If you are on this page that means you know about solar panels and the benefits it has if installed in your home or office. But you are confused on how to start with? Or how much it will cost you to install a solar panel at home or your office? In this article “best solar panels for home and office”, we try to do research and find answers to most of your queries coming into your mind regarding the solar panel types, price and the process.
Since our childhood days, most of us are hearing that India is a fast developing country and to add with this, India has a huge variation in power demand and supply. Today when we have already crossed a quarter of our 21st century, the variation in power demand and supply still exists. Even today, our power infrastructure is not as efficient as we need to be resulting in loss making power distribution units and resulting power cuts in many parts of India.
Today most of us would be having generators, UPS installed in our home and office but both these options have their pros and cons like generators are noisy and fuel engulfing monster whereas UPS have its limitation of loads. So, have you thought of homes with solar panels or your office with solar panels?
Let us together find out all about these best solar panels for home and office.
Best Solar Panels for Home and Office –Reviews
Installing a solar energy plant is one of the ideal solution in India to harvest solar light available almost 300 days in a year. Let us start with our top picks followed by buyer’s guide and some common FAQs.
Loom solar 375 Watt – 24 Volt Mono Crystalline Panel (Pack of 2)
Check Loom solar panels price in India on Amazon
Loom Solar is one of the top performing solar panel manufacturer in India. The loom solar panels are manufactured with German technology and are very efficient of the lot. These 24V solar panels are perfect to charge your 24V UPS batteries. However, in case you need more voltage, you can easily connect these solar panels in series to get 24v/48V output, Thanks to its versatility.
Now talking about the durability, the Loom solar panels comes with 10 years of manufacturing defect warranty and 25 years of no output transferable warranty. The solar panels have a layer of aluminum to support the structure and toughened glass cover to withstand heavy rains and hailstorms.
Some of the important features of the Loom solar panels are
- Best in class conversion efficiency of 19%
- Compatible with on-grid and off-grid inverters
- Comes pre-attached with 1m wire and MC4 connectors
- Aluminum frame and toughened glass for extra protection and long life
Pros:-
- Best in class brand and service
- Indian brand with German technology
- IP67 certified junction box with pre-attached wire and connectors
- Mono-perk cells, can work in low light and cloudy weather
- A-grade panel with anti PID cells
- Compatible with home inverters
Cons:-
- Average after sales service
Looking for affordable personal solar panel for small battery charging and some DIY projects?
Check Loom (50W, 12V) solar panels price in India on Amazon
Luminous 325 Watt/24 V Poly Crystalline Solar Panel
Check Luminous solar panels price in India on Amazon
Luminous is a well-known brand in India when it comes to batteries and inverter technologies. These high power poly carbonate are not the most efficient technology but the affordable pricing makes it one of the best value for money. Compared to mono-crystalline solar panel technology, poly-crystalline solar panels are less efficient and occupy more space i.e. 325W, 24V panel requires 20sq.ft. space for optimal performance.
The luminous solar panels confirm to IEC standard and comes with anti-reflective coating and black surfaces helping it to perform efficiently. Some of the other important features of the Luminous solar panels are
Features
- 24V panel /325W panel
- Comply to IEC standards
- Features advanced EVA encapsulation ensuring high module protection
- The PID resistance technology enables high safety against power loss that may come due to high current flow with the certain climatic conditions.
- High low light efficiency
- High torsion resistance against unwanted climatic conditions
Pros:-
- Excellent price bracket makes it great value for money
- High conversion efficiency
- Anti-reflective coating
- High torsional structural strength
Cons:-
- These panels require 2 batteries in series (If battery is a 12V)
- Requires 24V and above charge controllers or UPS system
Loom Solar 180 Watt-12 Volt Mono Crystalline Panel (Pack of 2)
Check Loom solar panels price in India on Amazon
As Loom solar manufacturers both 12V and 24V solar panels, you can choose between these two categories. This Loom 12 volt, 180W solar panel is a 12V model that uses mono-crystalline cells which is one of the most efficient solar panel cell technology available in the market.
