Solar Panels - PV System Sizing and Power Yield Calculator

We have put together a simple PV array size (metres, sq m, kWp) and power output (kWp, kWhrs) calculator. The given measurements are for unobstructed areas of space to be made available for solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. We have assumed:

South facing,
optimal pitch,
ground or roof mount,
no shading,
fixed position (no tilts or trackers).

As solar PV panels can be secured horizontally or vertically, many configurations are possible, the right layout and system size will be specific to the property, its location and the local power requirement.

This calculator is nothing more than a quick way to roughly estimate how many industrial sized solar panels you could fit on a roof or on the ground, if the basic mounting area measurements are known. The number of panels you could use, the different layouts and orientations and average estimates for system size (m, sq m, kWp), power (kWp, Wp) and power output (kWhrs) are provided for each system..

For this illustration we have allowed space for frames and have taken our average PV panel size to be:

Solarworld 235Wp - 250Wp Mono Black Solar Panel

Length: 1700mm
Width: 1000mm
Depth 40mm
Area: 1.7m2
Weight: 20Kg
Output: 220Wp

For larger systems, look for a system size that can be easily replicated, transported and installed (often batches of 16-24). Then calculate the optimum number of individual arrays that could be installed in the space.

Energy Output estimates are based on SAP 2005 calculation methods for a south facing UK roof (kWhrs). This is where 1kWp of installed power is estimated to generate 800kWhrs of electricity.

