The Art of Over-panelling Your Solar System
Anyone venturing into the world of solar energy, whether residential or commercial, has heard of “over-panelling”. But what does it mean, and what are some of its benefits?
If you over-panel your system with a higher panel output than the inverter or charge controller is rated for, the 8KW peak will be reached sooner and for longer throughout the day, resulting in a higher output.
Clarification
Over-panelling refers to having a more extensive panel output than a system’s inverter or charge controller rating. In layperson’s terms, the total wattage of your combined panel output is higher than what the inverter or charge controller can use. This is actually a very common practice, although not as simple as it sounds.
Why would you over-panel your system? If you have an 8KW inverter or charge controller installed, and the total wattage of your panels is 8KW, you will only achieve an 8KW output from your panels for a few minutes of the day when the sun is at its peak.
(This will only be achieved if you have the optimal angle for that time of the year and if your panels are clean). Leading up to and after your peak, your panel output will reduce, and thus, your inverter or charge controller only perform at 100% capacity for a few minutes through the day (blue graph).
Solar energy output graph
If you over-panel your system with a higher panel output than the inverter or charge controller is rated for, the 8KW peak will be reached sooner and for longer throughout the day, resulting in a higher output (green graph). The inverter or charge controller will only “process” the maximum input it was rated for, and the excess energy being created will be “lost” (red graph).
Over-panelling is ideal for cloudy areas, decreasing the risk of low energy generation during winter months or having a more uniform energy generation output throughout the year.
Be careful
Unfortunately, before you embark on your over-panelling endeavour, it’s not that cut and dry. The most important information to remember when over-panelling is never to exceed the maximum voltage specified on the inverter or charge controller.
The charge controller will be able to “clip” or control the correct number of amps being produced and supplied but will not be able to clip or control a voltage above its rating capability. One con regarding over-panelling is that not all charge controllers have the same capabilities to control or clip the increased amps, and another con is the increase in temperature of your solar panels when excess energy is “clipped”. If you are in a region where your panels are already experiencing high temperatures or don’t have sufficient means of cooling, this needs to be monitored.
We are here to help
At Lumax Energy, we understand the delicate balance of maximising solar potential while ensuring system integrity. Whether your project demands a modest panel addition or a complete over-panelling overhaul, our expertise and solutions can cater for any scale project. Let’s illuminate the future of solar energy together.
