Green and clean energy is becoming popular at a fast rate. Solar is undoubtedly one of the best environment-friendly options for homeowners. A solar panel is made of electrically connected cells enclosed in a single frame. Solar cells making up the solar panels are a technology with a wide range of advantages. There is a whole lot of information about solar panels that an individual must know. It helps save money spent on the conventional electricity grid and only a few limitations with respect to the position and inclination of the house apart from the weather conditions. Read on to understand if you are looking for important information about solar panels.  

1. Solar Energy Is Renewable And Free
   Once, the initial cost of solar panel installation is covered, you will not need to spend money on the electricity it produces. Solar panel installations are a one-time investment, yielding a huge amount of power in an hour. This is because the Earth receives more energy from the sun than it can possibly consume in a year.  
2. Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
   Solar panel installations will help reduce carbon emissions and carbon footprint by using solar energy, as it is a completely green and clean source of energy.  
3. The Composition Of Solar Panels
   Solar panels contain photovoltaic cells or solar cells made of silicon and convert sunlight’s energy to electricity. These photovoltaic cells are made of semiconductors like silicon. When sunlight hits these cells, electrons get separated from their atoms and flow through the cells to generate electricity.  
4. The Types Of Solar Panels
   There are two types of panels, namely, photovoltaic panels that convert sunlight to electricity and solar thermal panels that absorb the warmth of the sun to heat water.  
5. Cost Of Solar Panel Installation
   Apart from solar panel details, it is vital to understand the cost of installation of solar panels. The cost of solar panel installations must not be overestimated. This is because even though the initial cost of installation for solar panel installation is high, the payback period is short due to savings on government aid and electricity bills.  
6. The Increased Value Of Homes
   One surprising thing you must know about the solar panel is that it increases the value of your residence. This is because homes with solar panel installations sell faster and at a much higher price than the ones without solar installations. However, technological advancement will likely bring down the installation price, given the low cost of the material’s economies of sale and low cost.  
7. Maintenance
   Once installed, the solar panels do not require maintenance. The only maintenance that solar panels require is regular cleaning and making sure that the solar panels are not shaded. An inclined roof requires less cleaning since the rains help do away with the dirt. In addition, solar panels have a long life span, extending to 30 to 40 years of time.  
8. Efficiency
   Even though the maximum efficiency of solar is reached when the sun is shining the brightest, solar panels also produce electricity on cloudy days during the wintertime. Also, solar panels do not produce electricity at night, but this problem can be sorted with the help of a storage system. A solar battery’s cost gets paid off by selling the energy in excess, making you 100 per cent independent of energy. 
9. Shape And Inclination Of Roof
   Before installing solar panels, it is crucial to consider the inclination and shape of the roof and the location of your house. To obtain the best performance from solar installations, the roof must face south at an angle of 15 to 40 degrees depending on your location. It is also essential to keep the panels far from trees and bushes for two main reasons, they might not let enough sunlight fall on solar panels, and the leaves or branches can scratch the surface of solar panels, leading to lower performance.   Excessive exposure to rain and wind can also degrade the performance of solar panels in the long term. It is, therefore, imperative that wind must be considered an important factor when evaluating the placement of solar panels. Solar panels, however, come with a warranty of 25 years, wherein the guaranteed output is no lesser than 80 per cent within a time frame.  
10. The Versatility Of Solar Panel Technology
    Solar panels are so versatile that they can be used on any type of building, bridge, and even satellites and spacecraft. Due to the versatility of solar panels, they are making their way into multiple aspects of life. Moreover, next-generation cars are looking to upgrade to solar in the future and large, barren lands are being used for solar farms.