PV Array Width	PV Array Height	Number of Panels	Panels per row	Number of Rows in Array	Mounting Array Area (m2)	Max Power (Wp/kWp)	Output (kWhrs, Year)
4.4m	1.8m	4	4	1	7.92m sq	880Wp	704 kWhrs
4.4m	3.6m	8	4	2	15.84m sq	1.76kWp	1408 kWhrs
4.4m	5.4m	12	4	3	23.76m sq	2.64kWp	2112 kWhrs
PV Array Width	PV Array Height	Number of Panels	Panels per row	Number of Rows in Array	Mounting Array Area (m2)	Max Power (Wp/kWp)	Output (kWhrs, Year)
5.4m	1.1m	3	3	1	5.94m sq	660Wp	528 kWhrs
5.4m	2.2m	6	3	2	11.88m sq	1.32kWp	1056 kWhrs
5.4m	3.3m	9	3	3	17.82m sq	1.98kWp	1584 kWhrs
5.4m	4.4m	12	3	4	23.76m sq	2.64kWp	2112 kWhrs
5.4m	5.5m	15	3	5	29.7m sq	3.3kWp	2640 kWhrs
PV Array Width	PV Array Height	Number of Panels	Panels per row	Number of Rows in Array	Mounting Array Area (m2)	Max Power (Wp/kWp)	Output (kWhrs, Year)
5.5m	1.8m	5	5	1	9.9m sq	1.1kWp	880 kWhrs
5.5m	3.6m	10	5	2	19.8m sq	2.2kWp	1760 kWhrs
5.5m	5.4m	15	5	3	29.7m sq	3.3kWp	2640 kWhrs
PV Array Width	PV Array Height	Number of Panels	Panels per row	Number of Rows in Array	Mounting Array Area (m2)	Max Power (Wp/kWp)	Output (kWhrs, Year)
6.6m	1.8m	6	6	1	11.88m sq	1.32Wp	1056 kWhrs
6.6m	3.6m	12	6	2	23.76m sq	2.64kWp	2112 kWhrs
6.6m	5.4m	18	6	3	35.64m sq	3.96kWp	3168 kWhrs
PV Array Width	PV Array Height	Number of Panels	Panels per row	Number of Rows in Array	Mounting Array Area (m2)	Max Power (Wp/kWp)	Output (kWhrs, Year)
7.2m	1.1m	4	4	1	7.92m sq	880Wp	704 kWhrs
7.2m	2.2m	8	4	2	15.84m sq	1.76kWp	1408 kWhrs
7.2m	3.3m	12	4	3	23.76m sq	2.64kWp	2112 kWhrs
7.2m	4.4m	16	4	4	31.68m sq	3.52kWp	2816 kWhrs
7.2m	5.5m	20	4	5	39.6m sq	4.4kWp	3520 kWhrs
PV Array Width	PV Array Height	Number of Panels	Panels per row	Number of Rows in Array	Mounting Array Area (m2)	Max Power (Wp/kWp)	Output (kWhrs, Year)
7.7m	1.8m	7	7	1	13.86m sq	1.54kWp	1232 kWhrs
7.7m	3.6m	14	7	2	27.72m sq	3.08kWp	2464 kWhrs
7.7m	5.4m	21	7	3	41.58m sq	4.62Wp	3696 kWhrs
PV Array Width	PV Array Height	Number of Panels	Panels per row	Number of Rows in Array	Mounting Array Area (m2)	Max Power (Wp/kWp)	Output (kWhrs, Year)
8.8m	1.8m	8	8	1	15.84m sq	1.76kWp	1408 kWhrs
8.8m	3.6m	16	8	2	31.68m sq	3.52kWp	2816 kWhrs
8.8m	5.4m	24	8	3	47.52m sq	5.28kWp	4224 kWhrs
PV Array Width	PV Array Height	Number of Panels	Panels per row	Number of Rows in Array	Mounting Array Area (m2)	Max Power (Wp/kWp)	Output (kWhrs, Year)
9m	1.1m	5	5	1	9.9m sq	1.98kWp	880 kWhrs
9m	2.2m	10	5	2	19.8m sq	2.2kWp	1760 kWhrs
9m	3.3m	15	5	3	29.7m sq	3.3kWp	2640 kWhrs
9m	4.4m	20	5	4	39.6m sq	4.4kWp	3520 kWhrs
9m	5.5m	25	5	5	49.5m sq	5.5kWp	4400 kWhrs
PV Array Width	PV Array Height	Number of Panels	Panels per row	Number of Rows in Array	Mounting Array Area (m2)	Max Power (Wp/kWp)	Output (kWhrs, Year)
9.9m	1.8m	9	9	1	17.82m sq	1.98kWp	1584 kWhrs
9.9m	3.6m	18	9	2	35.64m sq	3.96kWp	3168 kWhrs
9.9m	5.4m	27	9	3	53.64m sq	5.94kWp	4752 kWhrs
PV Array Width	PV Array Height	Number of Panels	Panels per row	Number of Rows in Array	Mounting Array Area (m2)	Max Power (Wp/kWp)	Output (kWhrs, Year)
10.8m	1.1m	10	10	1	11.88m sq	2.2kWp	1760 kWhrs
10.8m	2.2m	20	10	2	23.76m sq	4.4kWp	3520 kWhrs
10.8m	3.3m	30	10	3	35.64m sq	6.6kWp	5280 kWhrs
10.8m	4.4m	40	10	4	47.52m sq	8.8kWp	7040 kWhrs
10.8m	5.5m	50	10	5	59.4m sq	11kWp	8800 kWhrs
PV Array Width	PV Array Height	Number of Panels	Panels per row	Number of Rows in Array	Mounting Array Area (m2)	Max Power (Wp/kWp)	Output (kWhrs, Year)
11m	1.8m	11	11	1	19.8m sq	2.42kWp	1936 kWhrs
11m	3.6m	22	11	2	39.6m sq	4.84Wp	3872 kWhrs
11m	5.4m	33	11	3	59.4m sq	7.26kWp	5808 kWhrs
PV Array Width	PV Array Height	Number of Panels	Panels per row	Number of Rows in Array	Mounting Array Area (m2)	Max Power (Wp/kWp)	Output (kWhrs, Year)
12.1m	1.1m	12	12	1	13.31m sq	2.64kWp	2112 kWhrs
12.1m	2.2m	24	12	2	26.62m sq	5.28kWp	4224 kWhrs
12.1m	3.3m	36	12	3	39.93m sq	7.92kWp	6336 kWhrs
12.1m	4.4m	48	12	4	53.24m sq	10.56kWp	8448 kWhrs
12.1m	5.5m	60	12	5	66.55m sq	13.2kWp	10560 kWhrs

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Local Installation Areas include: Ashton Keynes, Bath, Baulking, Bishopstone, Broad Town, Calne, Castle Eaton, Chiseldon, Cirencester, Clyffe Pypard, Devizes, Faringdon, Fernham, Great Coxwell, Hungerford, Ingelsham, Kelmscott, Lambourn, Lechlade, Lydiard Millicent, Lydiard Tregoze, Lyneham, Malmesbury, Manningford, Marlborough, Melksham, Minety, Newbury, Oxford, Purton, Shrivenham, Swindon, Tetbury, Uffington, Wanborough, Wantage, Witney, Woolstone, Wooton Bassett, Wroughton, Yatesbury.