Determining Solar Power Needs

The following article will guide you step by step through calculating how many solar panels you need how large a battery bank what sized power inverter and what size solar charge controller.

Determining solar power needs.

There may be a difference in the estimated numbers from the actual watts output delivered. It s important to note that solar panels don t operate at maximum efficiency at all times. But knowing exactly how many solar panels you ll need can be complicated. Determining solar energy needs for home or small business installation may 11 2013 by amie sugat owning and installing a home solar power grid system is becoming more affordable as new technologies come onto the market and materials are easier to come by and mass produced.

6 minutes determining the size of your solar energy system starts with a simple question. The above factors and metrics will help you in calculating the energy requirements for the solar power system that needs to be set up. At the time it was more than adequate for our needs even with a watermaker we were fully topped up by 11 am or noon most days. Compare with your consumption and costs and if it s what you are looking for then divide the power capacity by the nominal stc power of the solar panels somewhere between 350 400wp for your case.

Electric heaters do not use solar power to run electric heaters for long periods of time. Solar panels are sold in varying sizes but a 100 watt panel is a commonly found size particularly for rvs. There is a formula you can use but you ll first need to find out how much energy you use on a daily basis. 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.

That s the number of kilowatt hours you need your solar system to produce if you want to cover 100 percent of your energy needs. Take us for example. Follow the off grid project and learn how to calculate your own solar energy requirements. But we had a propane refrigerator which we just changed to a 12v model.

When the system is up and functioning you can adjust it. Your average daily energy usage is your target daily average for to calculate your solar needs. Electric heaters use up a huge amount of power 1200 watts for example and a solar system to power them would cost too much. Solar panels can power your entire house saving you money and helping you reduce your own carbon footprint.

Calculate solar power needs. Power needs spreadsheet xls 11kb microsoft excel 97 2000 xp format some important tips.