Solar energy is a renewable energy source that can be harnessed to generate electricity. It is a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional energy sources. The process of designing a solar system involves six steps: determining power consumption demands, calculating battery storage, and determining the number of solar panels needed. This involves understanding your electricity consumption, roof space, solar capacity, and the number of panels needed.
The design process also includes a feasibility study of the site, selecting the type of panel, number of panels required, inverter selection, mounting, and electrical layout. The solar power needs, panel size, inverter size, solar battery size, and electrical layout are all crucial steps in the planning, design, and installation of a solar system.
In summary, solar energy is a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional energy sources. It can be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution for households looking to reduce their energy consumption.
📹 How to Size your Solar Power System
*My DIY Solar Equipment Recommendations (Constantly updated! Check here first):* 12V/48V Lithium Solar Batteries: …
Can I build my own solar system?
Can you install your own solar panels? Yes, if you can drive lag bolts and assemble prefabricated parts, and are willing to spend a day or two on your roof. You don’t need to know how to hook up the solar panels to your household electricity or the utility grid. You’ll hire an electrician for the house hookup, and the utility company will take care of the rest, usually for free. For a completely off-grid system, the utility company isn’t involved at all.
However, this job isn’t a good excuse to buy new power tools, as the only one needed is a good drill. Most people use professional installers for solar installations, as they handle more than just installation. They design the system, apply for rebates and credits, order all the necessary parts, obtain permits, and pass all inspections. However, you can do all these things yourself, provided you have a helpful adviser and follow the rules of the local building authority.
How many kW is 12 solar panels?
A 5 kW solar system requires 12 panels, assuming 415 W panels, resulting in a total output of 4. 98 kW. Each panel has dimensions of 1. 8 meters by 1. 1 meters, necessitating a minimum of 24 square meters of roof area. A 5 kW solar system is estimated to generate approximately 20 kWh per day, with variations contingent on geographical location and other variables. The mean daily consumption of an Australian residence is approximately 16 kWh. In order to calculate the requisite number of solar panels, it is necessary to utilise an image.
What can a 1000w solar inverter run?
A 1000 Watt inverter can run various household equipment, but it should not exceed 1000W to avoid overloading and shortening its life. PowMr stores sell these inverters, which are 90 efficient and can run continuously for 115 hours. They can also run 800W and 500W loads, including panel televisions, computers, coffee makers, toasters, refrigerators, and gaming devices. To prevent overloading, connect only a few devices within safe limits. The 1000W inverter is suitable for 600W and 800W refrigerators but not heavy-duty 1500W ones. It offers noiseless operation, sturdy construction, affordable price, and a durable power supply.
What can a 2000 watt solar system run?
A 2k watt inverter is capable of powering a multitude of devices, including but not limited to a toaster, refrigerator, electric heaters, microwave, coffee maker, stereo, television, and computer.
How many kW is 10 solar panels?
A three-bedroom house typically uses 2, 900kWh and requires 10 panels, or a 3. 5kW system, to power it. To get the right size solar PV system, an expert is needed, and the company has a solar team available for assistance. Solar panels can cover around 50% of annual usage, especially if you’re away for extended periods. If you’re not using all your electricity, you can sell surplus electricity back to the grid or add a solar battery.
The size of your home and the number of appliances you use will determine the amount of solar power needed. Other factors like roof space and the direction of your roof also need to be considered. The number of solar PV panels needed for a home will vary, depending on the amount of electricity used.
What size inverter is needed for solar panels?
The size of your inverter should match the DC rating of your solar panel system, with a 6 kilowatt system typically requiring around 6000 W. Manufacturers typically provide sizing guidelines for the array capacity their inverters can be paired with, and if the size is outside these guidelines, manufacturers may void their warranty. Geography also plays a crucial role in sizing your solar inverter, as properties in Arizona have higher solar irradiances than those in Vermont. Therefore, a rooftop 6 kilowatt system in Arizona should produce more power than a similar system further north.
How much solar power is needed to run a household?
The number of solar panels needed for a house depends on various factors such as household energy use, home location, roof size, and roof angle. The average house needs around 16-25 solar panels to power its typical energy consumption. The total cost of the solar array depends on these factors. A solar professional can assess your roof and determine the appropriate number of panels. To calculate the number of panels needed, consider your average annual energy consumption, the amount of solar power each panel can generate, the average number of peak sunlight hours in your area, solar panel efficiency, and your roof’s conditions.
How many solar panels do I need for 10,000 kWh per month?
To optimize your initial investment and maximize electricity savings, it’s crucial to determine the number of solar panels you need. A home’s annual consumption ranges from 2000 to 4000 kWh, with a medium-low consumption of 4000 to 6000 kWh. The number of solar panels needed depends on the house’s annual electricity consumption. The table below provides guidelines for the number of solar panels based on the type of consumption for your house. Choosing the right number of panels depends on your household’s energy needs and the potential for electricity savings.
How to calculate solar system size for home?
In order to ascertain the dimensions of one’s solar system, it is necessary to divide the daily kWh energy requirement by the number of peak sun hours in order to calculate the kW output. Subsequently, the requisite number of solar panels can be estimated by dividing the kW output by the efficiency of the panels in question. For illustrative purposes, if one were to reside in New Mexico, where there are six peak sunlight hours per day, a solar system with a DC output of 6. 2 kW would be required.
How many watt solar system do I need for my home?
A 10 kW solar system is often sufficient to power a house, as the average US household uses around 30 kWh of electricity per day. To offset 100 kWh, a 5 kW to 8. 5 kW solar system is required, depending on sun exposure. Despite the challenges of going solar, it is possible to successfully install solar panels on a flat roof, as long as the right information is obtained from different solar companies.
📹 SOLAR POWER: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide / How To
Solar Power System Explained in 12 Minutes! On grid, off grid… inverters, panels and everything in between. #solar #green #diy …
After reading some of the comments below, I have noticed that we have some new viewers here that have not watched my other articles. Many of my efficiency and irrandiance equations are covered in other articles and my book. The article above is great for estimating how much power you need, but you can go much, MUCH deeper into these equations. My book covers various losses in a system, battery efficiency and more. If you want to calculate total system efficiency, watch this article: youtu.be/PjXnkhXayyU If you want to learn more about faradaic or coulombic efficiency of batteries, watch this article: youtu.be/IlFleQsLJz0 If you want to learn about cost of a battery with factoring in charge cycle life (which can make expensive batteries look cheap, and cheap batteries look expensive in the long run), watch this article: youtu.be/3VU8Ks8RHSc I hope this helps! This article is GREAT for estimating a solar battery and array here in the united states, but if you are near the poles or dealing with local climate conditions that limit solar, you will need to watch my other articles to calculate your system. Also, the SCC needs to be rated at the OUTPUT, with the working voltage of panels or the nominal voltage of battery bank. Voltage open circuit is for sizing the SCC input voltage and headroom figures. Different equation thats covered in my other articles and book as well. In great detail. Does off-grid solar confuse you? Check out my DIY friendly website for solar system packages and product recommendations, and so much more!
