ᐅ Is it practical to install a photovoltaic system on the west or east side of a building?

Highest efficiency is usually more expensive, and cost-effectiveness eventually suffers. The sweet spot currently is around 330 Wp per standard module or slightly less. The manufacturer doesn’t matter much in terms of efficiency.

Of course, there are other quality factors. I asked the solar installer for his three common modules and then chose the one I liked best. It was the one with the lowest price per heat pump.

Yes, sounds good. Besides the heat pump specification per module, what other factors did you consider when making your decision?

Are there also color variations? Blue-black, gray, or something like that? I have the impression that there are differences.

On pitched roofs, appearance certainly plays a role. Otherwise, there are also people who prefer long warranties and are willing to pay for them, sometimes disproportionately.

We only requested quotes for black modules. These are either somewhat more expensive or have lower performance.

Besides that, we based our decision on price and whether they were from a reputable manufacturer. The price differences were too large to make the choice difficult. There are modules with and without toxic metals, in case that matters to you. Ours had slightly better shading performance (dual / 6-subcell areas), but these are marginal differences and were not a deciding factor. All had long warranties.

The expensive ones were very robust or had very high power per area, but economically they would not have been worthwhile.

It’s all pointless until a new government subsidy is introduced. The payback period is too long and the capital tied up is too high.

Bookstar schrieb:

It's all nonsense as long as there isn’t a new government subsidy. The payback period is too long, and too much capital is tied up.

Hopefully, there won’t be any more. Photovoltaics are now competitive in the market and no longer need subsidies.