How to define your electricity needs?
First and foremost, the first step in a photovoltaic project is to define your electricity needs . The easiest way to do this is to consult your old bills, on which you can find your consumption in kilowatt-hours – kWh – for the past year. You can also use some online tools like energy calculators to estimate this amount.
You should know that on average, a household of four people, living in a dwelling of a hundred square meters, using electric heating, consumes between 12,000 and 15,000 kWh per year. Obviously, the lifestyle of the family in question, the electrical equipment present, the quality of the insulation of the house, the number of radiators and many other elements, are factors that can cause these figures to vary.
Once this calculation is done, you can then estimate how many solar panels you need to power your home . Indeed, depending on whether you are a couple in a small dwelling or a large family in a large house, the number of modules to be installed will not be the same.
Looking for energy solutions capable of adapting to your consumption? Our portable EcoFlow solar panels are available in different ranges: 110 W, 160 W, 220 W and 400 W. Installable easily and quickly, resistant to dust and weather, light and durable, these devices allow you to enjoy a economical and clean energy installation , from anywhere!
What is the peak power and efficiency of a solar panel?
To complete your project, you must also understand the solar panel power system . Here, we are not going to go into technical details, or even explain to you what an inverter is. We are simply going to tell you about the kilowatt-peak – kWp – which corresponds to the unit used to measure the maximum production of a photovoltaic panel. It is therefore the power that the module can provide under optimal conditions:
A temperature of 25°C
A southern orientation
No shadows on the panels
A solar panel has, on average, a power of 250 to 300 Wp. To determine the peak power of an installation, you must therefore add the powers of each panel, knowing that 1,000 Wp = 1 kWp .
However, you should know that the same photovoltaic installation will not have the same performance depending on where it is located. For example, a 1 kWp installation in the North will produce 900 kWh per year, while in the South it will produce 1,300 kWh.
To define how many solar panels are useful to power your home, you must therefore, in addition to your energy needs, take into account the location of your home. The level of sunshine in your region, the slope of your roof, the surrounding trees and buildings creating areas of shadow… These are all factors that affect the actual performance of your solar park.
To allow you to recover even more energy, at EcoFlow, we offer you our solar tracker . Thanks to its rotation on two axes, it allows you to benefit from perfect orientation throughout the day. Thus, you can increase your energy collection by 30% !
What solutions when you produce more than you consume?
If you find that your annual consumption amounts to, for example, 12,000 kWh, you can therefore estimate that you need a 12 kWp installation, that is to say 40 photovoltaic panels of 300 Wp.
However, when you produce 12,000 kWh, this does not necessarily mean that you will be able to consume them. Indeed, in winter, your consumption will probably be higher, while your panels will produce less since the level of sunshine is lower. On the contrary, in summer, you will produce much more and you will consume less. Finally, when night falls, your panels no longer produce, whereas this is precisely where you need to light up.
In this case, if you produce more energy than you consume , you have two options:
Excess energy is stored in a solar battery, to be used when needed.
Surplus energy is resold and reinjected into the public electricity grid.
On the other hand, if you consume more than you produce, this time, it is you who draw the missing energy within the network.
We provide you with several models of EcoFlow solar batteries . They allow you to collect and store the energy of the sun , in a clean and silent way. Whether it’s dealing with potential power cuts or keeping your appliances running during an outdoor adventure, our high-performance solutions give you the opportunity to take a step closer to energy independence.