When looking at solar options it’s hard to determine what the right sized system is for you and your home.
A 13kW solar system is considered a large sized solar system in the residential world and is generally purchased by homeowners with high electricity bills, people with 3 phase power supply, electric car owners and future proofers.
In this article we are going to talk to you about everything you need to know about 13kW solar systems.
How Many Panels Make Up A 13kW Solar System?
Solar panels range in sizes. You will find panels on the market today that range from 330 watts per panel, all the way up to 440 watts per panel.
A solar system size is the amount of panels times by their individual outputs.
If you use a 390 watt solar panel as an example, you will require around 34 solar panels to achieve a 13kW solar system.
34 times 390 watts per panel is 13.2kWs!
How Much Power Can I Expect To Generate From A 13kW Solar System?
A 13kW solar system installed in Australia on average will generate 52kWh’s per day, which is quite a lot of power in one day!
The solar system will generate power during the day, this will be consumed by your home first. Any excess will then be sent back into the grid. If you have a battery the excess solar will charge up your battery and once the battery is full the excess will then be sent back into the grid and you will be issued a credit.
The best way to increase your savings and returns on your solar system is to consume as much solar power as possible.
Can I Install A 13kW Solar System
To understand if you can install a 13kW solar system you will need to determine the allowances from your network distributor. Your network distributor is the company that puts up the poles and wires in your street.
Another important thing to consider is if your home has a single phase or three phase power supply. Most single phase properties can install 5kW’s of inverter capacity without export limiting. If you want to install more you will need to install an export limiting device which stops any exports over 5kW’s.
Most three phase properties in Australia can install 15kW’s of inverter capacity without export limiting.
While the term “Export Limiting” sounds bad, it’s not. It’s a requirement by your network distributor to stop too much solar being exported into the grid at once, the solar energy produced by your system can still be consumed and as we have come to learn in this video, consumption drives the best savings.
Export Limiting doesn’t stop solar energy being stored in your solar battery system so if you are someone who is installing a 13kW solar system, the battery can store excess solar that isn’t used by the home during the day.
For more information on export limiting, check out the video in our channel about export limiting.
Is A 13kW Solar System The Right System For Me?
There are a few things to consider when deciding on what the right solar system size is for you.
We like to take into consideration not only your current usage but your usage in the future. We will all make the switch to an electric car one day and a solar system is a long term investment.
Based on your current usage, it’s safe to say anyone’s whose bill is $700 and above will benefit greatly from a 13kW solar system.
If your energy bill is less than $700 but you are wanting to plan for an increase of consumption in future, a 13kW solar system could also be the way to go.
If you want to be certain, ring us, we are the experts and we will size the system perfectly.
How Much Should I Expect To Pay For A 13kW Solar System?
As system sizes get bigger, per kW they can become slightly cheaper due to the scale of the installation. When installing a 13kW solar system expect to pay anywhere from $10,000 to $18,000.
We strongly advise against spending less than $10,000 for a 13kW solar system and if it’s more than $18,000 a good explanation on why would be also advised.
