So you’ve learned everything there is to know about photovoltaic arrays and how they work, and you’re considering having some installed. What comes next?
Before deciding on the type and brand of solar panels to purchase, you must first determine the number of panels required to meet your objectives. Estimating how many solar modules you’ll require can be difficult.
To begin, read the following advice to determine how many solar panels you will require to power your home.
1. Calculate Your Monthly Electricity Usage
You must first determine how much energy you use on a continuous basis. Calculate your monthly consumption over the previous 12 months using your utility bills.
You can correctly measure how much electricity you consume on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis based on the result. If you have recently relocated to a new home, this may be difficult to figure out.
2. Solar Panel Power Rating
Because each panel has a specific power rating, determining how many solar panels you’ll need might be difficult. The majority of panels range in power from 200 to 400 watts.
3. Power Generation Ratio
The final factor you’ll need to understand is your solar photovoltaic panels’ actual production ratio. This compares the energy production in kWh to the system capacity.
This can vary depending on how much sunshine you get around your place at any given time of year. Divide the actual kWh output by the system capacity to get the ratio. For instance, an 8 kW unit that generates 12 kWh of electricity would result in a power generation ratio of 1.5.
4. Completing the Calculation
You’ll need to conduct some calculations based on the numbers you obtained in the preceding three sections to determine how many photovoltaic panels you’ll use.
Each number is divided by the next one to determine how many photovoltaic panels you will require. This will provide you with the specific quantity required based on your power usage and the modules you are thinking about buying.