For lots of years, the only kinds of solar panels commercially available have been crystalline solar panels put in a rectangular casing and positioned on a roof. That is why nearly everyone, when they think of solar power for their house, envision this as their only option. Below are some recent advancements in solar power and mounting options you may well have never heard of before.

Thin Film Solar Panels – Man Is This Skinny!

Picture the solar panel you see in a solar calculator. This is a thin film solar panel. Thin film solar panels are used extensively 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 bendable, unlike polysilicon cells found in conventional crystalline solar panels. These thin film solar panels are being called as next generation solar power technology.

Thin film solar panels are more resilient to hailstones, dust, etc. If a segment of a crystalline solar panel is broken, the whole solar panel will stop functioning while a thin film solar panel will go on functioning.

Thin film panels can also be bendable and adapted to a lot of surfaces. They can be applied in places conventional crystalline solar panels cannot be mounted against. I have even seen a thin film panel sewed against a jacket that powered a MP3 player.

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

Thin film solar panels are low wattage and need more room than conventional solar panels and they are more prone to degradation. In an attempt to counteract some of these competitive disadvantages they have versus traditional 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 constructed out of cadmium telluride. At full power, the plant will create enough electricity to power an anticipated 17,000 homes.

Now let’s examine conventional solar panels and a few of the mounting options that are available you may well have never heard of before.

Mounting Selections For Conventional Solar Panels – It’s All In the Mount

Solar panel mounts are available in three main varieties: pole mounts, roof-ground mounts, and flush mounts. Using these mounts, you can set up 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 Is Not Something Santa Claus Uses For His Sled

Pole mounts, particularly top-of-pole, have been well-liked for a long time. Top-of-pole mounts are essentially a steel or aluminum frame and rail structure bolted or welded to a hefty sleeve that sets on top of a pole with set-bolts to keep it stationary. Side-of-pole mounts are often used when you must mount to the side of a communications tower or telephone pole. Tracking mounts are similar to top-of-pole mounts, but they also have a system of automatically aiming the mount to follow the sun.

Top of pole mounts (including sun trackers) are one of the simplest mounts to set up. They essentially only need one steel pole set in the ground (usually 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 need to get the panel up higher to avoid shading from nearby vegetation.

Popular Roof-Ground Mounts

Roof-ground systems can be mounted onto a roof or ground without much deviation in setup. They are typically made from stainless steel in a grid-like system of supports. Roof-mounted panels for smaller systems are the easiest to set up, using small flush-mount brackets which lift the panels to the best angle 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, modifiable legs that allow you to optimize their vertical direction for solar exposure. Ground mounting systems typically involve lots of steel supports, concrete foundations, and galvanized footings, that can be challenging, when you are attempting to keep your system low cost. Ground mounted systems need structural strength to avert weight bearing failure.

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

The Smack Down On Flush Mounts

Flush Mounts are low-priced and straightforward to install – these are perfect for single panel installations and smaller solar arrays. Flush mounts are mounted onto a level exterior such as the top of an RV, a roof, or the top of a boat and are not used for ground installations. These mounts function to separate the solar panel from the mounting surface and allow airflow to pass underneath and lower the temperature of the solar panel for efficient operation. Flush Mounts are normally used with small solar arrays on roof tops and RVs, because the structural design of a flush mount cannot support big solar panels.

Lots of options exist in the ever changing world of solar power technology. To learn how to calculate the number of solar panels you need for your home and other solar power secrets they don’t want you to know about, go to buy solar panel kits