What Sizes Are Available For Commercial Solar Systems?
Every solar panel’s size depends on the number of photovoltaic or PV solar cells. Since commercial panels have more PV cells than residential ones, they are more powerful and bigger.
Keep in mind, though, your business’s power consumption requirements, available roof space, and budget are what will determine how many solar panels you need and the overall size of the system.
How Big Are Commercial Solar Panels?
Typically, every PV solar cell measures six inches by six inches. Commercial solar panels have anywhere from 72 to 98 or more PV solar cells. This means, on average, they’re about 6½ feet long, 3 feet wide, and weigh around 50 pounds.
In comparison, residential solar panels only have 60 PV cells, so they’re usually about a foot smaller and weigh 42 pounds or so.
While commercial panels are designed to meet the energy demands of any business, you’ll still need to figure out the requisite commercial solar panel size that will meet your energy demands and fit your space. For instance, there are high-efficiency panels that are smaller and make the most out of an available space — and then there are larger ones that are less efficient but more affordable.
Keep reading to learn more about how to size a commercial solar system for your business.
Factors to Take Into Account Before Sizing
Before you size your commercial solar power system, crunch some numbers to determine a budget and assess your available space. Also, are you looking into solar incentives or tax investment credits? Fo you have an unusual shape to your roof and are wondering if a ground array might work better?
Next, you’ll want to consider the following as well:
- Average daily, monthly, and yearly sunlight exposure
- Local climate and Cloud coverage
- The “orientation array” or tilt of the tiles toward the sun (usually south-facing is best)
- Efficiency and reliability of different manufacturing brands
- The timeline of a panel’s warranty, re: the natural degradation of the PV cells
- Any future energy needs or expansion calculations
This list isn’t meant to be daunting, but rather gives you a solid foundation for success when you make the switch to commercial solar energy. However, if you have questions or concerns, contact Bell Solar Electrical Systems today.
Steps to Size a Commercial Solar System
Each of these five steps will help you properly size a commercial solar system for your business and avoid oversizing or overbuying. It takes into account your energy usage, peak sun hours for where you’re located, and then offers some final insights to refine your system.
Once your system is installed, you’ll see benefits for years to come, since now, more than ever, is the best time to invest in clean energy and switch to solar.
1) Figure out your yearly energy usage
On every electric bill, you will see a section with your kWh or kilowatt-hours. This is your energy usage and how your utility company determines what to charge you. It’s also how you’ll figure out your energy consumption averages.
Start by assessing an entire year. Notice when your usage dips and when it peaks.
2) Figure out your monthly and daily energy usage
To get a rough idea of your monthly average, add up each month’s kWh throughout a calendar year, and divide by 12. Then, take that number and divide by thirty for your daily average.
Keep in mind that your commercial power system will likely overproduce in the summer due to all those extra sunny days. Some utility companies buyback that wattage from you or apply it to your account as a credit — especially in Nevada.
Also, you can Google appliance energy consumption tables and calculators if you want to delve further into your energy usage.
3) Figure out your peak sunshine hours
Peak sun hours refers to the measured intensity of sunshine in a specific area for one hour, when its energy averages about 1000 watts per square meter.
Google “peak sun charts” and then look for your closest city to find the peak sunshine of your locale. For instance, Las Vegas, Nevada, is one of the sunniest places in the U.S. and its peak sun averages about 6.41 hours in total.
4) Calculate your commercial solar system size
Now that you have your energy usage numbers, along with your peak sunshine hours, you can plug those into a formula to figure out how to size a commercial solar system for your brick and mortar.
A quick note, you will need to know a solar panel’s efficiency to get the correct number. The number provided, 1.15, is simply an example.
(Daily kWh ÷ average peak sun # of hours) ✖ panel efficiency factor
= DC (Direct Current) Solar System Size
(30 kWh ÷ 6.41 hours) ✖ 1.15 efficiency factor = 5.38 kW
Convert the 5.38 kW to watts by multiplying it by 1,000. In our example, your business would need a 5380 watts-sized solar system. And if each panel is 350 watts, you’d need around 15 panels.
5) Final Tweaks
There are a few final tweaks to consider when you have to size a commercial solar system. First, the available space and whether your building’s roof is a viable option. If not, you can look into alternatives such as pole-mounted panels or ground arrays.
From there, you can figure out whether you should opt for smaller, more high-efficiency panels or go with a larger size. To help you with this, you can utilize the PV Watts Calculator by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to simulate your solar output. (There are instructions on the website to help you plug in the correct numbers.)
Finally, you can start researching and comparing different manufacturers, equipment, and panels.
Toss Your Electric Bill And Get a Tax Break
After you size a commercial solar system and know what panels you’d like to buy, it’s time for installation and a stellar return on investment.
