Number of solar panels needed
Number of solar panels needed
(OP)
I there,
Does anyone knows how can i calculate the number of solar panels that i need? what kind of data do i need to perform this claculation.
Thanks for the attention!
Does anyone knows how can i calculate the number of solar panels that i need? what kind of data do i need to perform this claculation.
Thanks for the attention!





RE: Number of solar panels needed
RE: Number of solar panels needed
RE: Number of solar panels needed
RE: Number of solar panels needed
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Then you need to know the rated efficiency of the solar panels you plan to use, probably in the 10% to 15% range.
From that you can calculate the average yearly output in watts per square metre.
But realize that at night or during mid winter, electrical output will be effectively zero for inconveniently long periods, so some sort of battery storage will almost certainly be required.
Working out the panel area and battery size also depends heavily on the pattern of electrical usage, and that is usually the toughest thing of all to nail some hard figures on.
RE: Number of solar panels needed
However on hot days the power will drop.
Cheers
Greg Locock
SIG:Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Number of solar panels needed
It was my mistake, but i was talking about thermal solar panels. Thanks anyway for the replies.
Warpspeed,
I have exactly that data in kWh/m2/day, but even using an average you still have kWh/m2/day. How can you make the change to kW of power installed through thermal solar panels?
GregLocock,
The same question that i mentioned to Warpspeed, i made it to you also. please comment.
Thanks all!
RE: Number of solar panels needed
To be rigorous, you have do the calculations as recommended by the previous posters. An hour by hour insolation will get you the peak power output. Whomever you got the data from should also provide with the insolation data as part of the dataset.
TTFN
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: Number of solar panels needed
That area, is the one that i want to calculate, to define the number of panels.
Thanks
RE: Number of solar panels needed
TTFN
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: Number of solar panels needed
A solar thermal system works in a very similar way, you just need to convert total watt hours into calories to estimate theoretical water heating capacity. That part is fairly easy.
The problem is that collector efficiency will vary hugely over a wide range with water temperature, and the type of collector. High water temperatures create high losses. It depends greatly on the required water temperature, and the application.
RE: Number of solar panels needed
NRCAN (2002), Photovoltaic Systems – A Buyer’s Guide, Natural Resources Canada, Canada
You will find a fruitful source of calculating the No PV panels.
Thanks Sasa