I am a well educated old fart, with lots of math, computer and physics knowledge under my hat. As such, sadly I am skeptical of young folks trying to teach me anything. Your articles have completely blown that skepticism out of the water. Excellent articles. You have a huge fan and a new subscriber. Well done, thank you for this info.
Hi, i have reached the age of 62 with very little understanding of electric and the part it plays in my life. Your articles are both informative and interesting . I am inspired into new learning and will be buying your beginner friendly book. My first project is to set up a small solar powered system to give me lighting and small use of a power tool in my hand built shed on my allotment in west yorks. Thank you, you are a shinning example of your generation
Wow: Will. I am impressed. you have a gift for Energy.. I have been studying Solar for several decades +; I also taught at a jr. college. I live next door to the Grand Canyon west rim, and everything is Solar. Your approach to instructing is ( incredible) …Thanks’ I will watch more and recommend it.
I have recently found your website and am very excited. I have just begun to be interested in solar power and have just retired at 65. I have an insatiable desire to learn everything about solar power and electricity. I do not know where to start with your articles. Jumping around is rather confusing. Thank you for information on the website. I am also considering taking a course at our local Technical College in basic Electrical Power and Control. I really want to understand what I am doing. You have charged me to learn this. Thank you.
You really produce some well-informed articles thank you. If you need battery cables made for a specific length you don’t have the tools automotive parts for instance Napa pre make your battery cables whatever length you need and whatever gauge wire. This can be extremely helpful if you’re out on the road and you need a cable don’t have the tools to build one
I was thinking an excel spreadsheet with these formulas could make it easy to play with the numbers . I have one going for my usage on appliances after testing them with a kill-a-watt to see where the waste has been and try to scale things back. It has lead me to focus on sealing my basement foundation since my dehumidifier runs almost constantly at 600 watts.
Wow your from lasvegas ? AI am too iam very impress yourn young and yet very knowledgeable and genuis i really learn from you i actually perusal all your commercial to reward you …YOU making my day really exciting TRUST your the best youtuber in any SOLAR DIY ..QUESTION bro i got 2,000 sq.ft house how much can i spend money wise in a tight budget? Thanks god bless you and yiur family keep it up 👍
Awesome info ..love your down to earth fact based honest style and love how you have turned your passion into a revenue stream also! Thats living the American dream! Im learning a lot about solar and off grid systems…just watched a article of a tiny house using solar and bio gas for their stove lol…. and this is definitely one of the best websites….my top website for specs and detailed info on solar and related! Keep up the great work! God bless 🙂
Thanks for you vids, Ive learned more here than in college from lecturers with grandiose notions. Im curious if you have ever looked at a combi pv/micro wind turbine off grid systems in order to utilize the notion of more sun in summer and more wind in winter location dependent ofc too. i would love to see how someone like you would design and implement such a system.
Hi Will, Thank you for making these articles. As a city dweller in Ohio I know lots of people who want solar power. From your articles I always recommend a grid tied 48 volt system, with as many panels as they can fit on their roof. Being in the city even with a small bit of land, theft is a factor. That makes ground mounting an issue. Any rate, I am curious, if I use 562KwH on average per my bill, and install a 10,000Kw grid tied solar array (let’s assume no batteries) am I doing more harm than good? In more words. Should I try to spec my system to be all I need? Or, if I have the funds, should I set up my system to feed back into the grid? I hope my questions made sense. I am not a wordsmith. I am just a basic American human who wants a grid, but also thinks it’s possible for me to over buy and feed into the grid as help, not a hindrance. I mean, electricity is only theory. Also, for myself I will have batteries for my needs, but would be feeding back into the grid during peak hours. Side Note: just as I pay in taxes and license fees for roads. I don’t mind paying transmission and distribution fees to keep the grid up.
Will saves the day — again! Yes, “It’s so simple,” when you aren’t as confused as heck! We are newbies at this and have been all over the net and YouTube till our eyes are crossed trying to property size our system for our cargo trailer conversion. We are in our 70s with limited $$ and can’t afford to make a mistake… So Thank You for clarifying this so even I can understand it! You are a treasure… We are definitely buying your book. ~ Kir in Tennessee
When sizing your array, would you consider only the amount that is required to top up the battery from 50% DOD for a SLA? In your article you mention needing to charge a 2400 wh battery but that is considering the battery is completely empty. The battery should only be at approx half and this would reduce the days required to ‘top up’ the battery by half. (IE: 2400 wh battery @50% DOD= 1200 wh / 5= 240w -> 300w array required). Does this make sense and is it accurate? Of course this is for Sealed Lead Acid Only. Awesome articles and book by the way.
Added this to favorites. I suggest that people bordering Canada and up, instead of bumping the solar panels by a little, they should double the amount, from 480W to 960W (1000W), because during winter, you will only get around half the sun power at most, than during summer. Also, if you live in a really snowy region, unless you are ok with cleaning the snow off your panels, you might want to invest in some panel heaters, to melt the snow and ice that will form on top of the panels, which means you might have to bump the battery bank AND your solar panels by 20 – 30%. The same calculations for the AC in the summer apply to people living in colder climates, but for an electric space heater. And with the additional costs for countering the dimmer sunshine, it could get pretty expensive to live up north. People near the equator are truly blessed (and also add the ability to grow food throughout the whole year). Edit: grammar.
