Solar kits are part of the great evolutions of Mankind in the energy field. Getting them has almost become a necessity due to various factors, the most notable of which is the environment. Using a photovoltaic kit is a gesture in favour of nature. And thanks to evolution, the field of photovoltaic kits has also progressed. So which solar kit should we choose? What would it pay? Will there be any benefits? The answers to these questions are not so difficult if you know everything there is to know on the subject.
The photovoltaic self-consumption kit
The operation of solar panels is no longer foreign to anyone, but a little attention wouldn't hurt. Simply put, the principle of solar panels is to turn the sun's rays into electricity. And among the components of a solar kit, the solar panels are part of it with an inverter and a structure to mount the kit. So much for a photovoltaic kit in general, but what does "self-consumption photovoltaic kit" mean? It actually means that the energy supplied by the kit will be used immediately, so there is no energy storage. The solar self-consumption is made for the consumption of the house. But as said before, the energy is consumed immediately, so once the sun goes down, the photovoltaic kit will be out of order. This brings us back to saying that it is necessary to connect its self-consumption solar panels to the networks, therefore it is impossible to be completely independent. In case there is excess energy, which is often the case, it can be fed into the grid. The self-consumption solar kit is just one of the varieties of the solar kits, but it can still be said that it is the most profitable especially on the economy side. In addition, the procurement of self-consumption solar panels is also possible online.
How to be profitable?
After all, it is always a question of profitability. First of all, it is important to know that it is by no means profitable to invest in solar self-consumption if you live in regions where the sun is rarely present. To be able to prevent a bad investment, you first need to know the daily regional energy load. For example, for France, there are 4 sectors to be taken into account for photovoltaic production power which are: the North-East, the South, the South-West and the Diagonal from Brittany to Haute-Savoie. Counted by year, the production of the North-East would be between 800 and 100 kWh/Kwc, that of the South, the most productive, would be between 1200 and 1400 kWh/Kwc, that of the South-West between 1000 and 1100 kWh/Kwc and that of the Diagonale about 1000 kWh/Kwc. For a better profitability, it is also necessary to take into account the slope of the panels. Why is that? The production would reach its maximum when the sun's rays are perpendicular to the solar panels. If we have fixed solar kits, the best inclination would be 30° and facing due south. Taking into account the seasons, the slope should preferably be 20° in summer and 60° in winter. The location, inclination and orientation are the most important factors in the cost-effectiveness of the panels' energy production.
The installation of the solar kit
The solar kits were built to be easy to handle. Therefore, their installation is not very complicated, no matter how big or small they are. Most of the time, people prefer roof-mounted photovoltaic kits. This is very advantageous because on the roof, there will be no need to clear space and, moreover, it will not be cumbersome. In relation to the slope of the roof, its profitability varies. As already mentioned, orienting the panels to the south will help optimize production, so the panels will have to be placed on the south side of the roof. There is also no harm in preferring floor-mounted kits. Its biggest advantage is the possibility of a favourable slope. This is already at 30° to the ground after installation. Therefore, it is preferable to fix the panels to the ground to prevent the wind from moving them. Its small disadvantage would be that it could get dirty quickly. In the case where one calls upon a professional to lay out the photovoltaic kits, one can take advantage of a budgetary aid in relation to the capacity established thanks to the decree of May 10, 2017. In addition, surplus production can be bought back and reintegrated into the network.
The power
Before buying the solar kits, you must first determine the consumption of the house. To do this, you can start by looking at the electricity bills. If self-consumption is preferred, it is then necessary to define the consumption during the day, especially during peak hours in the summer. It is then a question of self-consumption rates. The kits must be able to compensate for the day's consumption within 30 to 50 % of the full hour so that the energy produced is fully used. There are agencies that characterize the customer's energy consumption during the day in full hours in order to optimize the rate of self-consumption. Another way to delimit the consumption of the house would also be to record the consumption. How to measure consumption? This simply means taking regular readings of the meter during the day, at the time when consumption is highest. Or you can take the trouble to count the power of the appliances you use and do the count. Just look at the technical data sheets. It's a method that takes a lot of work, but it can be very accurate. Once the power consumption has been established, you can finally think about buying a photovoltaic kit.
Small point on the kits with battery
The issue of self-consumption is that the energy produced will be used directly, and therefore there will be no storage like the battery. Even if it is possible to use batteries, it would not be cost-effective. Batteries are expensive to maintain, and moreover, are expensive to maintain. Batteries have a cycle that must be followed to be more durable, which is the constant discharge and charge cycle. And again, one of the disadvantages is the fact that the purchase price of the solar kit would seriously increase if it is bought together with the batteries. Not very profitable and very expensive, investing in a solar kit with batteries is not advisable. To solve this problem, one can either buy independent batteries or invest in hybrid energy sources.