Choosing the right size solar panel system for your home can be tricky, especially if you are installing it in a new building or if you are not sure how much electricity your home uses.
If you are installing a solar panel system in a new building or if you are not sure how much electricity your home uses, it can be difficult to know how many solar panels or how much solar energy you will need. However, if you know your energy consumption habits or have access to your energy bills, you can estimate your annual energy use and use this information to size your solar panel system appropriately.
If you are unsure about how to size your solar panel system, it is best to consult with a professional solar retailer/installer. However, doing some preliminary research on your own can be helpful.
Here are a few simple tips to help you size your solar system
Check your electricity bills
To get a clear idea of how much solar energy you need, start by looking at your most recent energy bill. Most energy providers have a graph on the bill that shows your average daily electricity consumption for the past year. An energy-efficient Australian three-bedroom home typically uses between 15 and 25 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per day, assuming reasonable use of air conditioning.
Once you know how much energy you use during the day, you can estimate how much solar energy you can expect to produce if you go solar. A tool like PVWatts lets you adjust for variables like your system size and location.
Calculate Your Daily Energy Consumption
When there's no storage battery integrated into your solar panel system, gauging your energy usage during daylight becomes crucial. As solar panels solely generate electricity during sunlight hours, relying on grid electricity becomes necessary after sunset. To determine the appropriate system size for your requirements, it's essential to estimate your daily energy consumption during the day. Follow these steps:
- Refer to a sun-hours map to identify the optimal daylight hours in your region where the sun provides the most substantial sunlight.
- Note down the daily average of peak sun hours in the vicinity of your location.
Assess the Capacity of the Storage Battery
Solar panels can generate a lot of electricity on a sunny day, but they can't generate electricity at night or on cloudy days. That's why some people choose to install a battery storage system along with their solar panels. A battery storage system can store the electricity that your solar panels generate during the day so that you can use it at night or on cloudy days.
Whether or not to install a battery storage system is a personal decision. Battery storage systems can be expensive, but they can also save you money on your electricity bills. If you decide to install a battery storage system, the size and cost of the system will depend on your energy needs.
Without a battery, you can only use the electricity that your solar panels produce when it is being generated. With a battery, you can store any excess electricity generated during the day and use it later.
Choose Between Off-Grid & On-Grid Options
There are a few things to consider when sizing a solar system with battery storage. First, what are your goals? Do you want to be completely off-grid, or do you just want to store some of your solar energy for use at night?
If you go off-grid, you will need to size your solar panel system and battery storage to meet all of your energy needs, even on cloudy days. If you stay on-grid, you can rely on the grid to provide electricity when your solar panels are not generating enough power.
In addition to your goals, there are a number of other factors that will affect the size of your solar system, such as your energy needs, budget, and solar energy objectives.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the optimal size solar panel system for your home will vary depending on a number of factors, such as your energy needs, budget, solar energy objectives, and whether or not you choose to go off-grid. If you are unsure about how to size your solar panel system, it is best to consult with a professional solar retailer/installer.
[Disclaimer: The blog post is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. For accurate and up-to-date information on renewable energy, refer to reputable sources and consult with experts in the field.]
Please don’t hesitate to contact Betta Value Renewable Energy if you have any questions about this topic.
