How Many Solar Panels Do You Really Need
As pointed out earlier, solar panels usually reach peak output for just a few hours a day. So a 300 watt solar panel might average 280-290 watts over five sun hours.
We are using five sun hours in this example. Check in your area how many sunlight hours are available.
10 x 300W solar panels with an average output of 290 watts each.
290 x 10 = 2900
The array only produces 2900 watts, which is short of the 3000 watts needed by the inverter.
This also does not account for inverter efficiency. A modern inverter is 90% 95% will loses a few watts during the DC to AC conversion process. So that maximum power load will consume more than 3000 watts.
But if you had a 12 x 300 watt solar array instead of 10:
290 x 12 = 3480
A 12 x 300W solar array can give you 3480 watts an hour. Even if the solar panels never reach 300 watts, the output is still higher than the inverter requirement.
Even if your inverter is 90% efficient, there is still enough power to meet the demand. Of course you will want an inverter and PV array that is as efficient as possible for the best results.
What Size Solar System Do I Need
With the increased interest in environmentally friendly options across the globe, from less plastic bags to reusable coffee cups to renewable energy, the interest in solar system arrangements has shot up exponentially. If you type in ‘solar system choices’ into Google, you will receive over 78 million results and likely an overwhelming feeling of, well, being overwhelmed. What system should you get? How much should it cost? Where should it be located? What are the reliable brands? What size should it be? Who installs them? These questions, among a huge range of others, have likely crossed your mind on more than one occasion. So, to make things a little easier, we have put together some information regarding one specific, and very important, question – what size solar system do I need ?
Calculating The Size Of Solar Power System
If you are reading the above and are still unsure, there is a way to approximately calculate the size of the system you’ll need, based on your current electricity usage. A word of caution however, this way of calculating is very simplistic , almost too simplistic, therefore it may not provide a truly accurate result. Use it more as a guide, and used in conjunction with all the other factors .
Steps to calculating solar system size
- Step 1: Know the difference between kW and kWh
The ‘k’ stands for kilo, meaning 1000, and the ‘W’ stands to Watt, which is a measure of power. Finally, the ‘h’ stands for hour, which is clearly a measurement of time. So, ‘kW’ means 1000 Watts and is a measure of power – in this case, the size of a solar system is defined by its peak power. e.g. a 1 kW system can produce 1 kW of power on really sunny days . On the other hand, ‘kWh’ stands for kilowatt-hour and is a measure of energy, as opposed to power. When it comes to solar panels, if your system consistently output 1 kW of power for a whole 60 minutes, it will have produced 1 kWh of energy. The amount of electricity your solar system generates is defined in kWhs.
- Step 2: Grab out your most recent electricity bill and take a look at your usage. It is likely a quarterly bill, so we will work off that assumption, however if it isn’t alter your calculations accordingly. Take a look at the top of your bill, which should show how many kWhâs you have used in the previous 4 quarters .
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What Type Of Solar Panels Should I Install
The choice of solar panel type can be based on efficiency, cost, and available space. Some types of solar panel are more efficient that others, and this would affect the number of panels you need to install.
For example, you need less space to install monocrystalline panels compared to thin film and polycrystalline solar panels.
There are different types of solar panels that can be installed on your roof, but the most commonly installed panels are monocrystalline or polycrystalline solar panels.
- Lower efficiency rate compared to monocrystalline
- More sensitive to high temperatures compared to monocrystalline
A Reliable Solar Partner
Solar panels are a great way to produce renewable energy for your home. Solar panels come in various shapes, sizes, and styles that can be adapted to most homes or businesses based on their specific needs. You will need a solar contractor familiar with the technology to measure how many solar panels you need correctly.
Schedule a free consultation with Mynt Solar. Our comprehensive consultation will show how many solar panels would be optimal for your home, how much power you could generate each month, and more. We look forward to working with you!
Mynt Solar
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Do You Even Need Solar Panels
You can run inverters off solar panels, but are they necessary? The answer is no, but solar panels offer many benefits.
If your home is tied to the grid, you can run the inverter off the main power supply. You dont need solar panels or even batteries.
Grid tied solar systems shut down during a power outage for safety reasons. If you want access to solar power during a blackout, you need a battery bank or solar array. You can also use them together. For instance you can charge the batteries with the solar panels and use the batteries to power the inverter.
If you are off grid, you can run the inverter entirely from a battery bank. Of course the batteries must have enough power to run the inverter.
