Solar modules are a great way to power your home with clean energy. Installing a properly sized system is essential if you want to save money on your electricity bill each month. Calculating the number of solar modules you will need can be a bit complex. Seeking professional help is essential, but you can do some of the most basic math yourself.
If you’re ready to figure out how many solar modules your home will need, this guide will walk you through the necessary calculations.
Determination of electricity consumption
Before you can figure out how many solar panels you will need, you need to know how much electricity you regularly use now. This can be difficult to understand if you have recently moved into a new house. It’s best to have a full year of electricity bills available to you so you can accurately measure how much energy you use on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis.
When you look at your bill, you should see the total number of kilowatt hours (kWh) you have been charged. Determine how many kWh you have used in the past year by adding up this number from each of your monthly bills.
Solar Panel Rated Power
It can be difficult to determine how many solar panels you will need, as each panel will have a different power rating. This is measured in watts (W) and measures the electrical power of the panel. For the most part, you will find panels ranging from 250 to 400 watts.
production report
The final figure you will need to know is the actual production rate of your new solar panels. This measures the energy production in kWh relative to the size of the system. It may depend on how much sun you get around your house in a given year. The ratio is calculated by dividing the actual kWh production by the system size. For example, a 10 kW system that produces 15 kWh of electricity would have a production ratio of 1.5.
Understand math
In order to determine how many solar panels you will need, you will need to do some calculations based on the numbers you found in the first three sections. The formula is usually denoted as follows:
Number of panels = system size / production ratio / panel power
Each number is divided by the next number to give you the final count of how many solar panels you will need. This will give you the unique number needed based on your power consumption and the specific panels you plan to purchase.
Get professional help
Calculating how many solar panels you need can be a bit complicated, so you really need to contact the professionals. At SRB Energy, we can help you get the solar panels in Canada what you need and want. Whether your goal is to completely disconnect from the grid or simply save money each month, we can help you achieve your goals!