Nevada utility companies have some of the highest rates in the United States for “net metering,” i.e. buying back your solar panel energy output. Also, with generous tax breaks and subsidies, solar panels pay for themselves within four to five years. And currently, the federal tax investment credit is at 26%, but it is set to go down over the next two years.
Commercial Solar PV
Novalux energy install renewable energy systems including Energy from Waste (EfW) and commercial Solar PV for businesses. All of the systems which Novalux install make good financial sense for our customers, providing solid long term income streams whilst helping businesses to reduce their carbon output.
Novalux Energy install Solar PV systems over 50kW on a variety of different ground and roof types. Whether your commercial premise has land or a flat roof with skylights, we can recommend panel types and a system design which will optimise the energy you produce.
Save money for your business
Novalux has been installing Solar PV since 2010. For site references and example returns click below.
Why install a commercial Solar PV system with Novalux?
Novalux has over 12 years of experience installing commercial Solar PV systems, offering a turnkey solution from design, to planning and grid connections through to installation, commissioning and servicing.
Novalux installs Tier 1 panels and high efficiency industry leading inverters, which will maximise the electricity generation of your site.
Novalux are fully accredited with an experienced team and each site is allocated a project manager to ensure a high quality system is installed.
Receive Your System Design.
Send Novalux the address of your business premises and receive a design of your site within 5 days.
Novalux will take care of your grid connection and assist with planning applications when they are required.
Generate Electricity. Save Carbon.
Start generating your own power to be used on site or sell back to the grid through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).
Connecting to the grid.
A solar system larger than 3.68kW per phase (which most commercial systems are) must have permission from the local distribution network operator (DNO) before it can be connected to the grid.
Sometimes this means you may need to pay for the network to be upgraded. If this happens Novalux will make sure that the upgrade is still cost effective for you whilst assisting with the process.
The Basics of Photovoltaic (PV Solar) System Design
As the solar industry has grown, an increasing number of people are becoming familiar with the environmental and financial benefits associated with owning a solar system. Despite this increase in interest, the process in which these systems are designed has remained a mystery to many. This article will take you through the basics of grid-tied solar system design and the considerations that shape a final system.
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to be a comprehensive guide on system design; it is intended to highlight the fundamental design practices throughout the solar industry at the moment.
Preliminary Design Stages of a PV Solar System
The first step in designing a solar system is to determine the appropriate size of the system. Because the system’s purpose is to offset on-site electricity usage, an analysis must be completed on the amount of energy consumed by an electric customer over a specified period. By looking at the kilowatt-hours (abbreviated kWh) on a customer’s electric bill it is possible to come up with this figure. When it comes to designing a system, arguably the most practical and economical approach is to aim to cover 100% of a customer’s yearly usage. Sizing in this way maximizes return on investment and enables an almost complete break from having to pay an electric bill.
Now that there is a system size to aim for, it is time to take a look at a customer’s property to see what ground or roof space is available to install such a system. For a residential or small commercial system, a roof-mounted system is typically the better option due to the lower cost of racking, the proximity to electrical equipment, and the fact that installing on a rooftop does not take up land. In a case where a roof-mounted solar system is not an option, a ground-mounted system will function the same, although it will come at a higher cost.
Beyond identifying available project space it is important to identify other site limitations as well. Examples of questions that need to be taken into consideration are:
- Are there trees, roof obstructions, or other objects/structures that may shade a solar array?
- What is the condition of the customer’s roof and electrical equipment found on-site?
- Will adding a solar system require structural or electrical upgrades at the site?
The answer to these questions can affect project size, design, and the viability of a project. Because roof-mounted systems can last well over twenty years it is important for the roof to be in good condition. Additionally, the electrical equipment on-site may limit system size or require modification or replacement. The level of shade present at a site can impact equipment choice and installation location.
After identifying the desired system size, whether there is space to install it, and answering any other site evaluation questions, it is time to consider customer preferences such as array aesthetics, equipment placement, and financial considerations. Once all these aspects are taken into account it is possible to begin choosing the equipment for the system and determine how the system will be connected to the customer’s existing electrical equipment.
Selecting the Best Equipment For Your PV Solar System
There are a number of factors that need to be taken into consideration when selecting solar equipment. To keep it simple, the three main components in a solar system are solar panels/modules, inverter(s) or microinverters, and racking to place the solar modules on. Each piece of equipment will be selected with the other in mind and each will have its own manufacturer to back it up with a warranty. Customer or installer preferences will play into the equipment that is chosen as well as site-specific concerns. There are multiple ways to design and build a system because of differences in preferences and equipment pricing differences from one business to another. Once all equipment is selected, it is connected together physically and electrically and then attached to the customer’s existing electrical equipment.
