How to Start Sizing for Your PV-Solar–Electric System

1. Take a look at your utility bill records and/or contact your utility company to determine your average monthly kilowatt hour usage.
2. Consider your annual kilowatt hour usage and determine which appliances consume the most electricity (some of the highest electricity consuming appliances are electric ovens, microwaves and central air conditioning). See where you may be able to upgrade your appliances for greater energy efficiency.
3. Consider the general energy efficiency of your home (whether heated by gas or electricity, the R-value of insulation and the ‘tightness of the envelope’ and other factors play a very important part in the amount of electricity and/or gas you consume). We can refer you to an Energy Auditor to help with this analysis.
4. Refer to the Solarbuzz fact sheet for useful information on solar energy consumption and consumer appliances.
5. After checking where you may be able to reduce your electricity consumption, determine your goals for clean, renewable energy production with your Grid-tied* PV-Solar-System (what percentage of your electricity consumption do you want to produce with PV). *Requires approval of Xcel to interconnect, amazing rebates and ‘net metering’- you can spin your meter backwards reducing your cost and consumption. UPS system is available for those who want battery bank back-up power for critical load circuits (a few hours to a few days).
6. A simple formula for the kilowatt hour (kWh) production of a PV system per month is as follows (using a 3K or 3,000 kilowatt system as an example): 3K (system size) X 5 (peak hours of sunlight) X 30 (days in the month) X .80 (derating factor*) = 360 kWh/month *factors such as orientation toward true South, tilt angle of array and the length of the Direct Current (DC) run to the service panel are significant variables in derating.
7. Contact us for a Site Survey and Analysis and we can help you design just the right PV-Solar-Electric-System for your home or business.

Contact us at info@3rroofing.com