With the increasing attention to renewable energy, solar photovoltaic systems, as a clean and renewable source of energy, have received widespread social attention and precise application in the market.
However, when choosing a type of solar system, people often face many choices, including solar panel type, system capacity, installation method, and so on.
Therefore, this guide aims to provide you with multiple perspectives on how to choose the type of solar system that suits you, and we can also provide solutions for designing the best type of solar system that meets your needs.
Table of Contents
The Basic Principles of Solar Energy Systems
The basic components of a solar energy system include solar panels, inverters, brackets, and batteries.
The solar panel is responsible for converting sunlight into electrical energy, the inverter converts direct current into alternating current, the bracket is used to support the solar panel, and the battery is used to store electrical energy for subsequent use.
Understanding these basic principles is crucial for choosing the right type of solar system for yourself.
Type of Solar System and Performance
At present, there are several types of solar panels on the market, including monocrystalline silicon solar panels, polycrystalline silicon solar panels, and thin film solar panels.
Monocrystalline silicon solar panels have high conversion efficiency and are suitable for situations with limited space but high performance requirements.
Polycrystalline silicon solar panels have a high cost-effectiveness and are suitable for general household or commercial applications.
Thin film solar panels have good flexibility and are suitable for curved surface installation or special scenarios.
In addition to performance, when purchasing, it is also necessary to consider the durability and lifespan of the solar panel, as well as the manufacturer’s reputation and after-sales service.
At the same time, when you make a purchase, you will find that the colors of solar panels are mostly black and blue.
Because these are the natural colors that silicon undergoes during the manufacturing process.
Black or blue solar panels are also the most efficient and widely used due to the technological influence of their manufacturing process, making them the most affordable and very popular in the European region.
Solar System Capacity and Electricity Demand
Choosing the appropriate type of solar system capacity requires considering the actual electricity demand of households or businesses.
Solar systems have higher investment returns in terms of daytime electricity consumption or daytime movable loads. This means that type of solar system with the best return on investment should match the solar output with your daytime energy needs.
In this way, the situation of power load is very important, which needs to consider how you use electricity all day, especially the energy consumption of major energy loads (such as hot water systems, dishwashers, and washing machines) during daytime operation.
Take the household electricity consumption that is relatively easy to quantify as an example.
A typical household consumes the most energy in the morning and evening, as people usually work or go to school during the day. Electricity consumption can refer to the following assumptions that are closely related to data:
The energy consumption is 20kWh per day.
The orientation of the solar panels installed in the location (considering the acceptable conversion rate of energy)
Average output – actual solar power generation is higher in summer and lower in winter.
Assuming that both power generation and reception are not ideal, in this example, a household using 20kWh of energy per day can offset 40% of its electricity consumption with a 5kW solar system.
If the electricity price is 20 cents per kilowatt hour and the grid electricity price is 7 cents per kilowatt hour, the customer can save $3.5 per day and $1277 per year.
Consider the possibility of expanding your load system to meet future needs
With the increase in living costs and demand, the scale of solar systems needs to be adapted as the load increases. Although installing larger systems from the beginning will incur more costs.
Usually, users choose slightly larger system sizes to accommodate the possibility of future energy usage growth.
For example, the following loads may significantly increase the electricity consumption in your home:
- Air conditioning unit installation
- Convert gas into electricity (furnace, heating)
- Working from Home
- Purchase electric vehicles
If there are plans listed that are suitable for your future planning, you may consider designing more capacity space in advance when selecting a system to avoid higher costs of subsequent system changes.
By analyzing historical electricity consumption data, the required basic capacity size can be determined to ensure that different type of solar system can meet daily electricity needs.
This requires calculating the basic daily electricity consumption and relevant information about the load to determine.
For some customers with more needs, adopting it is also to minimize dependence on traditional power grids as much as possible.
At the same time, the growth of future electricity demand should also be considered to ensure the scalability of the system. Generally speaking, the larger the capacity of a solar system, the higher its power generation efficiency, but it also means higher investment costs.
What Size of Solar Cell Do I Need?
Customers consider the following situations during installation.
100% Energy Independence
(literally meaning “off grid solar systems”)
Some customers want to be completely independent of the grid, which means installing sufficient solar and battery capacity to completely break away from the demand for grid power.
Usually, this requires installing a sufficiently large battery capacity to meet 2-3 days of energy usage, and there is also an option for backup generators in the plan.
60-80% Energy Independence
achieving this electricity consumption target through solar energy and batteries can significantly reduce initial costs. This means you don’t have to specifically scale up the system to cope with occasional continuous severe extreme weather conditions. You can seamlessly obtain electricity from the grid when needed, while offsetting electricity bills as much as possible.
Independence During Peak and Valley Periods
Many customers adopt time of use rates, which means that the electricity bills charged during peak periods are much higher. Designing batteries to cover peak usage will increase investment returns. Most battery solutions can also be programmed to discharge only at specific times of the day to ensure maximum return on investment.
Real Customer Service Cases
(detailed information has been processed)
The customer is located in a remote area and is not expected to receive electricity from the city center.
According to customer requirements, the entire system is designed as a microgrid system consisting of generators, photovoltaic panels, and energy storage cabinets.
When the photovoltaic panels have electricity, they are directly inverted to the load, and the excess electricity is stored in the energy storage cabinet, which can be retrieved when insufficient.
When neither the photovoltaic panel nor the energy storage cabinet can provide power, the generator needs to be able to intelligently cut into the load.
PCS minimum 250kW, expandable. BESS has a minimum of 250KWh intelligent lithium battery storage and scalability.
1.No photovoltaic, the electricity level is below the set value.
2.There is photovoltaic power, which is greater than the load.
