Solar Planning Made Practical
Solar sizing starts with daily energy demand. A home may use power from lights, pumps, fans, chargers, tools, and kitchen appliances. Each load adds to the daily total. The calculator lets you enter a known daily value, a monthly bill value, or separate appliance rows. Seasonal changes should be tested before choosing final equipment. Budget goals can guide offset too.
Peak sun hours are important. They describe useful sunlight for panel production. A site with five peak sun hours usually needs fewer panels than a site with three. Shade, dust, cable loss, heat, and inverter loss reduce output. That is why a loss field is included.
Panels And Battery Storage
Panel count is based on the target daily energy and the usable sunlight. The calculator divides the target load by peak sun hours and system efficiency. Then it compares that size with the selected panel wattage. The final number is rounded upward. This avoids an undersized array.
Battery size depends on autonomy days. One autonomy day means the battery should support the target load for one day. Depth of discharge protects battery life. A lower discharge setting requires a larger bank. Inverter efficiency also matters because stored energy is not delivered perfectly.
Inverter And Roof Checks
The inverter must handle the largest expected running load. Some motors need extra startup power. The surge factor helps include that short demand. A pump or compressor may need a much larger surge allowance than lighting.
Roof area gives a quick space check. The calculator compares the panel count with available mounting space. It uses panel area to estimate the maximum number of panels. This is only a planning check. Real layouts need setbacks, walkways, tilt, shade paths, and local electrical rules.
Use The Result Wisely
The result is a planning estimate, not a final design. It helps compare panel wattage, sun hours, losses, battery voltage, and backup days. You can download a CSV for spreadsheets. You can also save a PDF summary for discussion.
A licensed installer should verify wiring, protection, grounding, permits, roof strength, and grid rules. Still, a clear first estimate saves time. It turns a confusing solar idea into numbers you can review, share, and improve.