This was massively helpful! We’ve been operating in “guessing” mode for awhile now, trying to upgrade our 20+ year old off grid system. We have dinosaur components, only just recently discovered there were different charge controllers (PWM vs MTTP) and upgraded. Our current battery bank (lead acid golf carts) is aging, going into their 6th year, so we’ve been trying to wrap our heads around not only the newer tech of lithium batteries, but, really, for the first time, trying to understand our real system requirements. Again, such a helpful article, thank you! 🙂
Another option if you want to use solar is like what I did to my house. I renovated the whole house over 5 years and as I did each room, hallway and common rooms I installed a separate wall sconce light and plug just inside each room, one on kitchen counter plug and 2 outside lights. These circuits went to a separate 8 breaker panel I installed in my utility room. The grid system was installed just like it should be and fully functional. The secondary 8 breaker panel was connected to my solar panels, inverter and batteries. These wall sconce lights and plugs are what I use primarily, I have LED lights in all rooms and hallways plus I have a plug in each room if I need to use. The one in kitchen I use for toaster and kettle. I use grid power for fridge and stove, heating and vacuuming mostly. At anytime I could add more to my solar as I expand it to accept more of what’s not hooked to it. If my solar ever runs low I just simply use the grid system which is right there. Just seemed like a good way for me to control what I use. It works for me.
I’m considering a solar-battery system as an alternative to a back-up diesel generator. When there is an electrical disruption in the middle of the night and I can’t get the utility company to come out to rectify the problem, I would like to have a solar-battery system that would take over. Have to wire up one light in each room that connects to the battery system. LED bulbs are very low power so not an issue. Have to keep the freezer and fridge going for the rest of the night. The essential services need to be connected to the batteries with some device that will auto-transfer the power via some sort of relay.
How long do these batteries,solar panels,etc each last? How many years do these components last? 40,000 dollars investment to power just 1 AC,even for 5 years is too much What about the refrigerator,washer and dryer and vacuum? Where does it end ? How much space do you need for all these solar panels?
That was an interesting vid. While I agree the there are on most days 5 peak hours for charging, there are a few extra hours of charging before and after the 5 peak hours. Have you done any tests of poly and mono panels from sunup to sundown to show the full potential watt hours during a sunny day? Also is there any charge output difference between MPPT and PWM controllers during the less than optimum solar hours in the morning and afternoon? Regards, Jas. VK4FJGS Rockhampton Queensland Australia
Hi Will, I’ve watched a ton of your articles, but not in organized fashion. Anyway – is this logical? (Haven’t hooked up yet) Central Florida: #8 100w12vPanels (series and parallel to achieve 24v) -> Renogy 60w Wanderer controller -> #4 100wh 12v lead batteries in parallel. I think I needed to go to 24V to stay under 60w. Is it OK to present controller with this 24v and then ask it to charge 12v batteries? (Wanderer says 12 or 24 ok). Is this system OK? How much can I power here? I thought more than enough for 200w (pond pump and UV light), but after this article, maybe not? Regardless is this a safe setup (12 -> 24 -> 12)? Thanks so much!
I have 1480W of panels (4x Silfab SLG-M 370W 48V in 2S2P config) and plan to buy a OutBack FM80 SCC. Irradiance maps show that we average right around 4-hours of sun where I live in northern NH (near Littleton, NH). Could I technically get away with using a 24v 280Ah (6720Wh) battery if I only ever take it as low as 80% depth of discharge? 80% of 6720Wh is 5376Wh, divided by 4 hours, equals 1344W of array needed to replace it. Does this thinking stand to reason? I do know that from 100% DoD it would call for a minimum of 1680W of panels, but I want to avoid ever taking it that low to get the maximum number of cycles from the battery. I am looking to oversize the battery for my load requirements so as to avoid 100% DoD in the first place. I may not ever even hit 80% DoD with a battery that size according to my calculations and accounting for 3-days of reserve as well. I also haven’t even accounted for the fact that in the summer we get a bit more than the 4-hour average, and in the winter I can reduce load by using regular old coolers outside to avoid running a fridge if I had to (it gets damn cold up here!).
Hi, please do you have any idea why panels above 320w with above 45Voc stops producing amps once the voltage from the panel is above 45volts? I have setup two systems with different panels and makes and both doing the same thing. I thought it’s my charge controller but I changed the controller, same issue. Then I decided to install watt meter before the charge controller and I noticed that, when the sun is really up and blasting, the voltage ⚡ rises above 45v, the panel stops producing amps. What can be done in this case please?
Will Prowse, Your articles popped up when I was at Costco recently and wanted to find out about a solar generator system that is quickly selling out. I wanted to see a article from an independent and knowledgeable source. While perusal you critique the Lion LT solar generator, I realized that I should research solar bit further.before buying. I am desperate to get things started, but these days (well, any day!), who can simply afford to just buy solar from these companies? I figured that learning to do some of it myself would save money. I am interested in solar panel projects for small to large projects for my house and mobile, so I will be tuning in to more of your articles. I will also click those links. You are an excellent teacher and communicator. Thank you!
I live totally offgrid with only 400watt coming in my lead acid batteries 2 are no good a dealer has 2 trogan t105 for 320+tax he offered to sale me 2 reconditioned discovery agm batteries for 150 outright I need some advice I depend on my batteries retired working part time and McDonald’s for my propane taxes and now batteries I appreciate any advice?
Hi Will — Great articles! Thanks. I’m trying to size a system for my small livestock barn. Mainly to run water heaters and chick brooder heaters 24 hours/day. Load would be 160 watts. Using this article as a guide, I come up with the following: Watt hours 3840; with 3 DoA (3.84 hours of sun per day): 11520; 12v Battery Wh 13,200; Array size: 3437.5; Solar Controller amps: 286. Does that sound right? Doesn’t sound right to me. I divided the array size by 3.84 to get 286 amps. (I also ordered your book from Amazon.) I run that load for a total of 9 months during the year, fall to spring.
Boy am I lost. I bought a cheap and dirty Instapack INCC 1205 PWM Solar Controller. The reason is to NOT boil the water out of a Lead Acid Battery on my sailboat. Panasonic Solar Cell making 18~20 volts 300 milliamps. I think the controller is working. The 5 led indicators sequence (as the battery charges?) … then stay on (when the battery is fully charged?) How do I know I’m not overcharging the battery and not boiling the water out of it? The boat sits at the dock Monday thru Friday. Used minimally. If at all. But required by law for LED running lights at night or a LED cabin light.
There are many problems with life dealing with power that maybe overcome in the future with technology. 1. Batteries for large storage are too expensive. 2. Cars need a lot of power to charge. 3. Air-condition and heating a home need a lot of power. Especially in very cold and hot areas. If someone came up with battery technology and more efficient cars, we could all go off grid. Solar panels are cheap and are getting more powerful. Charge controllers would come down in price. They problem is how to store that energy economically.
