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diy solar

Advice on Solar Panels: Placement, replacement

burgerking

New Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2022
Messages
368
Location
Subic, Philippines
I started solar when we installed a solar AC system. Not soon later, we realized we'd get better result if we go Grid Tie then Hybrid.

I currently have a 5KW Deye and 580AH 16S battery bank along with 16 lousy Poly panels giving me 2KW~3.3KW 10AM~2PM on a good sunny day. These panels are definitely not enough.

On the average, I rarely peak 4KW and usually just 250W for the ref, lights, wifi.
Cooker adds about 2500W for about 1 hour mid morning.
Afternoon AC adds 2000W~2500W for the whole afternoon (~5hrs)
Nighttime AC adds 500W from 8PM ~ 8AM.

I want to add more panels: does 6 x 500W be enough? or go 7 x 500W?

And how should I arrange my panels? I have the option of facing them East, South, or West - flat roof deck.
My current 16 Poly panels are facing south. Should I face the new panels to the West to compensate for higher energy consumption in the afternoon?
 
Wow, all that is by preference. But more is always better with panels. I perfer to stay with even numbers. As for direction, I would say, south. As for angle, that has to be determined by your location. But generally between 30° and 45° . You've got my opinion, for what its worth.
 
How many kWh do you require?

I recommend using a solar calculator with the different configurations to see what works best. There is one in my signature block. It will let you put in panel direction and angles, along with lat long to get a decent estimate.

If you could share the rooftop panel total wattages plus total solar kWh production, you’d get better answers.

In general assuming no shade all south facing panels produce more power per day.

There strategies like overpaneling and facing them west, south, and north when you need an inverter running at close to max power for long times of the day when you lack battery power. I do that for a portable generator build.

I‘m also a little unclear on if you have batteries or not and that changes how I’d panel.
 
Interesting. Would be great for my new place, except mine are not bifacial. Would like to know how this does vs angled with regular panels.

With single surface generation, somewhere the <25% range of the available harvest of correct angled, south facing panels.
 
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