Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs

• It is a renewable source of energy

• Reduces CO2 emissions

• It is a highly profitable investment (IRR over 17%).

• Reduce your electricity bill by 35%.

• Subsidies and tax credits are available (although not for long).

• Rapid return on investment (less than 6 years)

• Long service life (at least 25 years)

• Very low maintenance cost

• Increases the value of the home

• Contributes to the development of the local economy

• Requires an initial investment

• Requires an available, unobstructed and well oriented surface area

• The power generated fluctuates during the day and is not available at night, and depends on the weather.

• Cannot be installed on any deck

• Except in specific cases, backup from the power grid must be maintained

Everything will depend on how electrical energy is consumed. If during the day there is no one at home and only the refrigerator and little else is running, with solar panels you will save very little. On the other hand, if there are important daytime consumptions, you could save approximately 35% of your consumption, without batteries and considering a normal equipment of a house. If your domestic hot water (DHW) equipment is electric, or you have an electric car, the savings can be even greater. And if you install batteries, the savings can exceed 80%.

If the installation has been correctly sized and the available subsidies and tax benefits can be taken advantage of, the installation could pay for itself in less than 6 years. Considering that the minimum useful life of a photovoltaic installation is 25 years, you will be able to continue saving for 19 more years, after having recovered your investment.

The number of solar panels to be installed depends on several factors:

• Equipment of the dwelling

• Surface area available for panel installation and its orientation

• Energy consumption habits

For this reason it is very important to make a previous visit and customize the appropriate photovoltaic installation. Be wary if you get a quote over the phone or without a prior visit. A well-dimensioned installation should cover the daytime consumption of the home for most of the year. If the installation is too large, it would generate a large amount of surplus energy that is sold at ridiculously low prices to the retailer until the energy consumed is fully compensated. From that moment on, the surplus energy is given away free of charge.

This will depend on the quality and guarantee of the materials used. The most important components in this regard are solar panels and inverters.

Standard quality solar panels and inverters offer a product warranty of about 10 years.

The panels and microinverters selected by QCD Advisory have a manufacturer’s warranty of 25 years and therefore we can affirm that the useful life of our photovoltaic installations will be at least 25 years.

The most important components of photovoltaic systems are:

• Photovoltaic panels

• Investors

• Support structures

Standard quality solar panels and inverters offer a product warranty of about 10 years.

The panels and microinverters selected by QCD Advisory have a manufacturer’s warranty of 25 years and therefore we can affirm that the useful life of our photovoltaic installations will be at least 25 years.

Photovoltaic panels are the most important element of photovoltaic installations. They are also called solar plate or solar panel. A photovoltaic plate is a group of photovoltaic cells connected in a circuit that generates direct current by transforming light energy into electrical energy through the photovoltaic effect.

The average conversion efficiency obtained by commercially available cells varies considerably depending on the manufacturing technology. The most commonly used material for the manufacture of photovoltaic cells is silicon. Silicon cells can be further subdivided into monocrystalline, polycrystalline and amorphous silicon.

Monocrystalline solar panels are composed of cells with a single crystal, presenting a very uniform blue or black color and rounded corners. These panels are the most efficient (usually above 20%) and are the most expensive as their manufacturing process is more difficult.

The solar panels selected by QCD Advisory are monocrystalline silicon, Sunpower brand, with a 25-year warranty.

The type of electric current they generate is direct current (like batteries), so in order to obtain alternating current, which is the one used in the electric grid, it will be necessary to use an inverter.

• Photovoltaic panels

• Investors

• Support structures

Standard quality solar panels and inverters offer a product warranty of about 10 years.

The panels and microinverters selected by QCD Advisory have a manufacturer’s warranty of 25 years and therefore we can affirm that the useful life of our photovoltaic installations will be at least 25 years.

Inverters are the components of solar photovoltaic systems that convert direct current (the electrical energy produced by the solar panels) into alternating current (the electricity we can use from the grid).

In this way, once converted, we will be able to make use of the energy generated in our electrical or electronic devices. In addition, if we generate more electricity than we consume, we can store it in batteries or feed it into the grid.

In photovoltaic systems for self-consumption, the bThe most common types of inverters are String (or centralized) inverters and microinverters. They can also be combined with optimizers, whose function is to maximize the power generated by each solar panel.

