Topic

System Size

Solar Panels for Heat Pump Home: Sizing Guide
Sizing Solar

Solar Panels for Heat Pump Home: Sizing Guide

Solar panels for heat pump home sizing need a load calculation, not a panel count. What decides the size, and the trade-off installers rarely lead with.

Hamza Arham Rizvi Hamza Arham Rizvi
Sep 24 · 7 min
Sizing Solar for an Electric Car You Haven't Bought Yet
Sizing Solar

Sizing Solar for an Electric Car You Haven't Bought Yet

Mileage times kWh per mile is the whole EV load. How to size for a car you don't own yet, when adding later is the better plan, and what the charger needs.

Hamza Arham Rizvi Hamza Arham Rizvi
Sep 23 · 7 min
Roof Space Needed for Solar: Will the Quoted System Fit?
Sizing Solar

Roof Space Needed for Solar: Will the Quoted System Fit?

Square feet per kilowatt is a guess. Fire code pathways, ridge setbacks, obstructions and panel size decide the fit, and the layout drawing is the proof.

Hamza Arham Rizvi Hamza Arham Rizvi
Sep 22 · 6 min
South Facing Roof Solar: What Direction and Pitch Cost
Sizing Solar

South Facing Roof Solar: What Direction and Pitch Cost

South is the reference, not a requirement. What a DOE lab chart says about direction and tilt, when west can matter more, and how to model your own roof.

Hamza Arham Rizvi Hamza Arham Rizvi
Sep 20 · 6 min
Peak Sun Hours by State: What the Tables Leave Out
Sizing Solar

Peak Sun Hours by State: What the Tables Leave Out

State sun-hour tables average away your roof. What a peak sun hour is, why the tables disagree, and the free public tool that models your own address.

Hamza Arham Rizvi Hamza Arham Rizvi
Sep 19 · 7 min
How Many Solar Panels Do You Need? Ask in Kilowatts First
Sizing Solar

How Many Solar Panels Do You Need? Ask in Kilowatts First

Panel count is the last thing to work out and the first thing people ask. The five inputs that determine system size, in the order they actually resolve.

Hamza Arham Rizvi Hamza Arham Rizvi
Sep 17 · 7 min
Solar Offset: A Target Somebody Chose, Not a Law of Physics
Sizing Solar

Solar Offset: A Target Somebody Chose, Not a Law of Physics

Offset is an annual accounting figure, not a description of how your house runs. Why full offset is the default, when it is wrong, and what decides your number.

Hamza Arham Rizvi Hamza Arham Rizvi
Sep 16 · 6 min
Why the Installer's System Size Is Bigger Than Yours
Sizing Solar

Why the Installer's System Size Is Bigger Than Yours

Six assumptions in a proposal push the number up, and each one is checkable. Which are legitimate, which are choices, and how to ask for the same size two ways.

Hamza Arham Rizvi Hamza Arham Rizvi
Sep 14 · 7 min
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