The Climate Conversations: Tips for Powering Your Home with Solar Panels

If solar power is already cheap, why isn’t the penetration rate so high?

One reason he believes is the lack of awareness and misunderstanding of how the product works.

Nonetheless, Chu says installing solar power is worth the effort, time and money.

“If we talk about greening Singapore’s grid, solar power is probably still the best option available.”

Chew shared some basic tips for installing solar panels on your roof.

Costs and Benefits of Installing Solar Power

Each homeowner’s break-even point is determined by three factors: number of roof panels, energy consumption patterns, and electricity bills. After comparing monthly utility savings and total installation costs for over 500 homes, Chew estimates that the average homeowner will reach breakeven in about seven years.

Solar panels should be as flat as possible

“In Singapore, because we are on the equator, the angle of the solar panels does not change the solar irradiance (light energy output from the entire sun’s disk as measured from Earth). Instead, the flatter the panels, the more It captures a lot of sunlight,” says Chew.

Even partial shade can be a problem

Solar panels are connected in rows, called solar panel arrays, to generate electricity as a system. If only one panel is shaded by a tree, it can reduce the power generation of other connected panels.

roof material is important

“Homeowners with older roofs, especially tiled roofs, which can be fragile, are encouraged to consider waterproofing at the same time,” Chew said, adding, “Metal or concrete roofs… It’s actually fuss free because it’s not penetrating with respect to ‘.

For the full conversation, listen to this episode on What Homeowners Need to Know About Solar Panel Installation.