It seems like the AC system is the Killer for Solar/Battery systems. It makes the system too expensive! $30K to $40K to be comfortable, not hot is just out of the question. I guess you need to be hooked up at a Park when you are in the hot zones so you can use their Electric and be somewhere less hot when you are traveling about. LoL.
You also have to be aware that when you combine your batteries in parallel, you are combining their amperage or amp-hours. When you combine your batteries in series, you are combining their voltage. Important depending on your wires and your goals. Parallel = Higher amperage (amp hours)= thicker wires = higher voltage drops. Also parallel will take longer to recharge, and if misbalanced, one battery will charge the other battery until they are balanced, which will affect your battery life time. Most lithium batteries can only work in parallel, and ultimately parallel is probably your goal, you just have to understand the above when wiring and setting up, otherwise you’ll have a fire.
Love perusal your articles, but I wish you also explained the huge cost difference for something like 2V FLA batteries. 53 usable KWH of these are only about $18.5k. I know they are more work and much more weight but they are also 99 percent recyclable at our current technology levels. Awesome website, love your content!
@ 2:47 There’s a mistake. For lead-acid batteries you don’t need 4 12-V 100-Ah batteries connected in 4p, but intead 3. Since each battery is 1200 Wh (rated), and the load requires 1800 Wh, and the DoD is 50%, then the amount of batteries is (1800 Wh)/((1200 Wh/battery) * (0.50)) = 3 batteries. Besides this, the article is excellent for beginner!
Can I run four 300 watt solar panels in parallel with a Victron 150/70 solar controller feeding two 300 amp Lipo 4 batteries? The short circut amp of each panel is about 18.2 amps with a short circut voltage of about 22.2 volts. The solar cable run would be about 35 to 40 feet with 8 gauge solar cable. Thx for any comments.
Will, you are making a common error when calculating for off-grid systems. Never use 5hrs annual daily average solar insolation. Use the minimum solar insolation month daily average of 3.5hrs. If you gander at world population maps and monthly solar insolation maps you find that about 80% to 85% of the population fit into the 3.5hrs minimum month average solar insolation. As you well know well designed efficient battery backed PV systems have an overall system efficiency of about 70% to 80%. Then you need a minimum of 25% PV reserve to replenish depleted batteries. All this boils down to only being able to use about 50% of the power from the PV array. Said another way you only get to use half of the 3.5hrs of solar insolation. 2hrs is only 14% more than 1.75hrs. This sets up a very easy and useful SWAG of 2hrs. 2hrs is a “Minimum SWAG.” Daily Wh Load ÷ 2hrs = W Minimum Required PV. Daily Wh Load x 2 = Wh Minimum Required Usable Battery. “Recommended SWAG” Minimum PV Array x 1.5 = Recommended PV Array Minimum Usable Battery x 1.5 = Recommended Usable Battery “Robust SWAG” Minimum PV Array x 2 = Robust PV Array Minimum Usable Battery x 2 = Robust Usable Battery “Total Lead Acid Battery” Usable Battery × 2 = Total Lead Acid Battery The SWAG method also works well with the recommended 0.1C and 0.2C charge rates of lead acid batteries. “Total Lithium Battery” Usable Battery ÷ 0.8 = Total Lithium Battery The 0.8 is reference to end of lifecycle of a lithium battery.
Hey there. Love your articles. I have a small solar system with 4- 6 volt batteries, that works fairly good but on occasion we use a generator for a backup. When on the generator, I try to charge the batteries with a car charger . I tried 2 amps, 10 amps. It doesn’t seem to charge the batteries. Is there a portable charger I could use to charge the batteries when on the generator. They are just led acid batteries. Thx
Hi. Was looking for that Aussie dude and his method. (simple), something about doubling the Watts (solar). eg/ battery is 960wH, so, solar array of 1800watts, I guess allowed of angle off sun, clouds etc. Anyway, I just stumbled on your article and perusal it……….. Yup, awesome about the Lead Acid Batteries. I run LifePO4 in parra 130×2, 260 (then 20%+ 20% -), 260 x 104aH….hmmmmm Anyway, not really phased, as I let the system run on PS (35A), and it seems to float @ 13.6v/80% (the ‘sweet spot’) So, once a week, fortnignt, month, I’ll do a Discharge (5%) Just want to finish it off with the Solar.
Is there a small thing missing? I believe so…most batteries can only charge at a certain rate. I dont know if they could charge at 50 amps! Did your 5 hour per day charge maybe already take this into account? It is recommended to charge at 25% rate so a 100ah battery would charge at 25amps. This would mean you need more batteries to cover the reduced power because of possible decrease in charge speed
I have a question. The other day I went out climbed up on my ladder and put my amp clamp around the two hot wires going to my house which are 120 volts a piece now with pretty much the average things running in my house like lights maybe the washer or dryer running and I also was running my air conditioning which I have a whole house air conditioner. I put my amp clamps on the two wires and one wire came up with 11 amps The other wire came up with 17 amps. And I guess my question is is how many hundred amp hour batteries am I going to need and how many solar panels am I going to need? I know the variables are quite different for every state but I’m talking about Colorado which gets over 300 days of sunshine.
Great article although, for someone who was excited to build a solar setup to power some of my home appliances, the calculations are a little disappointing to say the least. It seems that I would need a lot of relatively expensive equipment in order to generate a pretty small amount of power. Based on the laptop example, £1200+ to generate 1-3Kwh per day (roughly 20-60p of electricity in the UK).
Question. I need to support an LED sign that draws 240 watts. I plan to purchase a battery that will support this sign for roughly 8 hours @ 240 watts. I already have a 100 watt panel. I just bought a GAC one inverter MPPT controller. I’m thinking overkill but whatever. My question. What size lithium ion battery 12 V do I need? I’m thinking a RV deep cycle zillion gigawatts is overkill. Thanks & Cheers from Louisiana.
Can I have more solar than rated for the controller? I ask because most of the time my panels are not making near the rated power. Say have 800 watts of solar connected to a 40 amp renogy controller. Will the controller adjust the input down to the rated 520 watts when the panels are kicking at closer to 100%.
I’m curious if you’ve ever tried to figure this out for an Outdoor Sign? I’m in a bind trying to figure out what it would take to power an outdoor sign via leds (or whatevr requires the least amt of power) and batteries – I live in Upstate NY so not ideal for Solar but would like to determine what battery power is needed and if it’s feasible with Solar to regen the batteries in daytime while the signs lit during the evening for a few hrs.
