Investing in professional solar panel installation in Calgary is an investment in the future. Not only can solar with batteries provide resilience despite trouble with the power grid, but it also helps you save on electricity costs. Today’s panels and technology have come a long way from the solutions you might have found from a solar company in Calgary a decade or more ago. That technology continues to evolve even today.
Considering future trends could help inform your decisions about a system for your home or business. So, what’s on the horizon for the world of solar power? Here’s our quick review of the latest trends.
Panel Efficiency Improvements Likely to Continue
Efficiency relates to how much absorbed solar energy a panel can transform into useful electricity. The more efficient your panels, the more power you generate, and the more cost-effective your investment. Today, even the highest-rated panels top out at around 20-22% efficiency. However, this number will likely continue to increase in the future.
Engineers have revealed new panel designs with up to 25% efficiency. These panels use new materials and innovative designs to achieve these gains. Importantly, these designs have also begun leveraging new solar panel materials. Once perfected, it could mean panels that can maintain this elevated efficiency level for many more years.
Battery Storage Solutions Continue to Mature and Spread
Solar systems need batteries to provide power overnight and battery storage technology is continually improving. As more homes and businesses invest in solar, the demand for battery solutions will grow. Charging batteries with excess power generated during the day offers another energy source through the night. Batteries also provide energy continuity in the event of a grid issue. Technology in this area continues to improve, with greater energy densities and efficiencies.
Microinverter Retrofits Will Increase with More Batteries
While we expect property owners to continue exploring battery options when designing new systems, what about those with an existing setup? Home or commercial solar power systems that use microinverter technology don’t have to be left behind. We anticipate a growing interest in retrofitting microinverter systems to support battery storage options. With access to experience and the appropriate products, a retrofit project can be more straightforward than you think.
Bidirectional Charging Will Grow with EV Adoption
Though they may not be the dominant type of car on the road, electric vehicles have achieved broader adoption. Charging an EV at home using a solar power system is the ultimate goal of sustainability for many people. Such a setup could be even more valuable for those who explore the emergent trend of bidirectional charging.
In a bidirectional setup, energy doesn’t only flow from solar power to your EV charger. You can now use your charged EV as a battery in its own right, sending power back from the car battery into your home system. The right technology can lead to more efficient energy usage in a building’s solar setup. It can also function as an emergency energy reserve in a power outage. We anticipate that more owners will explore the hardware necessary for bidirectional charging in the future.
Be Ready to Explore the Future of Solar Power
These trends look set to define the next decade of development in the world of solar power:
- Cheaper, better battery storage
- More efficient panels for improved generative capacity throughout the year
- Systems that can support bidirectional charging from an electric vehicle.
With an experienced and trusted solar company in Calgary, you can evaluate the state of the industry to understand the right way forward based on your needs, budget, and location.
At Tenet Power, we’re ready to help you develop a solar power installation in Calgary that utilizes the latest advances. Just as importantly, we can assist in designing a system that leaves room for future expansion or additional future technology. Speak with our team today to learn more about your next steps.
