How to Design Solar Panel System – Solar Panel Design Ideas
A correct solar panel design is the precursor to a successful solar system installation. If done right, it can optimise the power output of your solar system. From the capacity of your solar system to the types of solar panels you will use, there are several factors to consider when creating an ideal solar panel design.
A solar system is a renewable energy technology which generates electricity from sunlight. The cells in a solar panel convert sunlight into electricity. Depending on how electricity is stored, solar systems can be categorised as on-grid, off-grid, or hybrid.
To develop the right solar system design, you must be knowledgeable about the different components of a solar system and how they are arranged. We have listed them below:
What are the Components of a Solar System?
Here are the major soar system components:
- Solar Panels
- Inverter
- Mounting Structure
- Net Meter
- Battery
- Charge Controller
- ACDB
- DCDB
Why is Planning Out Solar Panel Design Before Installation Critical?
Failing to plan is equivalent to planning to fail when it comes to solar systems. You could regret your decisions if you don’t properly plan the design of the solar panel structure. For example, suppose you wanted to install a 3 kW solar system but your solar system generates much less electricity than a 3 kW system.
Thus, you must plan the solar system design carefully for the optimum results from your solar system.
Steps to Create Solar Panel Design
Here are the main steps involved in solar module design:
Step 1: Determine How Much Solar Power You Need
For this, you need to calculate the total power consumed by all your appliances. Accordingly, you will decide the capacity of your solar system.
Step 2: Select the Type, Size, and Number of Solar Panels
You can choose from different technologies of solar panels such as polycrystalline, mono-PERC, mono-PERC half-cut, and TOPCon. Our blog on types of solar panels covers these technologies in detail.
Decide the capacity and number of solar panels you want to install. To determine the number of solar panels needed, you have to divide your daily energy requirement by the capacity of each panel.
You can choose from different brands of solar panels such as Tata Power, Adani Solar etc. Read our blog on the best solar panels in India to know more.
Step 3: Determine Required Capacity of Inverter, Battery, Charge Controller
You have to calculate the ideal capacity of the inverter, battery and charge controller according to your power requirements. We will look at the process for calculating the capacity in the section, “What Must be the Capacity of a Solar System?”.
Step 4: Feasibility Study and Layout Design
There are several factors to consider while studying the site where you will install the solar system. Some of them are:
- The angle at which sunlight falls on the solar panels
- Area available for installing the solar system
- Number of solar panels to be installed
- Shadow falling on the site
A layout must be designed according to the findings of the feasibility study. The electrical design of the solar system must show how the different components of the solar system are connected. Wiring routes, earthing, and voltage requirements must be carefully planned.
Step 5: Finalise the solar system design and Cost
Check your solar structure design and see if it meets your requirements. Ensure that all the solar system components are compatible with each other. Finally, calculate the cost of all the solar system components such as solar panels, inverters, wires, batteries, etc.
Read related blogs:
Tips for Perfect Solar Module Design
There are several things you should keep in mind before following the steps mentioned above to avoid mistakes and create the best solar system configuration.
Here are some tips you can follow for the perfect PV system design:
- Comprehensive Site Feasibility Study
A comprehensive feasibility study is a must for your solar panel design. You must consider factors such as the number of hours for which sunlight will fall on the solar panels, slope, how the solar panels will be connected to the grid etc.
- Research the Equipment You Will Purchase
You must thoroughly research the equipment you will purchase for your PV panel design. For example, when it comes to solar panels, you must see the efficiencies and capacities of different solar panels and identify which suits your priorities and budget the best. For installing a 3 kW system, you have to buy around 6 mono-PERC solar panels. With a larger system, the number of modules will increase.
The same holds for the inverter, charge controller and battery you will install. For example, you can buy an MPPT charge controller or one without MPPT.
You can read our blogs to learn about:
- Optimal Orientation and Tilt
In the northern hemisphere, the solar panels should be tilted towards the south, whereas in the southern hemisphere, the solar panels should be tilted towards the north.
The main goal of PV system design is to make the sunlight fall perpendicularly on the solar panels because that is when the power output is maximum. You can also buy a solar tracking system for it. The required angle of inclination varies with latitude.
- Strength of Mounting Structure
The mounting structure must be strong and resistant to corrosion. It must be made of galvanised zinc to prevent rusting. The anchoring of the mounting structure must ensure there is no water leakage. We have covered the dos and don’ts for mounting structures in the section “What Must Be the Solar Mounting Structure Design?”
- Experience and Expertise as Solar Installer
The vendor who installs your solar system must have the experience and expertise to properly install your solar system. For the best design of solar panel structure, you can connect with our vetted solar installers.
- Minimise Shading
The output of a solar system can be drastically reduced due to shadow falling on the solar panels. Therefore, your solar module structure design must ensure no shadow is falling on the solar panels or that it is minimised.
Different Types of Solar Panel Design with Images
There are several types of solar structure designs which are used in solar systems. Here are the most common examples:
- Rooftop Solar Panel
This design involves installing solar systems on the top of a roof. It is the most common form of a domestic solar system.
- Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV)
BIPV is a form of solar module structure design where the solar panels are directly integrated into the components of a building such as the facade, rooftop, walls, and balconies.
- Smartflower
Smartflower design has solar panels arranged like the petals of a flower. They are aesthetically attractive and track the movement of the sun to significantly boost the output of the solar system.
- Solar Trees
You can witness a unique solar panel design at the National Salt Satyagraha Memorial, Dandi, Gujarat. It has 40 solar trees which power all the energy requirements of the institution.
Here’s a video on the National Salt Satyagraha Memorial. You can see the solar panel design from 1:55.
Source: PIB India
What Must be the Capacity of a Solar System?