Loom solar manufacturers some of the most durable solar panels for home and office. Its panels come fitted with 3.2mm toughened glass which not only helps to protect the solar cells during unwanted weather conditions but also helps in the efficient working of the solar panel. Adding to this the Loom solar panel also has IP68 certified junction box witch adds up to the durability of the system. Some of the important features of the Loom solar panels are
Features:
- 12V, 180W mono-crystalline panel
- 3.2mm toughened glass for added protection and durability
- IP68 certified junction box
- 12V panel is compatible with 12 V UPS batteries. However, the panels can be installed in series for higher voltage requirements i.e. 24V/48V
- Comes with 40-inch cable along with MC4 connectors making it more sturdy and ensuring safety without any electricity leakage.
- A-grade panel, black silicon cells
- Anti-rust aluminum frame
Pros:-
- Up to 9amp peak current generation
- High efficiency
- Reliable and durable
- 25-years performance warranty
Cons:-
- Limited /poor after sales service in some areas
- Costly but efficient
Microtek Solar Panel MTK 150Watt 12V
Check Microtek solar panels price in India on Amazon
Microtek is another great brand in the category of batteries and home UPS. Almost all of us have heard about this brand and might have used their products. The Microtek is also into the manufacturing of some of the good and affordable solar panels. This Microtek solar panels for home is not as efficient as mono-crystalline panels but these are much affordable when compared to any mono-crystalline. So if you have a budget constraint and still want to harvest the solar energy for your home or office. Then this MTK solar panel is for you. Some of the features of the Microtek solar panels for home and office are
Features
- Positive power turbulence modules
- Good conversion efficiency
- Anti-reflective coating on glass panel for better operational efficiency
- Multi-crystalline silicon cells
- Strong aluminum alloy frame
- Low iron tampered glass provides protection to solar cells against unwanted weather conditions
Pros:-
- National brand with large after sales network
- Affordable
- 150W, 12V
- Can be used in parallel for 12 V batteries and in series for larger volt batteries i.e. 24V/48V
- 25 years of performance warranty
Cons:-
Sukam Solar Panel 150 Watt – 12V
Check Sukam solar panels price in India on Amazon
Until now if you haven’t find anything attractive then you can check with Sukam brand. As most of you would have heard of this brand, Sukam is one of the leading brand in the category of batteries and home UPS. The Sukam also have the category of solar panels and you can take advantage of its wide after sales service. The 150W, 12V Sukam solar panel is equipped with poly-crystalline solar cells and some of the features of the Sukam solar panels for home are
Features
- Competitive tolerance of +/-3%
- Undergoes stringent quality and reliability tests
- Compatible with home inverters
- Can comfortably charge 12V battery bank
Pros:-
- High brand value of Sukam
- Countrywide after sales service network
- Comes with 25 years of warranty
Cons:-
- You need 2 panels to charge your 150ah battery bank
Loom Solar 125 Watt – 12V Mono-crystalline panel – pack of two
Check Loom solar panels price in India on Amazon
Until now you must have understood that Loom Solar generally uses mono-crystalline solar cells in most of its solar panel models making them as one of the most efficient solar panels in the market but at the same time you will also notice that the price of the solar panels from this brand is on the higher side with respect to other brand poly-crystalline solar panels.
So if you don’t have any budget constraint with limited space or either of these to conditions then you can think of the getting an efficient solar panels from the Loom solar. As also previously discussed, this 125-watt solar panel model from Loom solar carry same quality parameters as discussed above with other models, the only difference here lies in its power rating i.e. 125W. Some of the features of the Loom Solar panels for office and home are
Features
- 12V, 125W mono-crystalline panel
- 3.2mm toughened glass for added protection and durability
- IP68 certified junction box
- 12V panel is compatible with 12 V UPS batteries. However, the panels can be installed in series for higher voltage requirements i.e. 24V/48V
- Comes with 40-inch cable along with MC4 connectors making it more sturdy and ensuring safety without any electricity leakage.
