Follow These Steps to Find the Best Solar Panels for Your Home

Whether you are planning to shift to a solar panel system to reduce your energy bills or to reduce your dependence on the local grid, we would say that you are about to make one of the best decisions of your life. And to help you with your endeavour, we have listed a few steps that will help you choose the right solar panels for your home.

So, let’s get started without any further ado.

Table of Contents

Step 1 – Determine Your Power Consumption

This is the first step towards choosing the right solar panel for your home. Determining the power consumption will help us find out

The right inverter capacity (also referred to as VA sizing)
The right battery capacity (also referred to as battery sizing)
The required number of solar panels

Okay so let’s begin with determining the power consumption.

Let’s say you need to run the following appliances during a power cut

3 LED Lights (10 Watts each)
3 Tube Lights (40 Watts each)
4 Fans (60 Watts each)
1 LED Television (80 Watts)

Total power consumption per hour = (310)+(340)+(460)+(1100) = 30+120+240+100 = 470 Watts

Calculating VA sizing

To calculate the VA sizing you need to multiply the total power consumption by 1.67

VA Sizing = Total Power Consumption (in Watts) * 1.67 = 470 * 1.67 = 816.7 VA

We, therefore, need a 850 VA UPS that is close to the above calculated number.

Calculating Battery sizing

Battery sizing = power requirements (in watts) * required backup-time per day (in hours) *1.9 / (Battery Voltage * no of batteries)
Let us assume that the 850 VA UPS supports 1 battery of 12V.

Applying these values in the formula

Battery sizing = (470 Watts * 2 Hrs * 1.9) / (12 V * 1) = 148.8 Ah

We, therefore, need a 150 Ah solar battery that is close to the above calculated number.

Calculating Panel sizing

Panel sizing = Daily Energy Consumption in Watt -Hours/3 = 940/3 = 313.3 Watt Hours

Since UPS supports 12V system, we need 12V panels of 105Wp or 165Wp

Hence install 3 x 105Wp panels in parallel or 2 x 165Wp panels in parallel

Step 2 – Choose between Polycrystalline and Monocrystalline

This next step is to choose between a monocrystalline and a polycrystalline solar panel. But before you do that the first thing that you need to know is that no one technology is superior than the other. The choice of panel would depend on your need, location and budget.

So let’s say you live in an area that receives low sunlight, in such a scenario you would need a monocrystalline solar panel that performs better even in low light conditions. Similarly, if you don’t have enough roof space you need to go for a monocrystalline solar panel that occupies less roof space. However, if space and light conditions are not a constraint, it is best to go with polycrystalline solar panels that are relatively cheaper.

Step 3 – Consider Other Factors

The last step is to consider other important factors such as temperature coefficient, warranty and brand.

Temperature coefficient is a measure of the impact of heat on the efficiency of a solar panel. As we know, the efficiency of a solar panel decreases with the increase in temperature. The temperature coefficient expresses the percentage decrease in efficiency/output for every 1 degree Celsius rise in temperature. This means lower the temperature coefficient, better the performance. So, if you live in an area where temperatures soar to very high levels then you should consider buying a solar panel with a low temperature coefficient.

Warranty is another important factor to consider when buying a solar panel. It’s an indicator of the manufacturer’s confidence in their product. If you are looking for a solar panel that provides a long warranty period then you should go for a reputable brand like Luminous India which provides. They are one of the pioneers in manufacturing solar products in India.

Ready to take the plunge?

Now that you know what things you need to consider to choose the right solar panel for your home, you can start with your search for a solar panel system. We recommend you get in touch with a solar expert at Luminous India. They are one of the most preferred brands in the solar industry. Also, they have a wide array of products that you can choose from, based on your need.