If you want to save money on your energy bill, take better control of your energy use, and possibly even generate some profit from solar buyback, you might be tempted to invest in more solar panels. But is bigger always better? How many solar panels do you really need?
This seemingly simple question has more considerations than you might expect. Here’s what you need to know.
Generally speaking, the number of panels you’ll need will depend on:
The more of your grid-sourced energy you want to replace with solar, the more energy your system will need to generate - and the more solar panels you’ll need!
However, when discussing solar power systems, people don’t usually talk about the number of panels alone. Solar systems work as - you guessed it - a system, with the end goal of generating a certain amount of power. This goal is achieved through solar panels, yes, but also other important parts like the inverters. Just talking about the panels isn’t particularly helpful.
Instead of the number of panels, people will generally talk about solar power systems in terms of the kW rating. This is the maximum amount of energy the system can generate at its peak output. This isn’t how much it will always generate - there are a few factors that can impact solar power generation, such as dirty panels, cloudy days, or simple wear and tear.
For most residential uses, solar systems are between 3kW and 6kW. For businesses, 5kW or higher is the usual.
Here’s another trick question! Every solar panel manufacturer is different. There are lots of different materials and design aspects between the solar panels, which all impact how much power a single panel generates.
A highly efficient, top-of-the-line solar panel may generate as much as two lower-quality, older models. Solar panels are getting more efficient every year, so it’s tough to put an exact number of panels required for a specific system.
Right now, a 3kW grid-tied solar power system from ZEN uses 8 solar panels, with the larger systems using comparatively more.
These are typical solar system sizes for residential applications, but a solar system can easily be expanded to whatever size you need - even to the point where the solar power can replace your grid connection entirely.
The main limiting factor for solar panels is the amount of solar-ready available roof space. Not every roof is solar-capable, with solar panel racking requiring a sturdy, sunlight-covered roof for maximum efficiency. Each kilowatt of power generated will require about 8m2 of solar panels, as a guideline.
More solar panels as part of a larger solar power system will generate more power. In fact, there’s often a cost saving the larger your system is - you pay less per kW of generation as your systems get larger.
However, the way to get the best value from your system is to try and closely match your actual electricity usage. You can sell excess power back to the grid, but it’s more efficient to generate and use your power yourself.
Here are a few additional considerations before adding more panels to your solar system
Bigger isn’t always better with a power system - you don’t want to invest more than you need to, after all! That’s why we’ve made sure that we use only highly efficient parts in our solar system, including advanced panels, so you can get more solar generation in a smaller, less expensive package.
If you’re looking to invest in a larger solar system or would like to expand your existing system, get in touch with the ZEN Energy team to discover your options.
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