- A-grade panel, black silicon cells
- Anti-rust aluminum frame
Pros:-
- High efficiency of up to 22%
- Reliable and durable
- 25-years performance warranty
Cons:-
- Limited /poor after sales service in some areas
- Costly but efficient
Sukam Solar Panel 100 Watt – 12V
Check Sukam solar panels cost in India on Amazon
This Sukam 100W, 12V solar panel is at par with the one discussed above in all quality and reliability parameters. The only difference is the rating of this solar panel for office and home. If you think you don’t need a 150W solar panel or have some budget constraint, then you can go with this lower variant of 100W solar panel. The A+ grade solar panel with anti PID technology cells can give you conversion efficiency of up to 16%.
Apart to this, the Sukam solar panels comes with IEC certification and protective glass cover to protect solar cells from unwanted weather conditions. Some of the features of this 100W Sukam solar panels are
Features
- IEC complaint
- Stringent quality control by the brand
- High strength aluminum structure
- Versatile and durable
Pros:-
- Reputed brand value
- Efficiency of up to 16%
- 5-years manufacturer’s warranty, 25-years performance warranty
- Affordable
Cons:-
- Less efficient during cloudy and low light conditions
Loom Solar 10 Watt, 12 Volt Solar Panel – Poly Crystalline
Check Loom solar panels cost in India on Amazon
Until now you must have understood that Loom Solar generally uses mono-crystalline solar cells in most of its solar panel models making them as one of the most efficient solar panels in the market but at the same time you will also notice that the price of the solar panels from this brand is on the higher side with respect to other brand poly-crystalline solar panels.
So if you don’t have any budget constraint with limited space or either of these to conditions then you can think of the getting an efficient solar panels from the Loom solar. As also previously discussed, this 10-watt solar panel model from Loom solar carry same quality parameters as discussed above with other models, the only difference here lies in its power rating i.e. 10W. Some of the features of the Loom Solar panels for office and home are
Features
- 12V, 10W mono-crystalline panel
- 3.2mm toughened glass for added protection and durability
- IP68 certified junction box
- 12V panel is compatible with 12 V UPS batteries. However, the panels can be installed in series for higher voltage requirements i.e. 24V/48V
- Comes with 40-inch cable along with MC4 connectors making it more sturdy and ensuring safety without any electricity leakage.
- A-grade panel, black silicon cells
- Anti-rust aluminum frame
Pros:-
- High efficiency of up to 22%
- Reliable and durable
- 25-years performance warranty
Cons:-
- Limited /poor after sales service in some areas
- Costly but efficient
Luminous Solar Home Solution NXG1100 & 150Ah Solar Tubular Battery & 150W Poly-Crystalline Module
Check Loom solar panels cost in India on Amazon
Luminous is a well-known brand in India when it comes to batteries and inverter technologies. These high power poly carbonate are not the most efficient technology but the affordable pricing makes it one of the best value for money. Compared to mono-crystalline solar panel technology, poly-crystalline solar panels are less efficient and occupy more. The luminous solar panels confirm to IEC standard and comes with anti-reflective coating and black surfaces helping it to perform efficiently.
This Luminous Solar PV system is an all in one solar system to be installed at your home. So if you are planning to install the whole PV system then you can opt for Luminous solar home solution. Some of the features of the Luminous solar home solution are
Features
- Includes UPS (NXG1100), 150ah solar tubular battery and 150ah solar panel
- 12V panel /150W panel
- Comply to IEC standards
- Features advanced EVA encapsulation ensuring high module protection
- The PID resistance technology enables high safety against power loss that may come due to high current flow with the certain climatic conditions.
- High low light efficiency
- High torsion resistance against unwanted climatic conditions
Pros:-
- Excellent price bracket makes it great value for money
- High conversion efficiency
- Anti-reflective coating
- High torsional structural strength
Cons:-
- You need to add one more solar panel to charge your battery full within a day
Luminous 160 Watt – 12V Poly Crystalline Solar Panel
Check Loom solar panels cost in India on Amazon
As we have already discussed about the brand previously, here i will directly start with the features of the 160W, 12V solar panel as most of the other quality parameters remains the same
Features
- 12V panel /160W panel
- Comply to IEC standards
- Features advanced EVA encapsulation ensuring high module protection
- The PID resistance technology enables high safety against power loss that may come due to high current flow with the certain climatic conditions.
