With the required system capacity determined, divide it by the capacity of each panel. For instance, if your calculated system capacity is 5kW and each panel has a capacity of 500W, you would need 10 panels. Make sure to consider the specifics of the panels you choose, which can affect the overall system configuration. —————————————-
The solar panel capacity shows how much power a panel can make when the sun’s shining the brightest. It’s measured in watts-peak (Wp). That’s like its top power when it’s working super well. It helps know how much electricity you might get from the panel.
Most appliances should have an information panel showing their consumption in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW) - 1 kW is 1000W. If your solar panels are generating over 1,200W at a particular time, you would be able to power a 300W fridge-freezer, an 800W microwave and a number of small appliances like your broadband router and LED bulbs.
On average, you can expect around 850 to 1,100 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of solar energy per square meter (approximately 10.764 square feet) annually. Panel Efficiency: Solar panel efficiency determines how well the panel converts sunlight into electricity. The efficiency of commercially available solar panels is around 15% to 24.5%.
Typically speaking, the more energy you use, the more solar power you need. The opposite is true for peak sun hours. If you are in an area with a high number of average hours of sunlight, each solar panel will receive more light, and thus produce more power, so you may need fewer panels to power your home.
A panel is usually around 2m², but your installer will need to leave room either side of each panel, and around the system as a whole. They’ll typically leave 40cm of space on all sides, and at least 3cm between the panels, to match the standards created by bodies like Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) and Flexi-Orb.