to get the panel up higher to escape shading from nearby bushes.

Popular Roof-Ground Mounts

Roof-ground systems can be mounted onto a roof or ground without a great deal of change in setup. They are typically built from stainless steel in a grid-like system of supports. Roof-mounted panels for smaller systems are the easiest to set up, using tiny flush-mount brackets that raise the panels to the best position for solar collection.

Ground mounts, as the name implies, are solar panel mounts that are installed on the ground (as opposed to a pole mount or roof mount). They have supporting, changeable legs that allow you to optimize their vertical orientation for solar exposure. Ground mounting systems typically entail lots of steel supports, concrete foundations, and galvanized footings, which can be challenging, when you are attempting to keep your system low cost. Ground mounted systems need structural strength to avoid load bearing failure.

Even though module mounting systems are available for ground and roof installation, roof mount installation is the most common and cost effective system. The roof mounted panels are attached to a mounting system normally consisting of an aluminum or steel support structure that attaches the panels to the roof.

The Smack Down On Flush Mounts

Flush Mounts are economical and simple to install – these are perfect for single panel installations and smaller solar arrays. Flush mounts are mounted onto a level surface such as the top of an RV, a roof, or the top of a boat and are not used for ground installations. These mounts serve to separate the solar panel from the mounting surface and permit airflow to go underneath and cool the solar panel for smooth operation. Flush Mounts are usually used with small solar arrays on roof tops and RVs, because the structural design of a flush mount cannot hold large solar panels.

There are many new options available in the expanding realm of solar technology. For all you could ever want to know about solar panels and wind generators visit purchase solar panel kits

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