Whilst it might be a good option to get rid of our current system for a whole new one i can t bring myself to dispose of 16 panels and an inverter in good working order.
Add panels to solar system.
Add a second solar pv system along with batteries if your existing inverter is still relatively new e g.
We ll discuss why expanding your array is a great option and we ll address the best ways to do so.
The level of difficulty associated with adding a battery depends on whether your solar panel system was designed with the intention of adding energy storage later on.
This second system could include a hybrid inverter which manages both the new solar plus the batteries but in this.
How many additional solar panels you can add to your solar power system depends greatly on the solar power inverter you have installed.
From a technical standpoint we cannot add panels to an existing solar installation that is older than a year or two.
If your solar system isn t quite meeting your electricity needs it s almost always possible to expand your system to incorporate more panels.
Thanks to the california solar mandate your new home will also have a fully functioning solar system installed when you move in.
If you want to increase your energy savings or if your energy needs have increased upgrading your existing solar system by adding new panels is a great option.
Solar panels can only be added to the inverter if adding the extra solar panels keeps the voltages and current fed to the inverter within the operating window or working range of the inverter.
This is because the australian standards have been raised so if we were to touch your existing system we would have to replace all of the cables.
Add on projects are a bit easier if your original solar panel system uses microinverters as opposed to a power optimizer or string inverter system.
If you have a storage ready solar system you already have an inverter that can easily integrate a battery into your solar panel system.
This prewired for solar rv included the installed charge controller but it did not have any solar panels installed from the factory.
I ll investigate further adding some panels to our current system especially if i can get seondhand panels from someone upgrading their system.
Less than 5 years old it might make sense for you to add a brand new solar system in parallel with your existing one.
So you ve purchased a new home.
Because microinverters are located at each individual panel you don t have to worry about inverter capacity issues and can just install additional microinverters with the new panels.