With the growing emphasis on climate change, people are looking for ways to produce clean and sustainable energy for their homes. Legislation, particularly in California, has made green energy a priority. As a result, there has been a significant increase in the number of solar panels installed on homes throughout California. Putting solar panels on your Los Angeles home might be your next home improvement, but you might be wondering what type of Los Angeles solar panels and system you need for your home.
Understanding the Number of Panels Necessary
Most of the ordinary language of solar panel systems involves describing your system in terms of watts and voltage. Still, you might be wondering about the practical aspects of Los Angeles solar panels, including how much space the panels will need on your roof once they are installed.
Another way to think of the size of your Los Angeles solar panels in terms of the power output they create. A plain long roof can give you the option to buy larger and less expensive panels, but that could limit the efficiency of your solar panel system. Unusually shaped roofs add another challenge because you will not have the same amount of space for solar panels. Therefore, you will need to choose panels that can increase the efficiency of energy collection in the least number of panels possible.
How Solar Panels Work
Solar panels are made of cell arrangements, so depending on the number of cells and how they are put together, the panel may be smaller or larger. There are solar panels that can have up to 96 cells. Small solar panels can ideally be mounted on boats, motor homes, and caravans.
The nice part about solar panels is that as the technology has advanced, more flexible and foldable configuration options have been made possible. However, that does not mean there are not standard size options. Working with your solar panel installer, you can determine how many panels will fit on your roof and how many you will need based on your average energy usage.
Additionally, your solar panel system will need to be put together to include the right amount of batteries to store the energy generated through your solar panels and the right inverter. In setting up your system, you should determine if you want the system to be a primary energy source or to serve as a backup power. Most systems must also be connected to the main power grid, so energy your panels generate could be used to power other homes and businesses.
To learn how much energy your home will need on a typical day, you can use the PVWatts tool, developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). It can take your building’s location and characteristics to give you estimates. Working with our team, we can reverse engineer your Los Angeles solar panel system to determine what will work for you. Recognize that where your home faces can also play a part in how much energy is generated.
Contact us today to learn more about the solar panel options you have available to create your tailor-made solar panel system.
Signal Alarms and Electric is an electrical contractor in Southern California providing full capacity electrical contracting services for new construction, renovations, tenant improvements, service upgrades, exterior, interior and landscape lighting, retrofits and service installations in the Southern California/Los Angeles County area.