Dimensions of the Photovoltaic Panels and Power of the System

In this article we will talk about dimensions of solar panels. Have you finally decided to reduce your electricity costs thanks to free solar energy and are you looking for the best solution for you?

Dimensions of the Photovoltaic Panels and Power of the System

You should know that there is a personalized photovoltaic system for each user  : it is essential when choosing your system to understand what your energy needs are and to equip yourself with a suitable system to meet them, so as not to end up with an undersized or oversized system, which would result be an economic investment. Therefore, it is good to trust professionals who, through a   technical inspection  , can evaluate all the necessary elements to guide you towards the correct solution for your savings needs.

There are   3 decisive elements   to choose the  right size of the photovoltaic panels:  the power of the system, the number and model of the panels, as well as the square meters occupied in the installation area.

The first question that the technicians will ask you is: on what structure do you want to install the  photovoltaic  , how big is the space? In fact, there are different useful places to house photovoltaic panels, such as flat roofs, sloped roofs, canopies, canopies or on the ground. For each particular case it will be necessary to find  photovoltaic panels of the  appropriate size and adequate performance.

On average,   to install 1 kW   -about 4 panels- of a photovoltaic system on a   classic pitched roof,   6-7 square meters   of free surface  are  needed  . On a flat roof, on the other hand, the necessary space is   9-10 square meters  because you have to take into account the supports to tilt the panels.

Also consider that if the roof is particularly irregular, the photovoltaic panels can be separated and installed   in blocks on the different slopes  . The analysis must be extremely precise to get the most out of the available surface while adjusting the orientation to the correct compass points.

In case of uneven surfaces or with non-optimal slopes, it is recommended to combine photovoltaics with   optimizers  , that is, electronic devices to be applied under the photovoltaic panels to obtain   uniform efficiency performance   in all blocks, even when one of them produces less , for example  example due to shadowing or malfunction of a module.

Therefore, we must also identify the  size of the solar panels in relation to the surface that we have available to house the photovoltaic system.

The sizing of photovoltaic systems is directly related to their electricity consumption. How much energy do you consume? How much energy do you want to produce with your system? In fact, it is necessary to answer these questions to find the  right size for your user  . A typical question that the technical advisor will ask you is: how much do you spend on electricity every two months?

These data, however, have little value if they are not intertwined with   consumption habits  . In other words, it is important to understand what are the times of the day when more electricity is consumed, because we must not forget that photovoltaic panels produce energy only when there is sunlight. So be wary of so-called professionals who, on the other hand, don’t ask you at what time of the day your electricity consumption is distributed the most.

The third decisive element to assess for the choice of system is  a direct consequence of the available space   – therefore the number of panels that can be installed –   and consumption  . It is useless to have panels that produce much more energy than they consume, because it would be wasted and would reduce the advantage of having photovoltaic; In addition, the recovery period of the investment made would be much longer, since part of the attainable savings would be wasted.

The average annual consumption of a home can be up to   3,500 kWh  . To cover this consumption under normal conditions, a 3 kWh
photovoltaic installation is sufficient    . To obtain a 3kWh photovoltaic, about   12 panels are needed  , therefore about   20 square meters .

After identifying the appropriate power of the system in kWh, it is necessary to choose the photovoltaic panels that integrate well with the available space, evaluating the relationship between  the size of the photovoltaic panel and its power  .

In fact, there are several models of photovoltaic panels, of different  sizes  , more or less efficient and powerful. Not necessarily one is worse than the other: you have to find the one that suits your needs.

Saving at all costs on the type of panel is not a far-sighted choice: in this case   , quality is decisive to recover the investment in a short time  .

The  size of the photovoltaic panels  averages 160-170 cm in height and about 100-110 cm in width. Of the same size, a photovoltaic panel can be more or less efficient: it’s all in the material it is made of (monocrystalline, polycrystalline, thin film) that determines how much energy the panel is capable of absorbing and converting into electricity.
For example, for a very common residential system, with a power of 3Kw we can have:

• with monocrystalline panels:   21-27 square meters  occupied
• with polycrystalline panels:   24-33 square meters   occupied
• with thin film panels:   occupied  33-39 square meters 

However, there are  photovoltaic panels with small sizes that work excellently, such as the model described below.

We have selected for you one of the high-end photovoltaic modules: Panasonic Hit N 285, which combines compactness and maximum efficiency.

It is a  photovoltaic panel with  reduced dimensions, making it ideal for limited spaces:   only 146 cm high  , compared to a standard size of about 160-170 cm for the rest of the models. This means saving about 4 square meters for a 3 kW system.

But what makes this Panasonic photovoltaic even more unique is the maximum power of the individual modules:   285 Watts  , instead of the standard 230-250 Watts.

High efficiency  is   made possible by hit double technology: the module produces power by absorbing both sunlight from the front and ambient light reflected from the rear.

In addition, the frame of the photovoltaic panel includes channels for the   drainage of water  , which can thus slide even without a great inclination, avoiding damp spots.