Sizing a System
A frequent question that is raised by people considering a PV system is "How big of a system do I need?” The answer to that depends upon your goal. If your goal is to have 50%, 75% or 100% of your electric needs provided through solar, then you can do the calculations mentioned above to see how much electricity you use in a year. Once you have this number you can determine the size of system you need in kilowatts by realizing that 1KW of panels will produce around 1400 watt-hours per year. If this math seems daunting, we will be happy to do the calculations for you.
There is no problem with sizing the system based upon a budget. All you have to do is decide how much you can spend and from that determine the size of the system.
Remember, you don't have to buy the system all at once, you can start small and add on. There are some things we can do to accommodate future expansion, so if you are planning to go this route please let us know while you and Vibrant Solar are still in the discussion phase.
Once you decide how large of a system you would like, then all that remains is to analyze your site to see if it will support that size of a system. The maximum size of system you can install for your home is controlled by several factors. The current rebate from Xcel Energy only covers systems up to 10KW in size. This makes systems larger than 10KW leap up quickly in price. This is enough to discourage all but the most determined from going larger than 10KW.
Other than the 10KW limit imposed by Xcel Energy, the main limit to system size comes from the available area that is suitable for solar. All too often homeowners are limited in the size system they can install by available roof space or inconveniently placed trees. Our experts will be able to quickly analyze your site and we will let you know what your home can realistically support.
Provided by Vibrant Solar, Inc.