The conversion efficiency of a solar panel refers to its ability to convert solar light energy into electricity and is usually calculated by the following formula:
Conversion efficiency =(
Solar energy input
Actual output energy
) * 100%
Among them:
Actual output energy: This refers to the electrical energy produced by the solar panel, usually calculated by measuring the current (amperes, A) and voltage (volts, V) of the battery, multiplying the two to get the output power (watts, W).
Solar input energy: This refers to the solar energy received by the solar panel, can be calculated by multiplying the light intensity (amperes per square meter, A/m²) by the incident area (square meters, m²), multiplying the two to get the input light power (watts, W).
In actual calculation, the calculation formula of conversion efficiency can be further refined as:
Conversion efficiency =(
Battery area x incident optical power per unit area
Battery output power
) * 100%
Among them:
Battery output power: that is, the peak power of the battery (watt, W), is the maximum output power of the battery under standard test conditions (such as AM1.5 solar spectrum, irradiance 1000W/m², battery temperature 25 ° C).
Battery area: refers to the effective power generation area of the solar panel (square meters, m²).
Incident light power per unit area: Usually 1000W/m², which is the solar irradiance under standard test conditions.
For example, a solar panel with a peak battery power of 100W and a battery area of 1 square meter, under standard test conditions, its conversion efficiency is calculated as follows:
Conversion efficiency =(
1m
2
×1000W/m
2
100W
) x 100% = 10%
It should be noted that the conversion efficiency of solar panels will be affected by a variety of factors, including material quality, manufacturing process, environmental conditions (such as light intensity, temperature, humidity, etc.) and performance attenuation during long-term use. Therefore, in practical applications, the conversion efficiency of solar panels may be different.
