Solar Panel Data
how do you calculate the number of Solar Cells needed for a residence?
looking for wattage input/ output. There a number of sites on the web that profess formulas and methods. using each different formula with the same data, I have answers from one eighty watt panel to 10 panels.
First you need to what your electrical load is. All the things you want to run should have a name plate on them somewhere with a load rating. Add them all up.
If you want to charge batteries so you have power after the sun goes down you’ll need to figure how much storage capacity you need.
From the battery capacity you can determine how much current will be needed to charge the batteries and run your loads when the sun is up.
You also need to determine how much Solar Power is available to you. This is available from some websites if you know your latitude. The amount of power changes with the time of year so you’ll need to design for the least amount of sun.
You’ll need to size a battery charger for your panels.
If you want or need an inverter to change from DC to AC you;ll need to size that.
This is kind of complicated but not impossible. You just need to do some research.
There are some good web sites that can help.
http://www.solar4power.com/index.html
http://www.cosolar.com/system_design/what_a_load.htm