Encountering the current energy crisis, installing solar energy systems may be one of the most useful and economical methods to get electricity. And, with a solar system house, you don’t have to worry about the electricity too much.
However, how to build up a reliable solar energy system? The answer is using solar panels to construct your solar energy system. A question also arises: How many solar panels do I need? In this post, the author will teach you how to calculate the amount of solar panels you need and what factors affect the amounts of solar panels.
Step 1: Know Annual Electricity Usage
The first step to calculating how many solar panels you need is knowing your annual electricity usage. It is an important method to let you know how much wattage you actually consume. You can check the monthly electric bills. If you have no bills, you also can use the average American house consumption figure of 10,649 kWh / year as an estimate.
Step 2: Solar Panel Wattage
The panel wattage, also known as a solar panel’s power rating, indicates how much electricity a specific solar panel ideally outputs under ideal conditions.
Step 3: Production Ratios
The output of the solar energy system relates to the sunlight time (in kWh) and its actual system size (in W). And this production ratio also refers to the actual productivity of the solar energy system. The higher the production ratio is, the better the solar energy system is, and the fewer panels you might need.
Therefore, it is necessary to determine the sunlight and the size. However, the sunlight time is affected by the location and climate.
To get the production ratios, you need to divide the annual electricity usage estimate by your residential solar system's size to get the basic result.
Step 4: Use a Formula
Since we have gotten the needed data, we can apply these data to the formula.
Number of panels = system size/production ratio/panel wattage.
Allow the author to take an example to illustrate how to use this formula.
Here are the data
Annual electricity usage:10,649 kWh / year. For ease of calculation, we round it to 11,000 KWh
Production ratio: 1.3 and 1.6 (the average ratios of the America)
Panel wattage: 300W
Solar Panel’s amount (Minimum) = 11,000 kWh / 1.3 / 300 = 28.205 (28 panels needed)
Solar Panel’s amount (Max) = 11,000 kWh / 1.6 / 300 = 22.916 (23 panels needed)
What Factors Affect The Amount of Solar Panel You Need?
Several factors may affect the number of solar panels you need, so you need to take these into consideration when you are making the calculation.
●Energy Consumption
The primary factor is how much energy you consume on a daily, monthly, or yearly basis. The more energy you use, the more solar panels you will need to generate that amount of electricity.
The amount of sunlight your location receives throughout the year is crucial. Areas with more sunlight will require fewer solar panels compared to regions with less solar insulation. The angle and direction of your roof or solar installation area also impact panel efficiency.
Also, the sunlight time is important. The more direct sunlight the solar panel roof receives, the more energy is produced. Although solar panels can receive up to seven hours of sunlight daily, most areas may average in the United States between three and five peak hours.
●Panel Efficiency
The efficiency of the solar panels themselves matters. Higher-efficiency panels can generate more electricity in a smaller space, reducing the total number of panels required for a given energy output. The solar panel’s efficiency is expressed as percentages. The higher the solar panel’s rating is, the more energy the solar panel converts.
●Available Space
The physical space available for installing solar panels is a limiting factor. Generally speaking, solar roof system installation usually works around chimneys, skylights, and shaded areas. Before the solar roof system installation, you should ensure this space is large enough. If you have a small roof or limited area, you might not be able to install as many panels even if your energy needs are high. The only method to achieve the target electricity, you may need to find higher-efficiency panels to compensate for these restrictions.
●Financial Budget
Your budget also plays a role. If you're constrained by costs, you might install a system that meets your budget rather than one that covers all your energy needs.
●Weather Patterns
If you live in an area that has unpredictable weather, you need to install more solar panels to compensate for days with reduced sunlight. The unpredictable weather may shorten the sunlight, and as a result, solar energy systems can not generate enough electricity.
Conclusion
At last, before installing the solar energy system, you need to clearly know your purpose. If you want a solar energy system to support your house's electricity, you can take your electricity bill into the consumption. If you want a solar commercial system for your business, you need to take a full calculation.
GR is regarded as a professional solar panel manufacture in China, helping many houses and commercial buildings build up their solar energy system. If you are looking for a partner in the solar system, you can contact GR.
