Array Sizing

Workbook
TheSolarPlanner.com

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© 2013 Copyright © 2014
TheSolarPlanner.c TheSolarPlanner.com Management
om Service
Array Sizing Worksheet See Instructions.

Step 1: Enter home's annual Kilowatt Hour (kWh) usage.

Annual Kilowatt Hours are calculated on the Utility Bill Audit

or other energy audit worksheet. Max. kWh = 15000.

Grid Offset
Step 2: Enter the other variables needed to determine array size.
(Default=50 %)

Daily Peak Sun Worksheet

Hours is for arrays Derate Factor 0.77 50
mounted
May be a general value for level to the Percentage accounts for wire
the region or a measured roof or losses, soiling, age, etc. A Use Derate Calculator
one based on azimuth/tilt ground. default of 0.77 is provided.
angles and shading. Click
Resources
Total Array DC
Convert Enter Feet:
tab below
Watts Needed for help.
Feet to
Step 3: Determine roughly how many Inches
modules will fit in your array space(s).
Inches 0.00

Dimensions
Array #1
Array #2 Array #3 Convert
(inches) (optional) (optional) Use Centimete
Area Length inches r to Inches
only.
Area Width Enter cm:
Module Length 65.0 Module Width 40.0 Total Array
Module
Rows possible Count Inches
Quantity per
0.00
row
Default of 65 & 40 provided for Module Length/Width. (You can change these.) For a
landscape orientation, enter Module Length in the Module Width box, and vice versa. If you
need more than 1" space between rows, or more than 1" between modules, add the extra
space to the module or array dimensions as needed. Arrays of 4+ rows require extra
access space for workers.

Step 4: Calculate the number of modules needed to cover Total

Array DC Watts calculated in Step 2, based on a nameplate size.

Is there
Module Watt Size Modules
enough
(e.g. 240) Needed
space?

If "Module Count" in Step 3 is not equal to or larger than "Modules Needed" in Step 4, try a
different sized module or adding more array area. Also be sure to factor in any shading
over your array that may decrease the "Daily Peak Sun Hours" value.
 Energy
Management
Copyright © 2013
TheSolarPlanner.com Service
Utility Bill Rates Worksheet See instructions.

All other If you pay more than 4

Base Rate Peak or Night Rate
Month rates or rates, average the
or Tier 1 Tier 2 or Tier 3
tiers highest priced tiers,
then combine their hours
Rate Cost (e.g. . in the same column.
091,.18,.315)
Monthly
Below, enter the monthly kwh amount listed on your bill for Total kWH
usage % of
each of the rates listed above (eg. 700,200,125,50). for Month
bill

January 0

February 0

March 0

April 0

May 0

June 0

July 0

August 0

September 0

October 0

November 0

December 0

Annual kWh
0 0 0 0 0
Total

Rate % of bill

How to complete worksheet: In order to calculate the payback time and profit on a
solar electric system, you'll need to add up the total kilowatt hours (kWh) used in the past
year, along with the different rates you were charged and the different months. This will
generate an estimated percentage of kWh per rate (bottom row of table, in yellow), and
the percentage divided by month (also in yellow).This data is needed to complete the
"Cost/Payback/Profit Analysis" worksheet. Retrieve your last 12 electric bills and a
calculator before starting. Enter up to four rates at the top of the sheet.
 Online Resource Links
Calculate your derate factor:

PV Watts Derate Calculator

Visit TheSolarPlanner.com Worksheets Page for instructio
To determine daily peak sun hours:

NREL Solar Radiation Data

Note: Easiest approach is to scroll down the page and click on your
state. This will bring up a PDF file. Find the nearest city and get the
peak sun hours from the first table, "Solar Radiation for Flat Plate
Collectors at a Fixed Tilt."

Sunpath Charts Search for Module Specifications

From the University of Oregon.
AltE Store
Other Array Sizing Tools:
Civic Solar
PV Watts
Wholesale Solar
In My Backyard (IMBY)

Tutorials:

Optimum Array Orientation and Placement

Sizing your PV System and Array

Other Resources:

Tilted Array Sizing Worksheet

Understanding Grid Offsets

The term offset refers to the amount of utility-provided electricity a homeowner

wishes to replace by installing a solar electric system It’s expressed in the form
of a percentage. For example, if a customer uses 10,000 kilowatt hours annually
and would like to replace (or offset) about a third of it with PV power, then he or
she would need an array that generates 3,333 kWh. A default value is 50% is
provided.

In an ideal world, most people would opt for a 100% offset. However, since the
base rate charged by most utilities is cheap (6 to 15 cents per kWh), it’s not
practical to buy a big solar system, since at those rates it will take too long to
achieve payback. Rather, customers are encouraged to buy a system sized to
offset only the higher-tiered rates. That way, the break-even point is reached
in about 7 years, after which profit starts to accrue from avoided utility charges
and continues on through the life of the system. Hence grid offsets of 30-50%
are quite common.