Solar panels are an effective way to reduce your electricity costs
This blog post gives a brief introduction on how to connect solar panels with an easy 6 step guide. Solar power is becoming increasingly popular as a reliable and cleaner energy source for homes. Pool solar panels are particularly popular for those who wish to heat their swimming pools. The initial outlay may be costly. However, you can start with using sun energy in conjunction with your existing electricity service provider. After this, you can gradually build up more solar paneling over time.
Once you know how to install solar panels at your home, you can reduce your electricity costs by connecting your solar paneling to your home’s electricity yourself.
Solar panels are put together to increase the solar-generated power. Understanding the basics of connecting solar panels is essential for anyone that wishes to embark on this process.
How to connect solar panels to your home
Step 1
Install solar panels on your roof with the help of a professional or a do-it-yourself solar kit. In order to generate approximately 5000 watts of power per day, you need to connect approximately 20 250-watt panels. This amount of solar panelling should be enough to run a geyser, a fridge and a few lights. Additionally, it will greatly reduce your dependency on traditional electricity. The more solar panels you install, the more energy efficient your home will be.
Step 2
The next step is to install batteries for your solar panels. Do this based on whether you will be replacing your electricity source entirely or where you will still be using grid electricity sometimes. You do not need batteries if you are using solar panels as your backup energy source only. However, if you are moving over to entirely solar power, you need to purchase and install batteries to store the solar power.
Step 3
The next step in knowing how to connect solar panels is to connect your solar panels either directly to a power inverter and then to your home grid, or connect the inverter to a battery, and then to a home grid. The inverter will connect the solar energy so that it can be used in the home. It also converts direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC) power.
Step 4
Connect the battery to the inverter.
Step 5
Connect the inverter to the AC fuse box in your home.
Step 6
Connect the AC generator to your power inverter to provide extra electricity in case you run out of solar energy or battery power.
It is essential to understand that solar energy can be unpredictable. Even when you fully understand how to connect solar panels, it is possible to run out of stored solar energy. This may happen due to cloudy weather for a few consecutive days. A backup source is recommended.
Should I connect solar panels in series or parallel?
Connecting more than one solar panel in series in parallel or in a mixed-mode can be done. This is an effective and simple way to build a cost-effective solar panel solution. It will also enable you add more solar panelling in future should your electricity needs increase.
How many solar panels can I connect to a charge controller?
A solar charge controller functions as a regulator in your system. It delivers power from the PV array to system loads and the battery bank. When the battery bank nears full, the controller will taper off the charging current. This is to maintain the required voltage so as to fully charge the battery and keep it topped off. In this way, the controller regulates the voltage and protects the battery. It is important to spend time selecting the right charge controller in terms of size and features. Reliability and performance are key.
