How to calculate a Solar System for your Home?

If you are thinking about installing a solar system for your home, you might be wondering how to size it correctly. Sizing a solar system involves calculating how much energy you need, how much sunlight you get, and how many solar panels you need to meet your goals. In this blog post, we will guide you through the steps of sizing a solar system for your home.


Step 1: Determine your average monthly kWh usage

The first step is to find out how much electricity you use on average per month. You can do this by looking at your electric bills for the past 12 months and adding up your kWh usage. Then divide the total by 12 to get your average monthly kWh usage. For example, if your total kWh usage for the year was 10,800 kWh, your average monthly kWh usage would be:


10,800 kWh / 12 months = 900 kWh per month


Step 2: Calculate your daily kWh usage

Next, you need to estimate how much electricity you use on average per day. You can do this by dividing your average monthly kWh usage by 30 days. For example, if your average monthly kWh usage was 900 kWh, your average daily kWh usage would be:


900 kWh / 30 days = 30 kWh per day


Step 3: Estimate the amount of sunlight your solar panels will receive

The amount of sunlight your solar panels will receive depends on your location and the orientation and tilt of your roof. You can use a tool like NREL’s GHI maps to see how many sun hours you can expect to get in your location. Sun hours are different from daylight hours because they measure the intensity of sunlight that reaches the earth's surface. For example, in Anaheim, CA, where GoGreenSolar is headquartered, we get about 5 sun hours per day on average.

If we get 5 sun hours for a 1kW Solar System then it will produce 3.7kWh per day and that constant depends on the Solar Panel angle. If the angle of the Solar panel increase then the daily production on the available sun hours will also increase. It varies from 3-6kWh daily. 

**We will be discussing Solar Panel production in another blog for detailed information and let back to what we are doing

1kW Solar System = 3.7kWh/Units

So, our daily consumption is 30kWh per day for our house, Now have to calculate the total Solar system required

as we know

Solar required = Total Per day consumption/Per kW units

Solar Required = 30/3.7

Solar Required = 8.1kW or 8100W 

Step 4: Account for inefficiencies

Solar panels do not produce their rated power output all the time. There are several factors that reduce their efficiency, such as temperature, shading, wiring losses, inverter losses, and degradation over time. To account for these inefficiencies, you need to add some extra capacity to your solar system. A good rule of thumb is to add 25% overhead to your system size. For example, if you need an 8.1 kW solar system based on your sun hours and daily kWh usage, you should add 25% to get:


8.1 kW x 1.25 = 10.125 kW


Step 5: Determine how many solar panels you need

The final step is to figure out how many solar panels you need to achieve your desired system size. To do this, you need to divide your system size by the power output of each solar panel. For example, if you want a 10.125 kW system and you choose solar panels that have a power output of 450 W each or you can choose one that is easily available in the market in your area, you would need:


10.125 kW / 0.45 kW = 22.5 panels

So you cannot get a half panel and you cannot add a 220W panel with the 450W panel so you have to round off the panel to the 22 or 23 panels that you required. So we go for even numbers of 22 panels as it makes symmetry while the installation.


Since you cannot have half a panel, you would round up to 22 panels.

Step 6: Determine your Solar Inverter for your Home

For your information there are two types of Inverters it depends on you what you are selecting?

Well you need a 10kW Inverter the choice is yours in the detail below

1. Ongrid Inverter: It is also known as Grid Tied Inverter. The solar will stop working if there is no electricity power from the grid. And its main purpose is to reduce the electricity bill.

2. Hybrid Inverter: It is also known as Solar UPS. It takes power from Solar, Runs the household load, then the remaining power is stored in the battery for later use or when there is no grid. And its main purpose is a backup when there is no grid.

**We will discuss the detailed work about different types of Inverters in another Blog. Stay Connected.

Conclusion

Sizing a solar system for your home is not very complicated if you follow these steps. However, keep in mind that this is only an estimate and there may be other factors that affect your actual system performance and cost. You should always consult with a professional solar installer before making any final decisions.


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