You need a 300ah battery minimum to start the inverter, and that will run the system for an hour only. You need another battery or solar array to recharge it. In the meantime you must have another power source to keep the inverter going.
The point is, you can use an inverter without solar panels. But there are many reasons why you should. For one, it is an effective battery charger. Second, it is cheaper in the long run to use a solar array than keep paying monthly energy bills. Off grid systems can also use a combination of solar panels, batteries and even a generator to power inverters.
Solar Panel Size Dimensions
If you refer to the physical solar panel size dimensions, we can start off by saying that each manufacturer has its own optimal dimensions. This largely depends on their own technology.
As you might already know, solar panels are comprised of an arrangement of cells. Depending on the number of cells in the panel they are larger or smaller.
Traditionally, solar panels come in two different configurations: 60-cell and 72-cell. However, if you go to Panasonic or SunPower, they offer 96-cell panels.
But solar energy does not stop in large rigid solar panels.
You can also find small solar panels, and they are ideal to mount on motorhomes, boats, and caravans. Check out our guide on the best boat solar panels.
Solar panels also come in flexible and foldable configurations, making them more practical and easy to carry in case youd like to take them on your hiking or camping trips.
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Factors That Influence How Many Solar Panels You Need
To determine how many solar panels are needed to power a house, several factors must be considered. For example, if there are two identical homes powered by solar energy in California and New York, with exactly the same energy usage, the California home will need fewer solar panels because the state gets more sunshine.
The following are some of the most important factors to consider when figuring out many solar panels you need:
Determining The Solar Panel Setup
So, I got how much electricity my van uses in a day and how much solar power do I need for my RV, but how many watt solar panels do I need for my RV? The answer to this depends on how many panels can be fitted on your RV, but the general rule is that every trailer should require a setup of two panels at a minimum.
One common misconception is that a panel needs to be capable of at least 500 or 600 watts to be worth it. You should get even a 900-watts one to be safe.
Realistically though, you only need as many watts as your usage warrants and as many panels as your batteries can store. Going overboard will result in economic inefficiency and wastage.
My personal suggestion here is to invest in better battery capacity first. You can always add more to your solar array later if you need more power in your battery bank.
Here are a couple of setups to our example:
- Three panels of 400w each
- Eight panels of 150w each
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Assessing Your Solar Power Needs
Now that you have read about solar energy, you now have a background on how this energy is utilized and what ways will it benefit not only you but the environment.
This brings us now to the central question of our article, How much Solar Power do I need?
I know this is not what you signed up for, but I hope youre prepared to do some necessary calculations, so prepare your calculator, a pen and something to write on, because, in this section, we will discuss how to compute the amount of solar power you need, for your home, business or property.
But before we dive deeper into computation, I would like to warn you that the amount of solar power you need depends not only on your daily power consumption, which we will compute today .
Other factors, such as the amount of energy you wish to store, and energy allocation, are also essential factors that you need to consider.
Is A 4kw Solar System Worth It
With the average U.S. irradiance of 5.3kWh/m2/day , a 4kW solar system generates about 21.2kWh of energy per day, or 7738kWh/year.
This is quite a lot less than the average energy consumption for a U.S. home is 11000kWh/year. A 4Kw solar system may or may not meet a homes energy requirement, as it depends on the location and how much the home uses.
Whether such a system is worth it or not also depends on the electricity cost, which varies from state to state. The cost of the solar system must also be known, and this assest cost may be reduced by government or state solar incentives.
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Your Current Energy Consumption
Many solar customers desire a system that generates equal to or close to the amount of energy theyre consuming each month. To get a feel for your current energy consumption, look at your watt usage over the last 12 months. Depending on your situation, you may need more or less solar panels to potentially reduce your bill.
How Much Solar Power Will You Need
To determine your homes average energy requirements, look at past utility bills. You can calculate how many solar panels you need by multiplying your households hourly energy requirement by the peak sunlight hours for your area and dividing that by a panels wattage. Use a low-wattage and high-wattage example to establish a range . Note that the size of your roof and how much sunlight your roof gets are factors as well.
If you work with an experienced solar installer, they will handle all these calculations for you. If youre searching for a calculator to figure out how many solar panels do I need?, look no further. You can use SunPower Design Studio to estimate your own system size, monthly savings, and the actual appearance of a solar array on your own roof. This interactive tool provides a solar estimate in just a few seconds and can be done on your own or on a call with a SunPower 786-7693.