- High low light efficiency
- High torsion resistance against unwanted climatic conditions
Pros:-
- Excellent price bracket makes it great value for money
- High conversion efficiency
- Anti-reflective coating
- High torsional structural strength
Cons:-
- These panels require 2 batteries in series (If battery is a 12V)
- Requires 12V and above charge controllers
Best Solar Panels for Home and Office –Buyer’s Guide
Until now we have discussed some of the best solar panels from best solar panel brands in India. Now it’s time that you understand the working of the solar panels and the types of solar panels and systems. This buyer’s guide will equip you to better understand your requirement and selecting the best solar panels for home and office in India.
Solar Panels Working
The solar panels work by absorbing sunlight on its photovoltaic cells resulting in generation of DC current. Large number of solar cells present on the panels are connected in parallel and series to provide the required voltage and current output. This DC electricity is then converted into AC with the help of inverter technologies to be used in your home and office. Even if you are planning to use solar panels for your DIY projects or mobile charging directly you may need to use charge controllers to safely use your solar panels directly.
Solar Panels Types
There are basically 3 solar panels types namely mono-crystalline, poly-crystalline and think film. Out of these three solar panels types, poly-crystalline is the latest technology of all while think film solar panels for home is the oldest technology. And nowadays we don’t use thin film technology much.
It is important to understand that higher the efficiency of your solar panel, you will require lesser number of panel to get your job done hence your solar system will require lesser space to get installed.
Advantages of mono-crystalline solar panels
- Has highest efficiency of all as it is made up of high grade silicon
- Theoretical conversion rate of 22%
- Mono-crystalline panels are space efficient
- Long life span
- Tends to be more efficient in warm weather
Disadvantages of mono-crystalline solar panels
- Most expensive of all other technology available
Advantages of poly-crystalline solar panels/ multi-crystalline solar panels
- Affordable and cost less due to low cost manufacturing process
- Slightly less efficient at warm weather conditions
Disadvantages of poly-crystalline solar panels/ multi-crystalline solar panels
- Typical conversion efficiency of 14-16%
- Low space efficiency, you may need more space or panels for same output of mono-crystalline panels.
- The blue color of the cells are not as appealing as their counterparts
Advantages of thin film solar panels
- Mass production is cheaper resulting in cheap price of the solar panel
- Homogeneous appearance makes them more appealing
- Can be made flexible resulting in opening up new potential applications
- Less effect of low light and shading on solar panel performance
- IF you have no space constraint, think film panels can work for you
Disadvantages of thin film solar panels
- Less efficient hence require lot of space
- Tends to degrade faster to its counterpart solar panel technologies
Types of solar PV system
So until now you must have known about the solar panels, but only buying your solar panel will not make wonders for you. You need to buy at least a charge controller to make your solar panel work safely. Now you may think of upgrading your system by adding up batteries, so that you have power even without sunlight i.e. during night and so on. The whole combination is known as solar PV system which includes solar panel, charge controller, batteries etc.
There are 3 types of solar PV systems i.e. On-Grid and Off-grid.
On-Grid Solar Systems
The ON-grid solar system works in line with the grid. The system doesn’t need any battery bank to store the energy. However, the system helps in reducing the overall electricity bill directly. This system is helpful in office and home conditions where the electricity consumption is high and you don’t want to invest in setting up a large battery bank increasing your overall setup cost very high.
Using this On-grid solar system, you can drastically reduce your electricity consumption from the grid leading to reduces grid electric consumption.
Off-Grid Solar System
As the specifies, this solar system doesn’t get connected to the grid directly. The solar energy is used to charge the off grid battery bank which is then used during power cuts or otherwise. This system works in parallel to the grid supply and works best in location where primary power supply is unreliable.
Hybrid solar system
This solar system is one of the most common solar system which has capability to work both as On-grid and Off-grid system. The hybrid system uses battery band like off-grid system and it also has capability to connect to the grid when solar light is not available in abundant. With this the system ensures un-interrupted power supply all day and night.
The system works such that your electricity requirement during day is met by the solar panels while at night you can either use the batteries or even supply back to grid if you have surplus power with you. However, in order to supply back to grid you may need a net metering system installed from your local distribution company.
