Practical field guide

Solar System Planner

Plan a solar power system in the right order: usage, panels, batteries, voltage, inverter, wiring, and protection.

In brief

Plan a solar power system in the right order: usage, panels, batteries, voltage, inverter, wiring, and protection.

Start with what you need to power

A dependable system begins with daily energy use—not a panel count. Use the sizing guide to build an estimate, then continue through each decision below.

  1. Estimate daily energy use
  2. Estimate solar panel output
  3. Size a battery bank
  4. Choose system voltage
  5. Size the inverter
  6. Choose wiring and protection

System boundary

Your final design depends on the loads, location, seasonal production, desired backup time, equipment specifications, local rules, and installation conditions. Treat online calculations as a planning starting point, then verify the final design for your actual system.