3.There is photovoltaic power, which is less than the load.
4.Without photovoltaic power, if the battery exceeds the set value, the diesel generator will not charge the battery.
Design multiple solutions with reference at once, comprehensive and fast.
How to Determine the Appropriate Inverter Size
How much power do you really need?
Is it better to have a larger inverter? The answer is negative.
An inverter is a machine that converts the power of a DC battery into an AC power source, which then operates all electronic devices in your home. It is important to first figure out how large the inverter you need.
How to estimate inverter size requirements
Before purchasing and installing an inverter, it is necessary to determine your power requirements.
The size of the inverter suitable for your specific application depends on how many watts your device requires. This is the first step before selecting and starting the entire system. It is also important to avoid excessive burden on the electrical system.
Inverters are module components that cannot be lacking in any off grid solar photovoltaic system or backup power system, as they convert the direct current (DC) electricity from batteries or solar panel arrays into the alternating current (AC) electricity needed for household appliances.
Finding the inverter size that suits your energy needs is a challenging task as it depends on multiple factors. For example, the type and quantity of electronic products used, the power of each device, and overall energy demand.
When calculating the total wattage of the load, you need to consider the starting wattage and operating wattage of the device.
The startup wattage is the wattage required to start the device. The operating wattage is the wattage required to operate the device, which may be different from the starting wattage.
Electrical appliances with motors (such as refrigerators) typically have a higher starting wattage than their operating wattage.
When considering operating power and starting power, it is necessary to design to meet the highest power of the device used, as well as the situation where multiple devices are used simultaneously.
Installation Method and Space Utilization
The installation methods of solar energy systems include roof installation, ground installation, etc. When choosing the installation method, it is necessary to consider factors such as the structure, orientation, and obstructions of the building, as well as maximizing the use of space and lighting resources.
The size, direction, and layout of the roof space and solar panel design will affect the size of the system you can install.
A completely flat roof is not suitable for solar panels, and our designers usually recommend tilting the frame to adjust the angle of the panels for maximum sunlight capture efficiency.
The ideal scenario is for the solar panels on the roof to have an angle between 15 and 35 degrees.
And there must be no ventilation openings, antennas, or chimneys. For roof installation, it is also necessary to ensure that the roof structure can withstand the weight of the solar panels.
And ground installation needs to fully consider the design and utilization of land area as well as the shading of the surrounding environment.
In addition, some emerging installation methods, such as solar walls and solar canopies, are also worth considering.
They not only generate electricity, but also provide shading and rain protection functions, making them a versatile construction arrangement.
Your geographical location also needs to be considered. Usually solar panels facing north are generally the most effective because they absorb and convert the most direct and abundant solar energy during the hottest hours of the day.
Solar panels facing east can capture morning sunlight, while facing west can absorb hot afternoon sunlight. These are all design options that can be considered.
If your energy usage is evenly distributed throughout the day, purchasing a 5-6.6kW solar photovoltaic system to install on the roof is also sufficient to meet your usage needs.
It is worth noting that if electricity usage can be converted to consume most of the solar power generated by the system, most type of solar systems will receive returns within 3 to 5 years.
And some solar energy suppliers will try to persuade you to install the largest possible system on the roof and sell you the idea that the more solar energy can be generated, the better.
However, investing more in a type of solar system will mean higher upfront costs and generating more solar energy than needed for use, which means your investment will take longer to return on investment.
So the size of the type of solar system should be suitable for the electricity consumption of the place you are investing in, even considering the subsequent increase in load, it is not necessarily better to have a larger size.
Choosing a high-quality type of solar system is very important, and you can learn more about investing in solar photovoltaic systems from us.
Cost Investment and Return Analysis
The cost of a solar energy system includes the purchase cost of components such as solar panels, inverters, and brackets, as well as installation costs.
At the same time, it is also necessary to consider the maintenance costs and long-term electricity benefits of the solar system.
By comprehensively calculating and analyzing the above investments and daily returns, we can help you make reasonable decisions.
Purchasing a solar photovoltaic system is a significant investment, and you need a reputable and certified solar supplier to recommend a solution that suits you.
GYCX is a very good choice.
We offer different type of solar system for you to choose from, meeting your needs with perfect quality one-stop service.
Also keep in mind your budget. Please pay attention to the sales strategy and after-sales service during the discussion to ensure that you receive the best value from all aspects.
In addition, government subsidy policies and changes in energy prices should also be considered. They will also have an impact on investment returns.
Although the initial investment is relatively high, with the maturity of solar technology and the decrease in manufacturing costs after market maturity, the return cycle of type of solar systems is shortening, and the long-term benefits in the future are more considerable.
Not to mention, this is a daily essential investment that is frequently used and will not be idle or depreciated.
Environmental Impact and Sustainability Considerations
As a clean energy source, solar energy systems have minimal environmental impact and are sustainable.
Choosing a solar energy system can not only reduce dependence on fossil fuels, but also lower carbon emissions and protect the environment.
Meanwhile, the use of solar energy systems can also promote local economic development, create employment opportunities, and enhance the sustainability of benign environmental resources.
In addition, solar energy systems generate almost no noise or pollutants during use, and have a positive impact on the surrounding environment and the health of residents.
Conclusion
Taking into account all the above factors, choosing the type of solar system that suits oneself requires comprehensive consideration.
I hope that the introduction of this guide can help you better understand solar energy systems and make wise choices, contributing to the development of sustainable energy.
In the form of energy transformation in social development, solar energy systems will play an increasingly important role in creating a cleaner and more sustainable future for us.
Choosing the type of solar system is not only an economic investment, but also a responsibility and commitment of every resident on Earth to the environment and future.
