Benchmarks for Solar PV
Architects, building consultants and contractors often need a good rule of thumb
BENCHMARKS FOR SOLAR PV
- The industry standard for sizing a PV system is a kilowatt peak, or kWp
- Every kWp of solar PV will generate around 800 kWh of electricity per year.
- On a sloped roof allow 8 sqm per kWp
- On a flat roof allow 12 sqm per kWp
- Every sqm of system weighs around 15kg
PLANNING
- Planning permission is not usually required on a domestic installation, but is usually essential for larger projects or developments. Please contact us for more details.
ROOF TYPES
- Most building have some suitable roof space, anything south of East-West is potentially acceptable.
- Raised or standing seam roofs are the easiest to install on
ELECTRICALS
- Up to 3.7 kWp (16A) of PV can be certified by EvoEnergy per phase on a G83
- Larger systems require a G59 relay to be completed
- The electrical connection is generally directly into the consumer unit
- The inverters prefer dry cool areas and need area around them for cooling
PANEL TYPES
- Monocrystalline are now the industry standard.
- Hybrid panels will generate around 15% more energy per sqm, but will cost around 25% more
- Thin film silicon requires around double the space and because of extra installation time is not currently much cheaper
BESPOKE DESIGN