I just decided to upgrade my small system..of 4 > 158 watt panels to 10> 400w panels,, so 4000 w but my solar charger is 80 amp and running 2 Renolgy 200amp hrs batteries..Do I need to raise my solar charger amps up?..I only plan to run 12 volt LEDs for lighting and 110 will be my fridge and TV.. I bought Bifacial so potentual of 500 watt
Anyone who can help? I have a pellet stove that draws 300 watts And 3 A when it’s running right now I’m using 4 100 AH lead acid batteries which will get me about four hours of run time. I want to buy new lifpo replacements to run the stove 24 hrs continuous in case of a major power outage. Do I NEED TO BUY batteries that have a watt hour rating to cover 300w X 24hrs= 7,200 wh PER DAY And double or triple that for autonomy? Thank you! all ❤️🔥🇺🇸
Consider ferrulite heated and the discharged through a stirling engine electric generator. A night storage heater effectively. I am moving to Portugal next week setting up my homestead and this system is going to be part of it all going on my website. The point I would make is its low tech with charge discharge cycles running into the millions. Ferrulite is iron oxide iron ore basically. One additional solution is demand side management eg running high power devices such as a washing machine during the day.
So if I just buy 50 right now, I just ordered 35 panels but your making it sound like Solar truly sucks, and to go way above so that in crappy days, it will pick up as much as say, 30 panels would on a normal produce… is there anywhere I can get some sort of savings deal on 50 panels, maybe 60, 10 back ups, and a 6kw inverter/charge controller? I already preordered a custom battery from Duracell, 55,000 AH AND YES IT COST $1 PER 10 AH, GOOD DEAL REALLY, $5500 out the shipping door
I’ve been buying a few items, and kinda been planning from what i read on various sites. I have 2x 180Watt 72cell Solar panels (MPP:36.6V;IMPP:4.89A;Voc:45.76V). I’ll be linking them together in series. So i’m guessing it will push 75volts to 80volts maximum. I have an EPsolar 20A controller that i purchased the previous month, it’s rated upto 100v input. Then i have 2x 12V 105ah Deep cycle battery’s that i’ve kept charged every few weeks.
This guy has explained stuff like nobody has in regards to white boarding etc., and the math. That being said, and what I need to power might just cost half a billion dollars. Florida sun, heat and a house full of recording equipment, multiple screens, amps etc., etc.. needing great A/C to boot. I think I would, on a mid-summer 20hr session with damn near everything on etc. (to maintain work flow) I’d suck those batteries dry by about the 12th hour. I really have no clue, but I’ve paid some power bills. 😏 Great work Will!!! IS THERE A SOLAR SOLUTION?!?!?!?!
Let me figure this out for a 120 watt light bulb Ac load 120 watts Battery volt is 12 Volts Dc current I = P/V = I= 120 watts AC / 12 volts DC Equals =10 amps DC Battery Sizing = AH formula = = watts (*)hours running/ 12 volts DC = 120 watts AC (*) 5 hours = 600/12 =600/12 equals = 50 AH Add discharge of different battery Battery charging currently for 50 AH battery . As we know that charging current should be 10% of total AH rating of battery Current AH (*) by 10% 50 AH(*) 10% = 5 amp charging Solar plate current = Battery charging current (+) home load current =5+10=15 amp solar plate current Solar plate power formula =v(*) I 12 volts(*)15 amp solar plate current Equals = 180 watts Nod solar panel plates= on the market 100 watt or 125 watts or 180 watt or 440 watt solar panel Solar panel plate = solar watts/ by solar name plate So 180 watts / 100 = 1.8 solar panel up 2- 100 watts of solar panel Or 180 watts of solar / solar panel of 180 watts Be 1 solar panel Or 1 -375 watts solar panel Or 1 -440 watts solar panel So 120 watts AC for 5 hours Need 2 -100 watts of solar panel 1 – 50 amp hour battery 1-150 watts 12. Dc Volts inverter to 120 AC To run 120 watts of AC current for 5 hours.
If you live in a sun rich state, like Hawaii, Arizona, Newmexico, Taxas, Florida, etc…etc… You would really be surprized running a 500 watt AC system to keep your home cool just in the day time (when you really need it), you could get away with a 5K dollar system pretty easily, and especially if you use a newer high effienct 9K BTU mini split… That will run pretty much all day at 74 degrees @ 300 watts. So obviously, instead of having a 500W 24/7 vs an high effienct with a verable speed compressor mini split using 300W 24/7 that’s a 40% cost savings on your solar setup! If you told someone that you could get them AC in their house 12 hours a day running off of solar for 3K bucks, I bet most people would do it.
Thanks for that, I do have a question. If I have a Battery capacity 60v 45ah (2.7kwh) from a Li battery; charger input current 72v/10a and a charger input voltage 90v-240vac How the devil do I work out my solar array if I want to charge. The batteries use is in a motorbike. Hence my utter confusion. You said you charge your Tesla… Why am I finding it so confusing ???
Hello will I have a project for you for your website some of us are in cold weather climates with snow and ice I have a plan I make heated mittens and hats and things but you can apply this technology to the back of the solar panel take some 20 gauge wire space it about 5in of part it hear it with foil tape start with about an 18 foot length and you can put 12 volts to it and it will warm the panel enough so that the snow and ice will fall off maybe you could try this and show your audience for those of them who are in cold-weather climate in their RVs or even their houses but it will save scraping the panel and maybe doing damage to it just throwing it out there bud I love you podcast
This was beneficial but is there a way to determine your system size based off the daily kWH used? For example, I currently am using between 40kWH to 50kWH per day from the grid. What would that equate to in a system size? I have been looking into a 19kWH EP Cube system but don’t know if that is overkill or too small.