Factors to consider while buying the solar panels at your home
There are some critical factors that will help you understand and choosing between the solar panels and the technology being used in them resulting into best value for money invested. Below are some of the factors that you shall keep in mind while going to buy your best solar panels for office and home.
Solar panel efficiency
If you have either of the two conditions i.e. limited budget or limited space, then the efficiency plays an important role in consideration. As stated earlier the most efficient solar cells are one made up of mono-crystalline but these panels cost double the poly-crystalline panels. So if you have limited space then you can go with most efficient mono-crystalline panels with theoretical conversion efficiency of up to 22% while the affordable poly-crystalline panels gives you up to 17% conversion efficiency.
Tolerance level
The tolerance level is another technical term that you shall consider during buying your solar panel. The 100-watt solar panel with 5% tolerance mean your panel can perform between the rated power rating of 95W to 105W. So the lower the tolerance more precise will be your power output of your solar panel at home or office.
Temperature Coefficient
Most of you think that the brighter will be the sunlight more efficient your solar panel will be pouring out more electricity in your battery bank. But this is not so simple. As the sunlight gets brighter your solar panel output increases but not for long. Yes, with the increase in brightness of the sun the temperature of the solar cells also starts increasing leading to in efficiency and degradation of your solar cells. So you need to look for solar panels with lower temperature coefficient. The ideal condition for a solar panel would be like bright sunlight with temperature of around 25 degrees.
After sales service
Most of the solar panels comes with almost 5-years warranty on manufacturing defects and up to 25-years warranty on performance. So it is also important to check if after sales service or support is available in your location to enjoy the trouble free warranty period.
Approvals and certifications
The solar panels shall have unique approvals and certifications as specified by the ministry of renewable energy. Some of the certification you should look for are:
- IEC 61215 or IEC14286: For Crystalline Silicon Terrestrial Modules
- IEC 61646: For thin-Film Terrestrial Modules
- IEC 61730 Part 1: For construction
- IEC 61730 Part 2: For Safety qualification and testing
- IEC 61701 or IS 61701: For coastal region, Salt Mist Corrosion Testing
FAQs: Best Solar Panels for Home and Office
Generally, mono-crystalline solar panels are the most efficient (22%) and costliest of all, while the poly-crystalline solar panels is in middle with 17% conversion efficiency and almost the half the cost of mono-crystalline panels. As far as solar panel brands are concerned you can opt from any leading brands like Loom solar, microtek, Sukam, Luminious etc.
You can take help from your local electrician or brand service centers to install your solar panels and do the required wiring in your home.
The solar panels are made by connecting large number of solar cells on a single frame. The solar cells come coated with anti-reflective material which increases the cell’s efficiency to capture solar light. Then these solar cells are sealed into rubber or vinyl material. This panel is placed into an aluminum frame to provide it solid structure. The solar cells are placed behind the glass screen to safeguard them from unwanted weather conditions.
Indian states like Tamil Nadu, Karnatka, Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand have already implemented the option of net metering system. The same has already been announced by state electricity boards way behind in 2014. Now, there are many other state and private distributors have joined hands to allow net metering system. You can check details with your service provider.
The net metering system is a billing mechanism that allows the credit to those solar PV system owners which can provide energy back to the grid. This helps the owners to reduce their bill buy supplying back the excess power stored with them.
In net metering system, when the owner has excess power left and supplies back to the grid, the electricity meter runs in reverse direction hence reducing the net electricity consumed by the owner from the grid.
Net metering is the mechanism where owner only supplies excess solar energy back to the grid from there solar PV system while in gross metering mechanism, the owners supplies all the energy generated to the grid.
Solar charger helps to use your solar panels safely and keeps solar panel away from any reverse shock coming from the circuit that may damage your solar panel.
Final Words
In this article “best solar panels for home and office” we have tried to list out best solar panels and systems available in the market. We have also discussed about some basic concepts and factors that can help you decide the best fit for you. You need to arrange installation by yourself or with the help of electrician. You can also take help from the service station for installation on chargeable basis.
In case you have any queries related to the solar panels, feel free to drop your query in the comment box below.
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