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Solar & battery

Solar Array Size Calculator

Array layout: panel count, rows, string configuration and the roof it occupies.

Your numbers

in
in
Set by the inverter's voltage window and the coldest expected temperature.

Result

Panels 18
Rows 3
Strings 2
Array width 27.3 Feet
Array depth 18.5 Feet
Array area 506 Square feet
18 panels in 3 rows and 2 strings, occupying roughly 27.3 by 18.5 feet, 506 square feet of roof plane.

String length is limited by the inverter's maximum input voltage at the coldest expected temperature, because panel voltage rises as it gets colder. A string sized on a summer figure can exceed the inverter's limit on the first frosty morning. Array dimensions here exclude module gaps, rail overhang and the fire setbacks code requires.

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Questions

About this calculator

How many panels can go in a string?

Whatever keeps the open-circuit voltage below the inverter maximum at your record low temperature. It is usually between 8 and 14 for residential inverters, and the cold-weather check is the one that matters.

Portrait or landscape?

Whatever fits the roof plane best with fewest wasted areas. Landscape often suits wide shallow roofs, portrait suits tall narrow ones, and the racking cost differs slightly between them.

The formula

panels = system watts / panel watts; rows = panels / panels per row

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