So you already installed a solar power system a few years ago. Odds are, it was exactly what your home needed at the time in terms of the power it provided—but now, your energy usage has increased. This is fairly normal as families grow and their lifestyles change, but what does it mean for your solar power system? Is it possible to expand upon an existing system or are you stuck with using the city grid for all your excess power usage? The good news is that most solar arrays are designed with scalability in mind, and it’s very likely that you can increase your solar production to better meet your needs. Keep reading to learn more about scaling up your solar power system.
Assessing Your Current System’s Capacity
The first step in expanding your solar setup is evaluating the existing one. Look at your system’s maximum output, the inverter capacity, and the size of your solar array. Look through your monitoring app as well to see how much power your system actively produces on a daily basis and compare it to your consumption; keep in mind that all solar panels will degrade somewhat from year to year, so it’s normal for the production to be a little lower than when the system was first installed.
You’ll need to compare the system’s current production to your current rate of consumption so you can determine just how much more power you need your system to produce on a daily basis. Remember, while most systems can be easily expanded, other restrictions like the amount of roof space you have and your inverter’s capacity can make things more complicated—but more on that in a moment.
Adding More Solar Panels
The most straightforward way to get more panel is to get more solar panels. This is where you’ll need to assess available roof space, and whether or not the space available is suitable for solar production. If you have the room, and that room is angled appropriately to capture sunlight, you should have no problem mounting new panels. Just make sure they’re compatible with your existing ones!
Upgrading the Inverter
Now to address inverter limitations. If your system’s inverter is already working near its capacity, you may need to upgrade to a larger one or install a secondary inverter in order for your system to supply more power to your home. If the inverter is too small, the energy production will bottleneck at this point; you can’t expect a garden hose to provide the same amount of water as a firehose! Discuss your options with a solar expert and they’ll help you find a Sol-Ark inverter that can handle your increased energy needs and the added panels.
