How to Design an Off-grid Solar System?

Many people are interested in designing off-grid solar power systems and want to design their own solar power systems. Here are six steps to help you easily design a solar power system:

Off-grid solar power system

1. Calculate how much power all equipment needs.

① List the power requirements (in watts) for all equipment, including solar panels, energy storage devices (such as batteries), and electrical and electronic equipment (such as lighting, televisions, and computers).

② Calculate the daily energy requirements for each device based on its average usage time and a number of days. For example, a television that needs to be used for 4 hours a day has a daily energy requirement that is equal to its power requirement (in watts) multiplied by 4 hours.

③ Add up the daily energy requirements for all equipment to get the total daily energy requirement for the system.

④ To ensure that the system can meet the energy demands under different weather conditions, you need to consider additional factors such as system efficiency, seasonal changes, and demand when power consumption increases rapidly. Based on these factors, calculate the actual daily energy requirement.

2. Calculate the number of solar panels required. Once you know how much energy is needed from the solar side every day, you can calculate how many solar panels the solar system needs based on the location of the project. The calculation should be conservative and based on the season with the least amount of sunlight.

3. Calculate the required battery capacity. After the above steps, you should have a good understanding of how much power is required, and you can determine how many batteries are needed to store it. You need to know how much power is needed and how long it will be used when there is no sun. In addition, you need to consider the weather as battery storage temperature is generally around 77°F (25°C), and lower or higher temperatures will affect battery efficiency. Generally, the larger the system, the higher the voltage of the battery pack, and most full-time off-grid households are best equipped with a 48V system. So, how many batteries does your off-grid solar system need? Contact us, and we will help you design the right battery pack size for your needs for free.

Off-grid inverter factory

4. Select the appropriate solar inverter. The solar inverter is an essential device that converts DC power to AC power. First, choose the output voltage, such as 120V, which is the standard in North America. In most of Europe, Africa, and some countries in South America, it is generally 230V. Some islands have both voltages available.Then you need to know how many watts of power the solar inverter will supply and the maximum power of the load. The power of the solar inverter must include the maximum load power, or it will cause machine damage. Finally, note that the inverter is designed to match the voltage of the battery pack (12V, 24V, or 48V), so you need to know the voltage of the battery pack before selecting the inverter. If you plan to expand your system in the future, note that lower voltage inverters will not work in larger systems.

5. Select the appropriate solar charge controller. After selecting the solar inverter and battery pack, you also need a way to manage the solar power input to the battery. There are two main types of charging controller technologies: PWM and MPPT. If the voltage of the solar panel array matches the voltage of the battery pack, you can use a PWM charge controller. If the voltage of the solar panel array is different from that of the battery pack and cannot be connected in series to match it, you need to use an MPPT charge controller. If you need to set up a complete home system, your best choice is a 48V battery bank and an MPPT charge controller.

Microtek Batteries

6. Complete the system

In addition to the main components mentioned above, a complete solar power system also requires other small components, including:

Fuses and circuit breakers for overcurrent protection

The circuit breaker box to use

Your solar panel mounting solution: on the ground or on the roof

Wire: size and estimated length

And so on.

By following these six steps, you can easily design the off-grid solar system you need. However, the power required by all equipment in an off-grid system is not only influenced by its own requirements but also by various factors such as climate conditions, energy equipment efficiency, and capacity, energy storage and switching devices, etc. Therefore, it requires professionals to configure a reasonable system. If you need help, please feel free to contact us at any time.

Off-grid Solar Sytems:

5 KW Off-grid Solar System

3.5KW off-grid solar system

8KW Off-Grid Solar System

5000W Off-Grid Solar System

4.2 KW Off-Grid Solar System

Buy Microtek Solar Inverter!