Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Getting the Right Amount of Amps for your Cells

An array of solar cells positioned atop your house can help reduce your energy bills. However, these solar cells must be properly installed and oriented to follow the sun's track across the sky. Clear weather permitting, solar cells have the potential to pump much electric energy into your home or building. However, an extensive array of photovoltaic (PV) cells can be tricky, as far as the amount of power you need is concerned; therefore you will need to compute the amperage.

First, study the documentation in your solar power system for the panel's maximum rated power in watts and the maximum voltage or Vmp. Divide the maximum wattage against the Vmp to get the total number of amps produced when the panel's at maximum capacity.

You will have to hook up the panel to a digital multimeter set to direct current voltage, and list down the voltage readout. Turn the multimeter to resistance-measurement mode, and list down the number of ohms. Divide the voltage against the number of ohms to get the actual number of amps produced by the panel at normal capacity.

The number of amps generated by each panel will give you clues as to how much power your appliances actually need. This can help you and your contractor figure out how many solar cells are needed in case you're interested in a full array.

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