On turning the pages of history of mankind through ages, there is no dearth of instances wherein man has tried his ingenuity to harness the ever present solar energy to his advantage. While most of the experiments ended with a magnifying glass being used to light torches, the first device which successfully concentrated the sun’s rays was a solar energy cooker designed for an African safari. The credit of this invention was bestowed on a Swiss scientist, Horace de Saussure, and it was this discovery which laid the basis for the creation of the first modern solar panel in 1954. Being a novelty in that era, this device was exorbitantly priced but dedicated research through the years has resulted in the solar panel price in India to spiral downwards with the intention of making it affordable by all and sundry.

One of the main determinants of solar panel price in India as well as the world over is the type of panel which is chosen by the user after having gauged his requirements. In spite of the availability of myriad options, solar panels exist in two avatars namely flat plate collectors and evacuated heat tubes. While a normal flat plate collector is economically priced, when it is fortified with evacuated pipes, its price simply shoots through the roof. This is owing to the fact that these pipes are highly priced and on being installed greatly enhance the efficiency of the panel as well.

Yet another factor which makes a difference in the solar panel price is the size of the panel as also the scope of its usage. If the solar power requirement is limited to a single room with a window, a panel worth a few hundred dollars would suffice but on the other hand if the entire house depends on solar energy for its requirements then the cost is likely to run into thousands of dollars. An important recommendation in this regard is that any household should not depend solely on solar power and must have a back-up system to account for cloudy days and extra requirements.

Having decided to invest in a solar panel system, the next course of action entails conducting a thorough research on each of the options and then conducting a comparison of the solar panel price. The cost is assessed on dollar/watt ratio and an efficient panel is identified accordingly but adjudging if its ratio is close to the average estimated costing. Normally the trend which has been observed in this regard has been that brand new panels boast of a higher ratio and hence cost a fortune while those equipped with primitive technology provide the user with a lower ratio and thus are affordably priced.

At the lowest rung of the list of solar panel price in India is the option of scrap solar cells. During the manufacturing process some solar cells are broken down and are sold by manufacturers as individual units for a very low price. Scrap solar cells can also be purchased online through a reliable retailer’s website and then these need to be soldered together to form a single big unit. In this way the user can save considerably on the cost aspect provided he is an expert at soldering and has enough space to accommodate a large panel of many scrap solar cells welded together.