A Detailed Guide on a 50 Watt Solar Panel: Working, Application, Types & Pricing

Are you planning to get yourself an affordable and least-space-consuming solar panel? A 50 watt solar panel can be the best solution! 

It is a portable and lightweight solar panel that is efficient enough to run appliances that require a low power supply.

But do you know the best part of installing a 50 watt solar panel?

The latest technology for these powerful panels generates electricity even when the weather is not very favourable. Therefore, with these panels, you can easily power the essential items you need regularly.

This is not all! Continue reading to get a thorough understanding of these highly efficient and low-maintenance solar panels.

Working of a 50 Watt Solar Panel

Have you ever wondered how you can power your appliances with the help of a 50-watt PV panel?

If yes, then we are here to answer your question!

This solar panel has premium-quality silicon base cells. When you place your solar panel in the sun, it traps the energy from the sun. 

Further, this energy travels to the corner of the panel and into the conductive wire, which attaches to an inverter.

The inverter converts DC into AC, which is a usable form of electricity. Finally, this energy reaches your appliances through the domestic wiring system.

Types of a 50 Watt Solar Panel

Before you make a decision on installing a 50W solar panel, you must be aware of its types. Presently there are two types of this panel, namely:

• Monocrystalline solar panels: Monocrystalline solar panels have highly pure cells with a single crystal silicon plate. Their efficiency ranges from 19-20%. However, they are slightly expensive.

• Polycrystalline solar panels: Polycrystalline solar panels consist of multiple silicon crystals. These slightly blue-coloured panels have 16-17% efficiency. Yes, they’re more affordable than the mono panels, but mono panels are more energy-efficient than these.

Both these types have different features. Therefore, to make an intelligent purchase, it is crucial to understand your requirements.

50 Watt Solar Panel Price

The price of all solar panels is not the same, even if their wattage is the same. Why? Well, that’s because the type of panels as well as the brand of panels differ. Hence, the difference.

There’s still an average price range that we will be sharing with you:

• The 50 watt solar panel price for monocrystalline solar panels falls between the range of ₹ 1350 to ₹ 1650. 
• The 50 watt solar panel price for polycrystalline solar panels falls between the range of ₹ 1145 to ₹ 1402. 

Specifications of a 50 Watt Solar Panel

Let us go through some important specifications of a 50W solar panel. 

A 50 watt solar panel comes with excellent features and specifications.

• Polycrystalline solar panels have multi-crystalline cells, while monocrystalline solar panels have single silicon (mono) cells.
• Their manufacturing warranty ranges between 2 to 5 years.
• The output or working warranty of these panels is 5 to 10 years.

These specifications ensure your panel replacement in case of a defect or damage within the specified time frame. 

Benefits of a 50 Watt Solar Panel

The benefits of solar panels are another crucial aspect that elaborates the reasons for making the purchase. The 50-watt panels come with the following benefits:

• Solid encapsulation ensures better protection to increase efficient performance in the outside atmosphere.
• They have a toughened surface to increase durability and protect the inside structure.
• These panels offer optimum performance for many years without the need for expensive maintenance.

Drawbacks of a 50 Watt Solar Panel

Along with the benefits, understanding the drawbacks of solar panels is equally important to making a well-informed buying decision. 

Although the benefits of 50 watts panels are many, there are certain disadvantages as well –

• You need to buy multiple 50-watt panels to generate electricity to power bigger domestic appliances.
• Their efficiency reduces during cloudy weather.

Requirement of a 50 Watt Solar Panel to Fulfil Power Needs

The requirement of solar panels entirely depends on your power consumption and the electricity generation capacity of the panel. 

The major factors that determine the efficiency of a solar panel are:

• The type of panel, i.e., monocrystalline or polycrystalline.
• Specifications of different brands.

However, the general thumb rule states that you need to divide the total capacity of a solar system with a single solar panel capacity to calculate the number of panels. 

This means you need to calculate your total power requirement and then decide the capacity of the solar system you need to install. 

Afterward, divide this number by 50 to determine the number of panels you need to install.

Here is an example for your understanding! 

Suppose you need a 1000-watt (1 KW) solar system to fulfil your domestic needs. For this, you need to install (1000 watts/50 watts) 20 50-watt solar panels.

Here are a few more calculations for a better understanding:

• You need 40 50-watt panels for a 2 KW solar system (2000/50).
• You need 60 50-watt panels for a 3 KW solar system (3000/50).
• You need 80 50-watt panels for a 4 KW solar system (4000/50).
• You need 100 50-watt panels for a 5 KW solar system (5000/50).

Applications of a 50 Watt Solar Panel

Solar panels with 50-watt power are suitable for a wide range of applications that require low power consumption. 

The most common applications of 50-watt PV panels are:

• Solar street light: These stand-alone street lights have solar batteries that store the power generated during the day. The stored energy powers these lights throughout the night.
• Home lighting system: It is an easy mounting, compact and portable system. This system generates and stores solar energy that is usable at any time of the day.
• Street food stalls: These solar panels are suitable for movable street food stalls. The power generated by them during the day fulfils the stall’s electricity requirements at night.  

Subsidy for a 50 Watt Solar Panel

Although the solar system evens out the initial investment within a few years, many people face challenges in saving the funds to go solar.

The Indian government provides subsidies to install solar panels on your homes or housing societies. 

Usually, the subsidy is offered only when the solar panels are at least 330 watts, but that’s not a thumb rule. There are a few exceptions!

The general subsidy rates for most Indian states are as follows:

• For 1KW to 3KW solar systems, a 40% subsidy is provided on L1 prices. 
• For solar systems that are above 3KW and up to 10KW, a 20% subsidy is offered on L1 prices.
• In housing societies, a 20% subsidy on L1 rates is provided for installations up to 500 KW.

Ensure that before applying for the subsidy, you consider checking the subsidy policy of your state. 

Conclusion 

A 50 watt solar panel is the best way of going solar to power your appliances that require low electricity. Moreover, they are portable, lightweight, and highly efficient for versatile applications. 

However, if you want to power your entire house with 50-watt panels, you need to install a solar system with multiple panel attachments. 

FAQs 

Q. What is the price of a monocrystalline 50 watt solar panel?

The prices of solar panels vary from one brand to another. However, the price range of monocrystalline 50-watt panels falls between ₹ 1350 to ₹ 1650. 

Q. How to decide the exact number of 50-watt panels for a house?

To calculate the number of panels you need for your domestic needs, you first need to determine your domestic power consumption. 

Afterward, you need to divide the solar system capacity that is optimum to power your home appliances by 50.

Q. What are the common applications of 50 watt solar panel?

50-watt panels are suitable for various applications. However, they are increasingly applicable at:

• Movable food stalls
• Street lights
• Home lighting system