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Impressed with neighbour saving on electricity costs from the solar power plant and considering solar for your use? One of the questions that could come to your mind is

What is The Capacity of The Solar Plant I Need?

This article guides you on solar plant capacity calculations.

Before getting into calculations, you need to figure out what type of solar system would suit. you can find about the type of solar systems here.

Following steps illustrate how to calculate on-grid solar system capacity required for your use.

Calculate Your Electricity Consumption

First, you should calculate monthly electricity consumption either from electricity bill or by noting meter readings.

The best and easy way is by using the electricity bill. Your electricity bill typically gives meter readings with a span of one or two months. Difference between the readings is your electricity consumption for the period. The units of readings are kWh.

Calculate The Capacity of Solar Panels Required

The capacity of solar panels is decided by electricity production required from them. Here, Electricity generation required from the solar power plant is equal to your consumption or part of the consumption that you want to meet from the solar plant.

Generation from a solar plant would depend on several factors such as the location of the plant, type of modules used, orientation and inclination of panels, site-specific conditions etc.

For initial calculations, an approximate value can be taken. 1 kWp solar plant generates approximately 120 units (120 kWh) a month. For a better estimation of generation from your site/roof, it is suggested to consult an installer nearby you or Prodah Solutions is just a click away.

Now, the capacity of solar panels required (in kiloWatts kWp) for your use can be calculated by dividing your consumption or part of consumption that you want to meet from solar by 120.

Calculate The Capacity of Inverter Required

The capacity of the inverter in an on-grid or grid connected system is equal to solar panel capacity. In some cases, the capacity of the inverter is as taken as 80% or 90% of solar panel capacity This is because the output from solar panels rarely touches full capacity. Therefore, reducing inverter size and associated components reduces the cost with less impact on output or performance.

Conclusion

The number of solar panels required for your use depends on how much consumption that you want to meet from solar panels. dividing consumption with 120 gives the capacity of solar panels required in kWp. For better calculations and understanding site suitability, it is suggested to get in touch with a professional installer nearby you or book a free consultation from Prodah Solutions.