Based on this configuration she is unsure about the optimal inverter loading ratio for the project and ultimately how many solar panels she should buy.
Solar panel to inverter ratio.
The ratio between the dc solar array and the ac inverter is called the inverter load ratio ilr.
I have seen the excel sheet you have prepared for design of solar panel inverter and battery bank and it is awesome.
Loading ratio or dc to ac ratio of an inverter is the ratio of rated array power dc kwp to rated inverter output ac va.
Here my application is little different on solar water heater.
The project will be limited by the 100 mw interconnection and she has space to add up to 250 mw dc of panels so economics will determine the best inverter loading ratio.
This allows for a greater energy harvest when production is below the inverter s rating which it typically is for most of the day.
For example a 6 kw dc array combined with a 5 kw ac rated inverter would have a dc ac ratio of 1 2 6 kw 5 kw 1 2.
In your solar power system you need inverters to take the low voltage high current signals from the pv panels and convert them into 120vac or 240vac which is directly compatible with grid power.
For example if array output of 55kwp dc were connected to a 50kw inverter the loading ratio would be.
The dc power of the solar array is 15 350w 5250w using an inverter with a maximum ac power of 4200w the dc to ac ratio of this system is 5250w 4200w 1 25 pros and cons for a large dc to ac ratio.
The dc to ac ratio also known as the inverter load ratio or ilr is an important parameter when designing a solar project.
Inverters cost around 0 70 per watt or around 2 600 for a typical application.
It often makes sense to oversize a solar array such that the dc to ac ratio is greater than 1 said david bromberg senior scientist at aurora solar on aurora s.
This can be expressed as a percentage value.
The dc to ac ratio is defined as the ratio of installed dc capacity to the ac power rating of the inverter.
For example if your array is 6 kw with a 6000 w inverter the array to inverter ratio is 1.
55kwp 50kw x 100 110.
From a reliability standpoint they are generally the weak link.
I want to maintain the 70 c temperature of 50 liters approx water using 500 w dc heater for 24 7.
It often makes sense to oversize a solar array such that the dc to ac ratio is greater than 1.
If you install the same sized array with a 5000 inverter the ratio is 1 2.
The array to inverter ratio of a solar panel system is the dc rating of your solar array divided by the maximum ac output of your inverter.