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How To Use A Calculator To Calculate How Many Solar Panels You Need
Our solar calculator can estimate the number of panels needed for your home. The tool works by taking your average monthly energy usage in kilowatt hours .
- Calculators that use kilowatt hours are more accurate because they consider your exact energy needs
- Those that ask for home area must assume the electricity consumption
Each electric company has a different power bill format, but they all display your electricity consumption for the billing period. The exact description will vary, but you should look for a term such as kWh used or kWh consumed.
Solar calculators also ask for your home location to determine how much sunshine is available. Based on those two values, they can estimate the system size in kilowatts. Some solar calculators assume a wattage for panels, while others ask you directly. Based on the total kilowatts and the rated watts per panel, the calculator can determine how many are needed.
It is important to understand the difference between kWh savings and dollar savings. kWh savings refer to the amount of energy that your panels produce. On the other hand, dollar savings are obtained when the solar electricity production is multiplied by the kWh price.
Types Of Solar Panels
Solar panels are sold in all kinds of sizes, but a 100-watt panel is a commonly found size especially for RVs. That panel is rated at 100 watts at peak efficiency meaning on a 78-degree cloudless day at solar noon on the equator during the equinox or whats called a perfect day. You get it. With Solar Systems
There are a few different types of Solar Panels to choose from these days and of course, there are Pros and Cons with both.
- Rigid Solar Panels-are the most common panel on the market and is composed of two standard types of cells called monocrystalline or polycrystalline cells with a layer of protective tempered glass and an aluminum frame. These units are very durable and are used in almost all applications with flat surfaces.
- Flexible Solar Panels The current flexible solar panels available to homeowners on the market fall under the category of thin-film panels. A thin-film solar panel is made with layers that are over 300 times smaller than standard silicon solar panels, which gives them a much thinner profile and can even make some thin-film panels flexible
They are young and still ironing out problems like mico-cracking and heat dissipation that dont come with the Glass Ridgid Panel Most people believe that just are still unproven in their development but most experts also agree they are considered the Future of Solar the Industry.
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How Does An Rv Inverter Work
An inverters basic function is to invert the direct current output from Batteries into alternating current . AC is the standard used by all commercial appliances, which is why many view inverters as the gateway between the photovoltaic system and the energy off-taker.
In addition to converting DC to AC, they provide a number of other capabilities and services to ensure that the inverter can operate at an optimal performance level, such as data monitoring, advanced utility controls, applications, and system design engineering.
Using your highest demand for Watts whether its a fridge at 1500 Watts or a Hair Dryer at 1100. The Inverter would have to be at least 1500 watts to match the watts of the fridge. By adding a buffer of another 500 watts the right size would be around 2000 Watts. There are 2 Types of Inverters used in the RV Solar System.
How Much Do Solar Panels Cost
Solar panels vary in cost like most other items. Standard solar panels cost an average of 65-75 cents per watt of electricity. Higher quality solar panels can cost between $1-2 per watt.
The federal government offers a tax credit to homeowners who convert to solar power to encourage solar energy use. Installation costs have lessened over the last ten years, making solar panel installation more affordable. The average price of solar panel equipment is approximately $10,000 with an additional installation charge. You can use our solar panel calculator calculator to get a better idea for solar panel pricing in your area.
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Consider Lower Winter Output
Due to a shortage of sunshine hours in the winter months, the solar panel output is significantly less. Ideally, you want a solar power system to generate enough electricity to power your heating needs in the depths of winter. We look at the effect of winter generation on your system size decision using the example for a Melbourne property below:
Electricity use:
- Daily electricity = 18kWh
- Daylight use = 7.2kWh
The output of a 5kW system:
- Average daily output = 18kWh
- Winter daily output = 9.0kWh
In this example, a 5kW system will produce enough electricity in winter to power the daylight usage of 7.2kWh. A smaller system would not be able to generate enough electricity to power the households daylight energy use in the winter months, and this is another reason why selecting a bigger system size is the best way to go.
Find A Solar Panel Installer
As well as adding up the cost of the solar PV system itself, you will also need to factor in the installation. To find the most competitive price, we highly recommend comparing quotes from multiple solar installers.
Getting multiple quotes might sound like hard work but at Solar Guide, we’ve made finding solar panel installers easier than ever. Simply take a few moments to go through our quick online form and we’ll match your needs with up to 3 solar installers based in your area. Once you have the quotes then you’re free to compare them and be confident that you’re not paying a penny more than you should be.
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