Quick question thought you’d be the person to no😏want a solar panel for my caravan got a 135w at the moment..But looking at a 300w new panel but it’s the same size as my old one ie 1.500m x670m .can that be right same size panel can give 300w yet my old panel at same size only rated at 135w.Just thought the panel would of been bigger in size. Thanks
I have a 12v, 40A MPPT 100v, that allows me to connect a 520w solar array, I have instead 600w of panels, the producer says that I can go up to 25% more on the panel size without going over the 100v limit. My panels are producing 55v, 11A, that is a 600w, but if I split the 600w to 12v, then the mppt will push 50A, or 40a to my batteries ? If the limit is 40A, it will ruin my mppt or only will limit the charge to 40A ? Maybe someone can assist me on this. My equipment is : mppt epever 100v/40A, 6x100w panels, 3x100ah 12v LifePo4, 1000w 12v invertor… The panels are connected like this : 2 series of 3 in paralel. Thank you in advance
I am trying to understand my math and make sure I am grasping the input and output correctly. I am planning a system on my boat. Panel 21.6 volts 6.5 Amps 2 Panels in Parallel going into a 20AMP MPPT Going into a AGM Bank 3x 105AH – in parallel So I expect 13 Amps is being combined into the mppt controller and thus 13 amps is going into the battery? And lets say I get 5 hours of good sun. Does that mean that battery bank gets roughly 65 AMP HOURS in a day? Now what about off peak hours? So lets say that 5 hours its getting a full dose of sun….what about before and after….the other 5 or 6 hours of sun that’s not as direct…is it 1/4 or 1/2 as efficient? I mean I’m sure “something” comes in…. i.e. would that 13 amps drop to 3 amps or 5 amps…?
Um, my laptop use 20W per hour or if never turned off, 480 WH, but more like 240 WH. Batteries are typically rated is Ah so 100 Ah or 200 Ah is typical. I use multiple 100 Ah at 12V. 5 hours is the average but I get 10X in summer so I need to double it for winter; I have lux meter on my weather station. Yep, roughly $100 per 100 watt panel but $200 per 100 Ah battery at 12 V or 1200 Ah. Batteries are half your total expense not panels.50A, that pretty high. Personally I just need to power 150 watt fans or a 1500 watt heater once is a while. AGM do not have the same issues a lead acid or LiFo4. Actually a 1500 watt AV running 24/7 is best. 208A is huge !!!!
Ok so I’m looking at a system for a machine that I want to run 24/7 just north of Tucson AZ. We get alot of sunshine here. 300 days per year to be exact. This one machine consists of a 150 HP motor, a 40HP motor and a 30HP motor. How many 12vdc lead acid batteries would that take? Probably more than this mine costs. Right? Because right now I’m using a 480v generator with a 6 cylinder engine to power it up. The local utility wants $11,000,000 to run 3 phase power down 9 miles of dirt road. So I’m looking at alternative’s.
Great explanations. Very much appreciated. I’m 63 and am building a solar boat 👍👍👍. Quite the learning journey. I’m going to use a EPropulsion Spirit 1.0 motor- 1kw and input is 48v. I’ll be using one or two of their 8960wh batteries. Question…how many watts of solar panels would it take to run that engine, say full pwr….and be receiving enough solar watts to operate without using battery reserve. This hypothetical is very sunny all day😅. Thanksssss Dan
I am a beginner DIY solar/wind charging kinda guy. In Trinidad, Colorado we get a bunch of wind. To power my garage/workshop I will start out with over sized bus bars, wires, cables and inverter planning of more demand. Electric car, perhaps… Soon, I am buying a 12V LiFE battery more than 300AH, an 3000w or larger inverter, power controller, oversized, cables, oversized, bus bars, solar panels, etc. I want to be able to add a wind turbine and a dump, at any time. Do I need a specialized controller for both kinds of power generation? Or can I use the controllers appropriate to each device..
I need you to summize usage for 16kw household daily. Looking at an array of panels at 460w each x 10. Connected to 2- inverters EG4 ex 6500 connected together. Paired with a possible battery bank of-48v 100a 5000w each. Total of 20,000w capacity. I don’t want to overtax the system (inverters) to cause overheating or fires. Any thoughts? Thanks! Looking to increase battery bank to accommodate using my 2 mr cool mini splits with a 3 ton compressor in summer. I’ve noticed on my electric billing that the Mr cool units can use up to 15kwh daily at full use. I have remodeled our home with energy efficient windows along with new attic insulation of R-45. Placed above the ceilings into attic. Reflectix also installed on underside of roof in attic. New attic fan being installed up there soon. Would just adding 2-4 extra batteries accommodate this hvac need for summer? Currently using an insert in fireplace that warms my whole home. Home is approximately 1200 sq ft with unfinished full basement. Have installed led lighting throughout as well. Many thanks for your expertise and articles!!
This makes no sense unless maybe you live in Vegas like you do. In Europe you can expect 14% of your yearly solar output each month. In december its 2%. So if you want enough energy in december to charge up the batteries and be totally off grid you need a different equation all together. I would recommend massively oversizing your array to your inverter, going as high as 2:1, and using a high voltage inverter (400 volts at least). You will probably need at least 1 to 1 solar/battery ratio.
Hi buddy, your articles are so informative! Thanks for sharing this knowledge. Can someone help to find out whether my solar charger will run the AC directly from solar panels. Solar system (each panel 160 W, 6 in series so 160X6=960 Watts) (Don’t know the properties of solar inverter, its DC to AC), Air Conditioner properties: 5000BTU which takes about 450Watts).. It seems like it will be possible to run AC directly on solar panels. What max amp rating solar charger, would I need? is there any way to know about the Max amp rating of a solar charger? Unknowns 1. each panel amps 2. Air conditioner Max amp consumption when compressor kicks on 3. Max amp capacity of solar charger.
I was wondering about what whole-system requirements (on 24v) would I need to run 2 refrigerators (15 cu feet each), plus some 52″ ceiling fans (no more than 6 at a time) plus about 10 LED lights, full-time, in sunny Hawai’i? I am trying to figure out my needs for a 2-unit dwelling, off-grid. My other appliances will be running on propane. You are awesome, young buck, in your great explanations on this solar-power topic! Much Mahalo to you!
Hey wat up bro I’m trying to plan a birthday camp out for my kids and need help. I’m gonna need to buy a configuration to power a 60 inch smart Samsung TV and Xbox series X a mini fridge and a microwave. NATURE’S GENERATOR 3600-Watt/5760W Peak is what’s available for me to purchase locally can you help me figure out how many 100 W solar panels I would need to power everything all day and a few hours at night I live in an area that has brutal sunshine Thank you for your time and consideration if not I understand and have a great day
your articles are top notch and I feel after perusal some of you works I can, with competence install my own system. The one thing that I am lacking is the expertise to mount the panels safely. One thing I’d like to point out is that in your example you are calculating that A/C to actually run 24/7 fortunately that is rarely the case. I find that my A/C unit a 4k BTU unit runs about 5hours per day to maintain a comfortable level in y house. So during the summer months when if’s 100 + outside I use ~ 53 Kw / day.
