The 10kW solar system and the 13kW solar system are the main choices for homes today, however, as the two solar systems differ in terms of equipment costs, electricity generated, footprint, transportation costs, installation costs and total weight, which may affect your choice, the following is a specific comparison of these aspects:
A solar system consists mainly of solar racking, solar panels, solar inverter and solar battery. If both solar systems use 250watt solar panels, the price of each solar panel is about 25$, 10kW solar system needs to use 40 (total cost of 1000$), 13kW solar system needs to use 52 (total cost of 1300$)
As for other equipment, for 10kW solar system, solar racking (about 250 $), two 9.42kWh lithium iron phosphate batteries (about 2,400 $), 10kW solar inverter (about 950 $), the total cost of 4,600 $; for 13kW solar system, solar racking (about 325 $), three 9.42kWh lithium iron phosphate batteries (about 3600 $), 10kW solar system needs 52 pieces (total cost of 1,300 $). 3600$ or so), 10kW solar inverter + 3kW off-grid solar inverter (1230$ or so), the total cost of 6450$.
As you can see, choosing a 13kW solar system means that you will need more money to buy the equipment, but of course, it will also generate more power, which you need to consider carefully before making a decision.
Assuming that the solar energy system you use at home is a grid-connected solar energy system, the conversion efficiency of this solar energy system is about 80%, if you are located in an area where the average daily peak sunshine hours is 5 hours, then you can get your solar energy system can produce how much electricity each month, the calculation is as follows:
Electricity generated per month = peak sunshine hours per day x conversion efficiency x output power x 30, substituting the data you can get 10kW solar system can generate 1200kWh of electricity, 13kW solar system can generate 1560kWh of electricity. From this, it seems that if your monthly electricity consumption is under 1200kWh, a 10kW solar system will be sufficient for you, and if your monthly electricity consumption is more than 1200kWh, perhaps a 13kW solar system would be more suitable for you.
To calculate how long your solar system can pay for itself, you need to know your local electricity price, assuming your local electricity price is 0.1$/kWh, then calculate how long it takes to pay for itself = the cost of the solar system / (the amount of electricity generated per month x the local price of electricity), and substituting the data, you get the 10kW solar system will take about 38 months, and the 13kW solar system will take about 41 months. The cost of the solar system is the same as the cost of the solar power system.
For you to build a solar system with what power output, the footprint of the solar system may be the first thing you need to consider, in other words, if your place is big enough, you can build a larger solar system, and you can sell the excess electricity to the power company, which can provide you with an extra income.
If you use 250watt monocrystalline solar panels, you should know that the area of each monocrystalline solar panel is about 1.79ft², according to the solar system footprint = the area of each solar panel x the number of panels in the solar system, then the 10kW solar system footprint will be at least 71.6ft², and the 13kW solar system footprint will be at least 93.08ft2. 93.08ft2, these data can help you plan the place in advance.
Obviously, the number and size of 13kW solar system equipment are much more than 10kW solar system, from the point of view of transportation cost, 13kW solar system equipment need to be transported several times or use bigger trucks for transportation, then it will lead to the increase of transportation cost, which is something you need to consider.
From the installation cost point of view, 13kW solar system compared to 10kW solar system, workers need more time to build, then it will inevitably lead to higher installation costs, of course, if you choose to self-installation, then you only need to spend more time and energy.
If your solar system is installed on your roof, then you need to consider the load bearing of your house, at this time, in order to your life and property safety, the total weight of the solar system is what you need to consider, the total weight of the solar system mainly depends on the solar panels and solar racking.
First of all, the weight of a 250watt solar panel is about 38 pounds, and if you use aluminium solar racking, then a 10kW solar system will need to use a solar racking that weighs about 400 pounds, so the total weight of a 10kW solar system will be about 1,920 pounds; by the same token, a 13kW solar system will have solar panels weighing 1,976 pounds, and a solar racking weight of 520 pounds, that is, the total weight of the 13kW solar system is 2496 pounds.
By understanding the difference between 10kW solar system and 13kW solar system, you can better combine with the current situation to pick the right solar system for you, it will become a big help in your life, if you still have a lot of questions about this area, then you can consult with the solar manufacturer, they will be able to provide you with detailed answers to your questions.
