As the global focus turns to more sustainable forms of energy, many new homes are being built with the installation of solar panels in mind. Los Angeles solar panels tap into this sustainable energy trend by taking advantage of the high number of sunny days in California. Many laws are being put into place focused on either retrofitting homes with solar panels or making sure that solar panels are installed on new building projects.
The costs of solar panels have also gone down, making them an affordable option for homeowners. Thus, there are plenty of benefits to making the transition to solar panels.
Still, before you put new solar panels on your home, you might be wondering if there is such a thing as putting too many solar panels on your roof? Here is a quick guide to understanding how many solar panels you might need.
How Do Solar Panels Work?
Solar technologies take solar radiation and turn it into usable energy. There are two different types of solar energy technologies, known as concentrating solar-thermal power and photovoltaics (PV). Photovoltaics is utilized in solar panels, which absorbs sunlight into the PV cells. Thus, it creates electrical charges that move in response to an internal electrical field and electricity begins to flow.
These solar panels create the electrical energy but require a battery system and connection to the larger utility grid to translate that energy into working electricity. However, you also need to have an inverter installed and perhaps a battery bank to serve as a backup power source.
Figuring Out How Many You Need
The truth is that most of the time, older residential solar panel systems are often too small, instead of too big. Early installations were often small because the thought was that power to fill in any gaps in the system could be bought from the utility company.
However, today, you can better estimate the size of system you need based upon the size of your home and using your current utility bills. Keep in mind, it is important to recognize that your usage is likely to increase significantly in the summer as the air conditioner works harder to deal with the triple digit temperatures. Plus, today’s solar panels are lighter and more efficient, meaning that you can get more energy without needing additional panels.
Other homeowners have also noted that the solar panels help to shade their roofs and thus keep their homes cooler, helping them to save energy and money. Clearly, it is unlikely that you can have too many solar panels, especially if you work with a professional installer of Los Angeles solar panels and solar systems.
Our team works with residential clients to determine the best setups to meet your home’s needs. We also help you to determine the best battery setup as well, thus allowing you to have battery backup during the times that power outages happen or during scheduled turnoff of power by the utility companies.
Contact us today to learn more about your Los Angeles solar panel options and to schedule a consultation.
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.