Hey, Thx for the article. I have been trying to wrap my head around Solar for a while now and I’m not sure it makes sense yet. Looking at my energy usage, I’m using approx 30kwh per day (average) at a cost of $4.10 per day. That is for the whole house. To buy a 30kwh system, the cost is around $46,000 (and I don’t think it would fit on my roof or yard). If my current average bill is $160 (usage plus tax etc,) it would be 24 year payback on a 30 year system. Is that right?
My brother and I, along with our wives, are going to be traveling across America in Jan with separate vehicles. Your last example is exactly why I’ve been trying to convince him to reduce his electric load and use the smallest camper he’s comfortable with. The smallest he turned out to be comfortable with is 28′ and uses an 18k BTU air conditioner! He wants to use it most of the day and all night, along with being able to occasionally use a microwave, refrigerator, instapot, 42″ tv, gaming laptop (300W) and an XBOX. A system like this is probably going to run somewhere in the realm of $10k. My wife and I on the other hand are doing our homework and will be building a small teardrop camper because it’s easier to heat/cool + better gas mileage with a smaller tow vehicle. We’re going to run everything on 12V and even our A/C (wife can’t live without it, I tried) is 12V and averages only 100wh for 1.5k BTU which should be sufficient. The only really power hungry appliance we’ll be bringing is a 120V induction burner which will only be used while we have access to shore power. Propane will be used for water heating and cooking. And I may even use a small 12V immersion heater as a dump load for the solar panels to keep water temps up when there’s excess energy production. This set-up should only take 350W of solar and a single Chins 200Ah battery. No alternator charging should be needed, no inverter required and we should have at least a day of extra power when weather is cloudy.
I just ordered your book. Hopefully it will help me with my problem. I’m moving to a block of land with no phone, power or water connections (I’m not going off-grid by choice, but it’s all I can afford). I look forward to reading your book as your articles have really helped explain this whole thing to me.
The solar battery charger consumes a lot of energy it actually heats up. So is the Mppt charge controller, so should this power be included in calculations? . I want a system that could run 350 watts of fans and Led lights for 12 hours. Should I go for a DC (24v as it saves on wires and controller) system and buy four, 12V DC fans (US$ 60 each) or AC system with existing AC fans. I need the cheapest option. I have seen your website but still have these questions.
~3000$ for 1.8kwh. Sadly this shoots my ideas/interest of making my workshop bay of my garage solar powered in the head. 1.8kwh right now from the grid… 20cents. Really was interested in doing this for usb devices, cycling lights/cameras, power tools, and lawn equip. Not keen on a grid tie-in just something small for the shop. Ugh. -U10
Hi Will. I have a question. My appliances runs mainly on AC. If say, I have a fan that runs at 80 watts of AC power. Can I say that that fan draws current of (80 AC watt/24 volt battery system) = 3.33 Amps battery current? I have a 200 amp hour of lifepo4 connected in 24V configuration. So 200AH/3.33A will give me about 60 hours of usage of that fan am I right? I know that this may not be the correct way of sizing my system but I am working on a very tight budget and I have to see what I can fit into the system that I built. At most, I can only afford a 400 amp hour of battery, 24v connected in parallel by two 12 volts
Big thumbs up!! I’m a Mechanical Engineer but in the Ammonia industry and have forgotten my solar energy theory. I want to oversize my solar panel by 50% to take advantage on cloudy days . But Is this safe when there is full sun ? My inverter does have a solar charge controller. I’ve been told the inverter will only absorb what it can. Please confirm?
Ok guys, need some advice. I’m looking to use two Renogy 200ah 12v AGM batteries to give me 24 volts, and a 3000w pure sine wave inverter hopefully to power a refrigerator and a small chest freezer during hurricanes here in Louisiana. My problem is figuring out the correct solar panel sizes and quantity to use to give me a rapid recharge during the day. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
I need your help. I am planning to create a small solar setup for my laptop as I work from home & there are frequent power cuts. I want to create a setup which will charge my laptop at least 2 times. My laptop has 4500mAH battery & my laptop is 65 watt. My laptop is giving me 4 hours of back up. Keeping in mind DoD of battery is 50% & inverter efficiency is 80% please tell me how much battery do I need? I just need it for my laptop nothing else. Will 24ah lead acid battery work & which inverter will be best? I dont know anything about it & it it should be portable.
Thanks, and realising there is no ‘one size fits all’ . Now I am up on the roof, am finding I cannot put as many panels up as I imagined, I wanted to add on later . Now looking where gets the most direct sunlight . For the longest time . Will get up earlier and look 🙂 And check my usage during daylight hours, thankfully here no aircon 24 hrs/ day, just fridges and freezers . Interesting about your ‘costing’ from 3 years ago . My starter kit is 12x 450 w panels, 1 48 V battery and an 8kv inverter, so I can add panels on later and use wind power 🙂 Is about $4000, so add another $1k for wiring and a sparky . DIY mostly. If I am going to spend time up on my roof, will fit as many rails as possible, extra panels can come later . The planned inverter can take 4 feeds . Payback time +- 6 years at the moment, and no power cuts . Endemic in South Africa . Will see how it goes . For now assume battery will last one night, what is the charge rate during the day when using appliances ? Will see 🙂 Live and learn 🙂 I can add another battery, if I can charge it . Thanks:-)
It’s a bit sobering just how incapable solar actually is. I’m only planning on using solar as part of a multi-layered off-grid energy plan (solar, wind, hydro) for emergency purposes or supplemental power. and good thing, because it sounds like running a laptop alone for 5hrs a day with few days of spare power will cost between $800-$2,000 dollars (just for the batteries)!!! now add in lights, tools, appliances….not very practical or economical at all for anything beyond minimalist power consumption. Damn. battery technology is way behind where I would have expected it to be at this point. thanks for the great vids!!
because of the great way you produce your articles, it would be a big help if you were to do a vid on the different brands, models and quality, of panels, controllers and wires… are they about all the same?… are the really expensive units BETTER than the cheaper ones?… are the really cheap panels and controllers decent quality?…. what is budget vs. average vs. overpriced when it comes to different equipment brands/models?…… there are lots of questions that anyone who searches the internet for solar power components will very quickly formulate just before SLAMMING their computer closed and walking away…… maybe you’ve made one already, but I havent been able to find it.. thanks
This solar setup is made to be mobile. not roof mounted or fixed location, i’ll place it in a sunny area (In South Africa, we get alot of sun) 1. Is my Controller maybe not big enough? The 2 panel input amps will be 70-80volt but less amps. Will it charge my battery to maximum of mppt power of 20amp? 2. Is 20amps enaugh for the 2x 105ah. I won’t be running alot of power on it, maybe around 60-100watt for few hours at a time. 3. Is my panels not too much 360watts combined to charge a 12v setup of 2x 105ah? (so it will run as if it’s 12v 210ah setup basically) 3. Due to it being a mobile setup, how do i ground it? Do i just take a negative wire and plonk a spike into the ground or does a mobile setup like mine not need grounding or to be earthed?
