Investing in a solar panel system is a smart choice. Not only for significant savings on your energy bill but with solar panels you also contribute to a greener world.
When installing solar panels, it must be determined exactly where the panels will be located and how many solar panels will fit in the available space. Besides space, your roof has to be suitable for solar panels. Use the following guidelines to determine whether your flat or pitched roof is suitable for solar panels.
The angle of inclination:
The angle of inclination of the panels affects the yield. An angle of about 35 degrees is optimal. But the yield loss with steeper or less steep placement is small (usually less than 10%). An angle of 60 degrees (sloping roof), or 20 degrees (flat roof), is therefore certainly still profitable.
Direction:
Solar panels are best oriented towards the south for the highest annual yield. But (south) east and (south) west are also profitable with an average of 5-15% lower yields. Placing solar panels east-west can even offer advantages. We do not recommend solar panels on a sloping roof oriented to the north unless the payback period is not important to you.
Space:
On a pitched roof, panels can be closer together than on a flat roof. More panels will fit on a flat roof if you choose a smaller angle of inclination. Or if you have the panels installed ‘east-west’. One row is less likely to shade the next row. Less sloping also means less heavy ballast on the flat roof. Sometimes it is useful to opt for solar panels other than standard dimensions.
Shade:
For roofs that are partly in the shade, we recommend that you obtain information about microinverters or power optimizers. This means that the partially shaded panels have no negative effect on the other panels that are in the sun.
Even then, there are opportunities to benefit from solar panels and contribute to a sustainable energy supply.
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The number of solar panels you choose determines how much it will cost and how much you will generate. But which number of solar panels best suits your roof and situation? First of all, it depends on your roof. Is the roof large enough for the number of panels, are there no obstacles, and is the orientation to the sun cost-effective?
You need 6 solar panels of 375-watt peak to generate an average power consumption of 3400 kWh per year. This is the average energy consumption of small households in Curaçao. So your situation can be quite different. You need less from panels with a higher capacity than from panels with a lower capacity.
Also, try to look at your future situation.
Do you expect an increase in your consumption? For example, because you are going to build extra rooms or a pool? Then buy a larger installation. Because of Curaçao customs rules and regulations, it is relatively expensive to install extra solar panels later on.
For this example we will use a 4 kW on-grid solar system, this system comes with 11 panels of 375-watt, those panels generate 25 kilowatt/hour per day and 9030 kilowatt/hour per year. You pay Aqaulectra ANG 0.65 for every kilowatt/hour you use, so you get a reduction of ANG 5870 on a yearly basis. Meaning you reduced your monthly energy bill by an average of ANG 490.
Roi
In the above example the system cost ANG 16,659 including installation cost and sales tax. The payback period for that system would be 2.84 years, meaning that your ROI is almost 33% per year.
*The above calculation is a simplified version of reality. In reality, there are other factors like refrigerator energy consumption, phantom energy consumption and so on.
