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Off Grid Calculator

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OFF GRID CALCULATOR

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The altE Off-Grid Solar Panel System Calculator helps you size the battery bank, watts of solar panels and the solar
charge controller you need. The calculator assumes you will need to size your system to get you through average
amount of sun-light in the least sunniest month of the year for your location. You still may want to consider a backup
generator, however. Feel free to call our knowledgeable technical sales staff toll free at 800-320-9514 and have them
help you find the system that fits your needs.

YOUR INFORMATION
Used if you optionally choose to save your calculator for later use
Name:

Jason B

Date:

04/04/16

Battery Bank Sizing

This calculator will help you size the battery bank for your system.

Refrigerators & Freezers

STEP 1:

Solar Panel Mounts & Trackers

Your Daily Energy Usage

Watt Hours per Day: 17000

Solar Panels
Solar Power Systems
Solar Water Heating
Solar Water Pumps
Voltage Converters
Wind Turbines

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This value is usually printed on your electric bill. Take your monthly kilowatt-hour usage
from your electric bill and divide it by 30 to get your daily kilowatt-hour usage. Since it's
in kilowatt (1000's of watts) you'll need to multiply that number by 1000 to get the
number into watt-hours. If you don't have a bill, or don't know your consumption, please
use our Load Calculator to go through the steps to determine this value.
Is your energy usage too high? Don't despair, our knowledgeable sales folks can help you find other potential
solutions. Please call us toll free at: 800-320-9514 .

Browse by Brand

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Off Grid Calculator

STEP 2:
How Many Days Should Your System Run without Sun?
How many days of backup power do you want in case of cloudy/rainy days?
(when your solar panels will produce little energy)
3

STEP 3:
Adjust the Effective Capacity of Your Battery Bank Due to Low Temperatures
What is the lowest temperature your battery bank will experience?
20F (-7C)

Degrees

RESULTS:
Battery Bank Capacity: 186507 watt hours
Select a battery bank voltage: 48
Battery Bank Capacity: 3886 amp hours
3 String Configuration: 1296 amp hours per string
Note: All calculations assume only a 50% discharge to your batteries to optimize battery life.
Select the deep cycle battery that fits your needs

Solar Panel and Solar Charge Controller Sizing

This calculator helps you size the solar panel(s) and charge controller(s) needed for your system.

STEP 1:
Determine the Solar Exposure for Your Site
You need to determine the average number of sun-hours per day during the least sunniest month of the year
(not the whole year).

Select the State-City Closest to your location (currently only US states are provided)
- Select a City -

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or
Manually enter the average sun-hours for your location.
2.5

You can use this world map of solar insolation values to determine an estimate
of sun-hours for your location.

STEP 2:
Sizing Your Solar Panel Power Needed
The total wattage of Solar Panels that you need is:
Watts, or 8.84

8840

kilowatts

This value takes into account losses due to system inefficiencies.

STEP 3:
Determine How Many Solar Panels You Need in Your Array
How many solar panels do you need? That depends on the panel you choose.
Select the wattage of the panel your interested in, and see the results below:
watts per panel

320

You will need 28

panels for a total of 8960

watts.

Select the solar panel that fits your needs.

Sizing your Solar Charge Controller

You will need a charge controller that can handle 187

amps

Select the solar charge controller that fits your needs

Sizing a charge controller can be complex, the above answer is a conservative estimate. Please feel free to call
us to find a more accurate fit for your needs.
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Off Grid Calculator

Now that you have sized up the system that fits your needs, call our Knowledgeable Sales Folks at 800-3209514 and let them help you find the exact products for your system.
2005 - 2016 altE Store, Inc. - www.altEstore.com

1999-2015 Alternative Energy

Store Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

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