In addition to the physical and electrical installation of a solar system, it is common practice to evaluate the condition of existing on-site equipment, and make recommendations to the property owner should the structure or electrical equipment require modification to meet code requirements or safety standards.
Solar systems by design are low maintenance, long-lasting systems. With no moving parts and very little ongoing maintenance, a well-designed system can last as long as 30-50 years.
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What Are the Most Important Factors to Consider When Designing a Solar PV System?
Available Roof Area:
The first step is to assess the roof’s condition and the available mounting surface. If the building design is available and exact, the roof size may be determined. It is, however, advised that you measure the roof surface yourself.
Not every roof, however, is easily accessible. In this situation, you may use a laser gauge to determine the roof surface, or you can hire a solar contractor to measure the roof. When darkened parts, dormers, Windows, and the like are subtracted from the available roof surface, the maximum mounting surface for the solar PV system is obtained.
Orientation:
To calculate the energy production of a photovoltaic system, the solar irradiation in the plane corresponding to the installation and the sun’s path at the location at different times of the year are required. The height and azimuth of the sun determine the position of the sun at any given time. The direction and tilt (inclination) of solar panels impact their performance, which influences the quantity of producible energy.
Unleashing the full power of a solar design software is quite a work? Check how solar labs design software is giving wonders among the installers.
Solar energy is greatest when the plate is perpendicular to the irradiation, depending on the tilt.The angle of departure from the geographical south of a surface, or north in the southern hemisphere, is the orientation of the photovoltaic module. Maximum variations of /-20 degrees are allowed. The fundamental guideline for solar panel installation in the northern hemisphere is that they must be oriented towards the true south (and in the south, the true north) in order to receive as much direct radiation as possible during the day.
The orientation angle of a solar panel is determined by only one angle: the orientation (or azimuth) of the panel. The solar azimuth is the angle created between the sun’s meridian and the place meridian (South in the Northern Hemisphere and North in the Southern Hemisphere). At noon, this angle is zero; in the morning, it is negative; and in the afternoon, it is positive. The azimuth angle (azimuth angle) of departure from the optimal direction to the south (in the northern hemisphere) or to the north (in the southern hemisphere) can be used to determine the orientation of the panels (in the southern hemisphere).
Inclination:
The climatic conditions and geographical location of the PV modules are critical factors in determining the optimal tilt angle for high energy output.
Solar radiation on a surface perpendicular to the direction of solar radiation propagation is always larger than if the identical surface is placed in any other location. Because the inclination takes into consideration the sun’s location throughout the year, its ideal position may change over time. As a result, for the installation of permanent modules, an inclination value for the maximum average power received yearly is often specified.
Solar panels must be set at an angle to aim straight towards the sun in order to convert the most light into solar power. Trackers, depending on how the panel is installed, can be set at a fixed angle or change throughout the year to optimize solar energy from the sun.
Software For Designing A Photovoltaic System:
It is clearly evident that many elements influence the optimal design and profitability of a solar PV system, and planning is undoubtedly a hard process. Solar structure design software or solar design software is very useful if you wish to do this more accurately.
Based on the supplied framework parameters, such software determines if the solar PV system can be run in a cost-effective manner using the available options.
Why Are Inverters Required On Modern PV Systems?
Inverters serve as the PV system’s brain. They continue to convert DC to AC, but they also allow for monitoring, decision-making, and control operations. Because of its intelligence, it is the component most adapted to fulfill the additional, critical functions required of modern PV systems.
The inverter’s duty is broad, and it will expand to serve the Smart grid of the future. In addition to managing its own output, it will be requested to offer reactive power assistance to the grid, improving system stability and efficiency. It will also be able to communicate with a utility operator’s SCADA system, be managed dynamically and remotely, and offer diagnostic data to assist operations and maintenance workers in diagnosing and correcting system faults.
These Smart inverters can be combined with energy storage for a more comprehensive solution that aids with grid stabilization. While there are battery-based inverters with grid management capabilities like peak shaving and ramp rate controls, the cost of storage continues to be a barrier to their general implementation. Nonetheless, the grid benefits of energy storage systems, such as lower peak demand and reduced heavy shifting, make finding a cost-effective solution to include this technology critical. Storage technology, like solar, is fast changing, and the industry is expecting to see smaller, more inexpensive, commercially accessible options in the near future.
The solar PV system is a wonderful way to harness the sun’s easily accessible, eco-friendly electricity. Its design and installation are simple and dependable for small, medium-sized, and large-scale energy needs. A system like this makes power available practically anywhere across the world, especially in isolated locations. It liberates the energy user from the utility and other energy sources such as coal, natural gas, and so on.
Such a system will have no negative influence on the environment and will produce energy for a long time after it is installed. The aforementioned systematic design and installation give important suggestions for our current world’s requirements for clean and sustainable energy.