Today, in an era dominated by technology, almost everything around us requires energy to function. Non-renewable resources are fulfilling a large percentage of this energy requirement. However, due to their limited availability, the demand for renewable sources of energy is increasing. In the world of renewable resources, solar energy has been quite popular. It is readily available and has huge potential. Stick to the article if you want to know about solar panel design.
A solar PV (photovoltaic) system or a solar power system uses PV modules to convert sunlight into electricity. This energy can either be put to immediate use or stored for later use. These can also be fed back into the grid lines or combined with other renewable electricity sources or generators. The solar system design plays an important role in the working of a solar system. Let’s see how.
Before installing a solar power system, you must ensure that you have the right solar panel design. The design of your solar PV system has an enormous impact on its efficiency and the amount of energy generated. Choosing a great design for your solar panel will optimize the rooftop space and require fewer panels for the desired energy capacity. This significantly reduces the electricity bills.
The sizing and system designing of the solar PV systems becomes even more essential if you plan to go off-grid. The energy generated shall be sufficient to support all the appliances at your home or workplace during the day as well as at night.
Numerous factors are to be considered before opting for a solar system design. Various aspects are to be kept in mind, and a good provider will do their best to help meet all your requirements. Here is a list of a few important factors to consider during your solar panel design:
The first thing that you have to take into account is your budget. Your budget will have an impact on various facets during installation. The PV module you will choose and will also determine the installers you would hire. Check the features of various solar power systems and see which solar power system meets most of your requirements and comes within your budget.
Next in line is the energy required for consumption. Calculate how much energy at the most you would require in a day, the energy consumed, and the energy that would be needed to be stored. Calculate the total watt-hours per day used by every appliance. Add them all, and then multiply it with 1.3 to get the watt-hour per day required from your PV module. Accordingly, you shall work on your solar panel design.
The hours of the day when the intensity of the sunlight heat reaches more than 1000 watts per square meter are the peak sunlight hours. The calculation of these hours is a major factor determining whether or not the solar panel system is a viable investment in your location. The number of peak sunlight hours in your area will determine the efficiency of the solar power panels. This helps the installer determine the panel size to be used to meet your daily requirement.
The size of the area is one of the key influencers of solar system design. The area size often limits the potential of your solar power system. A suitable roof space of your home will accommodate more PV modules, enabling you to have a larger solar power system. This factor also influences the mounting of your panel system and the configuration of its racking.
This is another contributing factor in the output of your solar panel. Before designing your solar PV system, conduct a thorough shading analysis to increase the efficiency of the system. The area covered in the shade during any time of the day shall preferably be left bare during the process to optimize the capacity of your system.
Sizing and system designing of the solar PV system go hand in hand and is another major factor to be considered. Let’s discuss a little about the sizing of the solar PV system.
The amount of power generated varies according to the size of PV modules. The size of the PV module is determined by the requirement of the total peak watt produced. The peak watt produced depends on the climate of the site and the size of the PV module.
The panel generation factor of the location is taken into account, and accordingly, the calculation is done. The panel generation factor in India is 4-5. Therefore, the following steps are to be followed to determine the sizing and system designing of the solar PV system in India.
To begin with, divide the total watt-hours required from the PV modules per day by 4 or 5 (depending upon the PGF of the place). This will give you the total watt-peak production needed to operate all appliances at your home.
Then divide the value obtained (total watt-peak required) by the rated output watt-peak of the given PV module. The part of the result which you get in the fractional part is supposed to be increased to the immediate next higher whole number. This gives you the minimum number of PV modules that will be required.
Note the least number of PV modules required for your solar system design. You can increase the number of modules to increase its efficacy and improve the life of the battery. However, if the number of PV modules is less than the minimum requirement, the battery life will be diminished, and there is a high chance that your system will not work at all during cloudy weather.
If you are thinking of going off-grid and opting for renewable solar power installation, reach out to us at Waaree Energies Ltd. We are a flagship company of the Waaree Group and began our journey in 1989. We are India’s largest solar PV module manufacturers. Contact us to get the best solar power products.