The average conversion efficiency obtained by commercially available cells varies considerably depending on the manufacturing technology. The most commonly used material for the manufacture of photovoltaic cells is silicon. Silicon cells can be further subdivided into monocrystalline, polycrystalline and amorphous silicon.

Monocrystalline solar panels are composed of cells with a single crystal, presenting a very uniform blue or black color and rounded corners. These panels are the most efficient (usually above 20%) and are the most expensive as their manufacturing process is more difficult.

The solar panels selected by QCD Advisory are monocrystalline silicon, Sunpower brand, with a 25-year warranty.

The type of electric current they generate is direct current (like batteries), so in order to obtain alternating current, which is the one used in the electric grid, it will be necessary to use an inverter.

• Photovoltaic panels

• Investors

• Support structures

Standard quality solar panels and inverters offer a product warranty of about 10 years.

The panels and microinverters selected by QCD Advisory have a manufacturer’s warranty of 25 years and therefore we can affirm that the useful life of our photovoltaic installations will be at least 25 years.

Unlike String inverters, in which there is only one inverter, in this case a microinverter is installed on each solar panel. They have a number of advantages over centralized inverters:

It allows the installation of solar panels with different orientations, inclinations or powers. Each plate will contribute to the generation of energy according to the radiation it receives at any given moment.

Production is optimized for each plate. In the event of shadows being cast on a plate at certain times of the day, only that plate will reduce energy production during that period. The remaining plates will produce the maximum possible according to the radiation they receive. In the case of String inverters, the power generated by the entire installation is limited by the worst performing plate.

It allows to easily increase the power of the installation in a modular way. All you have to do is add the plates in series to the existing installation.

No moving parts or fans, making them more robust

There are no single points of failure. By installing a microinverter on each plate, in the unlikely event of a failure of one microinverter, it would stop working, but the others would continue to produce power.

Direct current circuits are low voltage, so there is no risk of explosion or fire and therefore no need for direct current protections.

QCD Advsory selects the microinverters with built-in optimizers, ENPHASE brand, for photovoltaic installations. They are guaranteed for 25 years, the same as the rest of the installation.

In this way, once converted, we will be able to make use of the energy generated in our electrical or electronic devices. In addition, if we generate more electricity than we consume, we can store it in batteries or feed it into the grid.

In photovoltaic systems for self-consumption, the bThe most common types of inverters are String (or centralized) inverters and microinverters. They can also be combined with optimizers, whose function is to maximize the power generated by each solar panel.

The average conversion efficiency obtained by commercially available cells varies considerably depending on the manufacturing technology. The most commonly used material for the manufacture of photovoltaic cells is silicon. Silicon cells can be further subdivided into monocrystalline, polycrystalline and amorphous silicon.

Monocrystalline solar panels are composed of cells with a single crystal, presenting a very uniform blue or black color and rounded corners. These panels are the most efficient (usually above 20%) and are the most expensive as their manufacturing process is more difficult.

The solar panels selected by QCD Advisory are monocrystalline silicon, Sunpower brand, with a 25-year warranty.

The type of electric current they generate is direct current (like batteries), so in order to obtain alternating current, which is the one used in the electric grid, it will be necessary to use an inverter.

• Photovoltaic panels

• Investors

• Support structures

Standard quality solar panels and inverters offer a product warranty of about 10 years.

The panels and microinverters selected by QCD Advisory have a manufacturer’s warranty of 25 years and therefore we can affirm that the useful life of our photovoltaic installations will be at least 25 years.

Its fundamental function is to provide correct orientation and inclination, safely and for the life of the installation. Photovoltaic panels require stable, rigid and durable structures that can withstand inclement weather, such as wind or snow.

The most widely used are the fixed structures, which position the plates with fixed orientation and inclination angles. The most commonly used materials for support structures are: Aluminum and Concrete, with stainless steel hardware and accessories.

Depending on the cover on which the plates are installed, the structures can be:

• Inclined structures: These structures are used mainly on flat roofs. The most common inclination brackets are 15º and 30º.

• Coplanar structures: These are the structures used on sloping surfaces: the plates are placed with the same slope as the roof, with a lower visual impact.