I took notes on this article in the back of your book…lol. great examples. Question…my property has lots of trees. I could maximize solar panel intake if I used 2 solar panel setups in 2 locations. I have seen a switch that allows you to draw from panel array 1 (8am-2pm), panel array 2 (1pm-6pm., or both 1 and 2 (for any overlapping times). Is that a way to automate this switch?
I have watched a lot of your articles. Good stuff. This one touched closest to the thing I have been trying to find: Is there a more efficient way to charge an e-bike battery with a 12v system? It ain’t no Tesla, but it gets me to work and back nicely. Converting DC to AC then back to 41vdc feels like I am wasting half the energy produced. It would, obviously need to have the same ‘quit when it is done charging’ feature. (18650 cells. 10s (not sure 2-4p?) 15.8ah) I can use solar about 2 of 3 trips. I need bigger battery bank, getting more panels soon. A lot of people who RV also use e-bikes, a lot of people who e-bike also take trips out of vans. Seems like this would be common question.
Hello – We have enjoyed perusal your articles and watched “How to Size your Solar Power System” at least 20x. We have our electric bill and used our highest monthly bill at 1,900 kwh and divided by 30 days to get an average daily usage of 63.333 x 3 days = 190wkh. We have been told we are way to high and did something wrong. Can you advise where we went off. thank you for you time and appreciate you sharing your knowledge.
Hey, If you go to the trouble of using a whiteboard, could you be a descent fellow and identify your items? After all, you hold the drymarker. Write A for amps, V for volts, W for watts. PS, do you know the power triad? You verbalized one part of it: Power in watts = Voltage times Amperage. Amps= Watts divided by Volts. And Volts = Watts divided by Amps. Triads are directly proportional in one configuration and inversely proportional in the two other ways.
Many utilities only allow residential consumers to have up to 10kw solar system. Since our power is expensive (.12/kwh), I would like to put together the optimal solar system just for crypto mining. How would you calculate the ideal battery capacity and maximum available wattage for crypto mining equipment working backwards from that maximum solar array size? I’m in Arizona so we have nearly 8hr of strong solar on average. Are batteries even a cost savings at all?
First, thank you so much for your clear explanation! May you help me on how to calculate the the usable load in Watts that keeps the solar arrays charge the battery (lithium batteries) while is being discharged. For example, I have 400W, 12V solar arrays, 300 Ah lithium battery pack, with 500W sine wave. How many Watts load can I draw from this system that can keep my battery being charged while being discharged. Thank you!
I use one of those 500w aircon foe 10 hours per day. It is only using 40kw per month. 1.5kw per day maximum. This calculates the max used. Don’t think it cannot be done cheaper. This would mean the cost maybe only 20% of the quoted. Also if the solar panels are enough to have the batteries fully charged before the night. The day running doesn’t need battery storage. This guy is good. But there are many variables. If you have a gird connection to charge the batteries at night. Even cheap electric off peak. Use it.
I’m not quite sure if I understand 100% but I think you were talking about running 12 V DC appliances in your article what if I added an inverter. I have a chicken coop and where I live the temperature drops down below 32 I have a heat lamp it is 175w AC and must run for 24 hours a day. How many batteries would I require should I buy the 24 V or the 12 V and how many panels should I buy. This time of year we have five hours of good sunlight I live on Pelee Island which is right across from Put in bay Ohio to give you an idea. Love your articles I look forward to getting them each week thanks so much.
Great article but I’d like to see a similar one with a long list of loads like lights, microwave, laptop, cordless power tools, AC, water pumps, hot water heater, camera battery charger, drone battery charger, earbud charger, AA battery charger, fan, fridge, freezer, blender, induction stove, portable vacuum, air pump, stereo, tv, radio, aquarium light and pump, air purifier and anything else I missed. Obviously we wouldn’t use everything at the same time or even on the same days so how would you size a system when the load varies so much. Also my AC cycles on and off like 5 min on and 10 min off so about 20min on and 40min off per hour but I also live maybe half way between equator and north pole. Just go as big as you can afford I’m guessing? I have learned from your other articles and research that using a 48v system would be best and that would allow high amp draws without lowering battery total output as much. I think an all in one system is awesome. I recommend your 12vs24vs48 volt article to everyone.
I’m trying to figure out the best system to power an existing submersible pump that is currently powered from the grid. The cost would be shared between 2 households, so we will share the costs. The pump is a 3/4 hp down 90′ deep. We use a standard pressure tank for both households. I already have about 8 solar panels that would provide about 500W. What about using a Patriot 1800W solar generator? Since it serves 2 households I thought about building a small secure “Pump house” that would be insulated for batteries, inverter, etc..
Part of the problem I see is there is no standards when vendors sell their equipment. Some of them advertise in Kwh, Amp hours, Wattage, Voltage… it is so hard to make sense of it all if you don’t truly understand electrical nomenclature. This article was very educational. Did you really say $40k to power a single AC 24×7 is not bad? With what I’ve been learning lately, I’m really questioning the viability of solar. I’ve put one on a home office shed (I didn’t do my homework hence the reason I’m here now), on the recommendation of someone who told me it would be plenty… the short story is, it’s not plenty. It’s a nice solar system all together, but people really need to understand what you are teaching here before they buy. I’m learning that the hard way. To do a small shed or cabin, you likely have (running one at a time) heating, A/C, or fan… You likely have a computer or two, and lighting. You’re likely running 3 of those at once at any given time. With that minimal system, the cost can be mind boggling planning for the worst case of banking for 3 days.
Do you have anything that describes what I need to solar power a continuous draw of 800W 120VAC off grid with 5 hrs dark every day? The power consumption will be controlled by a timer and not going to fluctuate. I know nothing about solar systems, but am interested in harvesting about 1000W of continuous power.