The different components of a solar system must have the right capacity. Here’s how to calculate the required capacity of different components:
- Determine Your Power Requirement
How much power a solar system needs to generate to meet your needs? To answer this question, you need to multiply the wattage of each appliance by the number of hours of usage daily and add up all the values.
Power requirement = Power rating in Watt x Daily Hours of Usage
Let’s illustrate with an example.
Suppose you want to power the following appliances with your solar system:
- Light (20 W) for 6 hours
- Ceiling fan (75 W) for 3 hours
- Room cooler (250 W) for 3 hours
- Table fan (50 W) for 3 hours
- 1 Ton AC (1200 W) for 4 hours
- Fridge (300 W) for 24 hours
Power demand of load = (20 W x 6 h) + (75 W x 3 h) + (250 W x 3 h) + (50 W x 3 h) + (1200 W x 4 h) + (300 W x 24 h) = 13245 Wh
Remember that some of a solar system’s energy gets lost during transmission. We want to generate at least 20% more power than needed.
Total power requirement = 13245 Wh x 1.2 = 15894 Wh
- Determine the Required Number of Solar Panels
The next thing you need to do is to find the Watt-peak rating of the solar panels. For this, you have to divide the total power requirement by the panel generating factor (PGF). In India, the PGF is around 4.4.
Watt-peak (Wp) of solar panels = Total Power Requirement / PGF
Wp of solar panels = 15894 Wh/ 4.4
Wp of solar panels = 3612.27 Watt-peak
To calculate the number of solar panels required, you have to divide the Watt-peak of the solar panel system by the rated Watt-peak of each solar panel. If you obtain a decimal value, you can round off the figure to the next highest integer.
Let’s say the rated Wp of each solar panel is 500 Wp.
Number of solar panels required = Wp of solar panels/Rated Wp of each panel
Number of solar panels required = 3612.27 Wp/500 Wp = 7.22
Thus, you require 8 solar panels.
- What Must be the Capacity of the Inverter?
To determine the required capacity of the inverter, you have to add the wattage of all the appliances.
Total wattage = (20 + 75 + 250 + 50 + 1200 + 300) W = 1895 W
For safety, the capacity of the inverter must be 25% to 30% greater than the total wattage of all the appliances.
Required capacity of inverter = (1895 x 130%) W = 2463.5 W
- What Must be the Capacity of the Battery?
To calculate the capacity of the battery, you have to:
- Calculate the Watt-hours required by all the appliances
- Divide the value by 0.6 for the depth of discharge
- Divide the value by 0.85 for battery loss
- Divide the value by the nominal voltage of the battery
- Multiply the value by the number of days of power autonomy you want from the battery
Battery Capacity (Ah) = Watt-hours used by all appliances daily x days of autonomy/0.85 x 0.6 x nominal battery voltage
Watt hours used by all the appliances = (20 W x 6 h) + (75 W x 3 h) + (250 W x 3 h) + (50 W x 3 h) + (1200 W x 4 h) + (300 W x 24 h) = 13245 Wh
Let the days of autonomy be 2 days and the nominal voltage of the battery be 12 V
Battery Capacity (Ah) = 13245 Wh x 2/0.85 x 0.6 x 12 V = 4328.4 Ah
Depending on the capacity of each battery, you will need multiple batteries to achieve this much storage capacity. This will entail significant additional expenditure. Thus, if your storage requirements are big, you can save a lot by installing an on-grid solar system. In that case, the power will be stored in the DISCOM’s grid.
- What Must be the Capacity of the Charge Controller?
The capacity of the charge controller must exceed the short circuit current of the solar panels by 25% or so.
Capacity of solar charge controller = Total short circuit current of solar system x 1.25
Let’s assume the short-circuit current of 1 panel to be 13 A. Since we need 8 panels, the total short circuit current of the solar system = 13 x 8 A = 104 A.
Capacity of solar charge controller = 104 x 1.25 A = 130 A.
However, this is not applicable in the case of MPPT charge controllers. Read our blog to learn how they work.
What Must Be the Solar PV Mounting Structure Design?
The best rooftop solar mounting structures are prefabricated. That is, they are manufactured by precision engineering in factories. They are not welded on the spot by manual measurement and labour which are prone to error.
Here are the key characteristics of a good solar mounting structure:
- Stainless steel-made nut bolts connecting the structural components
- 100% rust-proof. The structure is hot dipped in zinc for galvanising the iron and protecting it from corrosion.
- Use of virgin steel.
- Can handle speeds of 170 km/h. Wind safety is important to ensure the solar panels don’t fly off the roof when heavy wind is blowing.
- Chemical anchoring via sealant-like chemical ensures there is no water leakage post-installation.
What should you avoid in a mounting structure? Here are the things to avoid in a solar mounting structure:
- Structures without any engineering.
- Poor welding.
- Non-galvanised bare steel pipes which are not resistant to zinc.
- Recycled steel.
- Inadequate strength can lead to collapse due to strong winds.
You can read our blog to learn more about mounting structures for solar panels.
Solar panel design is crucial for getting the maximum return on investment from your solar system. You must be clear about what you expect from your solar system, your priorities, and your budget. Estimating your power requirement, selecting the right mounting structure, and calling an expert to install the solar system are the keys to the perfect solar panel design.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Frequently Asked Questions
A PV system design shows the complete layout of the solar system. It covers how the different components of the solar system will be connected, how they will be installed, and the electrical wiring.
The solar module design must be done by a solar installation expert.
The important steps for PV panel design include a site feasibility study, determining your power requirement, and selecting the right panels and other equipment for the solar system.
A solar module structure design is important so that you get from your solar system the exact result that you expect from it. It ensures the best results from the system.
