How do solar panels work with grid connections

How to Calculate Your Home's Solar Energy Requirements

To properly answer the question in your mind, you will first need to calculate your home's current electricity usage. After doing that, you will calculate the number of solar panels for your home. So, let's get started.

Step 1: Calculate Your Annual Usage of Units (Annual Cost of Electricity Divided by Rate of One Unit)

Considering that your electricity usage varies from month to month, you need to calculate your annual electricity expenditure. Then divide this expenditure by the per unit electricity rate. This will give you the annual units used by your property/factory. Follow the next step if you know your annual electricity unit requirements.

Step 2: Factor in Your Solar Power Usage

Not everyone who switches to solar power powers 100% of their home with solar energy because some technical aspects are involved. In Pakistan, every home's electricity load is sectioned, and we can only install 1.5 times that sectioned load. Normally, one Kanal home can install a solar system with a potential of 15kWp.

Therefore, if you decide to get 75% or 80% of your annual electricity usage from solar panels, simply divide the percentage by 100 and multiply the figure with your daily electricity usage.

Step 3: Use the Formula

In Lahore, use the following formula to calculate the power of the system required for your annual needs. 1kWp in Lahore will generate 3.8 units per day, hence 3.8 * 365 = 1387 units annually.

You can now divide your annual units calculated in Step 1 by 1387 to get the strength of the system required to fulfill all your electricity needs.

Step 4: Calculate the Number of Solar Panels You Will Need

Now, you will finally get the answer to the question. To get there, convert your kilowatt power into watts by multiplying it by 1000 and then dividing it by the panel size.

Take 520-watt JA Solar panels, for example. You get: 6940/520 = 14 solar panels for your home.

In case you're having trouble finding how many solar panels you need for your home, you can contact the experts at RS Energy for solar solutions in Pakistan. They can give you the exact number, whereas this formula gives you an estimate.

Factors That Influence the Number of Solar Panels You Need

Unfortunately, calculating the number of solar panels you will need in your home is not just about inputting some figures into a formula. That's because there are a few factors any seasoned professional will consider while thinking about how many solar panels a home needs.

While there can be a few factors to consider while living in Pakistan, the following three are the biggest.

1. Size of Your Home and Spare Space

The bigger your house is, the chances are you are consuming more electricity than someone who has a much smaller home. However, does your property have enough space to fit the required number of solar panels to power your home?

Still, some factors can affect this as well. A 1 Kanal house with energy-efficient appliances, lighting, and other devices may consume less electricity than an old 12 Marla home with older and less efficient devices.

Fortunately, you don't always need to have solar panels installed on the top of your roof. If your house has enough space, you can discuss other options with the experts at RS Energy by Zahid & Company.

2. Availability of Sunlight in Your Area

Just because you've got the right number of solar panels that should generate enough to power your home on paper doesn't mean the solar power system can do the job. The reason is the availability of sunlight in your area and your home.

Different areas get different hours of sunlight during the day. The sunlight directly available to your home may be different because of neighboring buildings, landscape, and other factors.

Typically, the product of the average amount of peak sunlight you use in the above calculations only gives you an estimate that may or may not be close to the actual figure. When you work with solar power experts at RS Energy by Zahid & Company, they can handle everything and provide you with more accurate data and quality systems.

3. Solar Panel Efficiency

If you were wondering why solar panel quality matters a lot, it's because of their ability to convert sunlight into DC electricity or their efficiency.

Solar panels of unique qualities have differing wattages per panel. You might find 520-watt solar panels and 450-watt solar panels. The size, efficiency, and type of solar panel can also affect the wattage you get per panel. The inverter you use in your solar power system can also have a major effect on the final amount of electricity available for your home.

Because the number of variations and quality is enormous, it's not simple or easy to say which panels or how many solar panels are right for your home in Pakistan. Therefore, schedule a meeting with the experts at RS Energy for specifics relating to your unique needs.

4. Number of Residents

Finally, the number of people living in a house also matters, not just the size of the property. The more people living in your home, the more energy your panels will need to produce. Therefore, you may need more solar panels.