how to calculate the quantity of solar panels

asked 2019-04-12 00:06:43 -0600

Mocarquer
55 ●3

updated 2019-04-12 07:47:01 -0600

__AmirRoth__

4436 ●5 ●17 http://bleedinggreenna...

Hello, I am doing a simulation of a Chilean house and I use the measure Add Rooftop Pv in Openstudio. My question is: What data exposed in the summary of results help me calculate the amount of solar panels that the house requires ?. The second question is whether to apply this measure (Add rooftop PV) how can i calculate the amount of solar panels used and, if the answer is yes, how this calculation is made. The imputations of this measure are: Fraction of the surface area with active solar cells (Fraction), Cell efficiency (Fraction) and Efficiency of the inverter (Fraction).

answered 2019-04-12 02:12:41 -0600

nelson brito
96 ●3

Theoretically speaking (meaning away from reality) you would grab your total energy needs in Watts and divide them by 360/365 days to have the average daily consumption in Watts, and match that with PV panels scaled enough to overcome the loss of efficiency that derives from Cell Efficiency and Inverter losses (the first fraction is only a way to convert different kinds of PV to areas and solar orientations that will derive from 3D drawings).

That said, it makes no sense to calculate for the average, as energy needs vary widely per day and season, are not that cheap and get damaged with unused overproduction. So your first choice will be to decide if you will go for grid independence, and then you will need batteries and renewable energy sources diversification (when sun goes out you normally have wind), or if you will use PV to reduce energy costs, and then you have to find baseline consumptions, most of each will not derive from the acclimatization and hot water needs that OpenStudio calculates.

Now you know why it is not so easy to automate PV installation: you have to learn/assess before you act.