String sizing

Example
String Sizing:
 A panel string is a group of panels that are wired into a single input on
your power inverter.
 String sizing describes the calculations we make to determine how
many panels we should plug into one input for optimal efficiency.
 Why Does String Sizing Matter?

 Inverters operate within a specific input voltage range, called the operating range.
 Your panel strings must output a voltage that falls within that range.
 If the panels don’t supply enough voltage, the inverter won’t have enough power to turn on.
 If too much voltage is supplied, you can damage your inverter and void the warranty.
 Example
Mission Solar 360W panels have a Vmp of 39.28 and a Voc of 48.08, as
listed on the spec sheet:
The SMA Sunny Boy 7700W inverter has a rated MPP voltage range of
270-480 volts. The operating range is 100-600 volts (look for minimum and
maximum DC voltage on the spec sheet):
Step 1: Find your minimum string
size
 First we want to calculate the minimum number of panels we should put in a
string.
 For that, take the low end of the MPP range (in this case 270V) and divide by the
Vmp of the panel (39.28).

270V ÷ 39.28V = 6.87

 The result is 6.87, which needs to be rounded up to the next whole number (since
you can’t put a fraction of a panel on a string).
 So your minimum string size is 7 panels before temperature compensation.
Step 2: Find maximum string size that
doesn’t exceed operating voltage
 For maximum string size, we want to calculate against the max DC input voltage to
make sure we don’t overload the inverter.
 For this calculation, take the max DC input (600V) and divide by the Voc of the panel
(48.08).

600V ÷ 48.08V = 12.48

 This time we need to round the result down, since we’re trying to stay below a
maximum threshold. So we come to 12 panels.

 Again, this number is not final because we haven’t corrected for temperature yet.
 Step 3: Check that max string size falls
within MPP range
 In step 2 we calculated that maximum string size to keep the inverter operational.
 We check that this falls within our peak efficiency range as well.
 For that, take the max string size calculated in step 2 (12 panels) and multiply by the Vmp of

12 ∗ 39.28 = 471.36V
the panel (39.28).

 We are checking that this falls under the top end of the MPP range (in this example, 480V).
 Since 471V is below our target 480V, everything checks out here.
 If we had arrived at a number above the MPP range in this step, we would knock the max
string size down by 1 and recalculate until we successfully fall within the MPP range.
 Based on these calculations, we have a string size of 7-12 panels.

 But this doesn’t take temperature into account, which can have a significant impact on our
figures (colder temperatures lead to a rise in voltages and hotter temperatures will lower
voltage).
 Step 4: Account for temperature in
your location
 We now want to ask the question: “would extreme temperatures cause us to fall
outside a safe operating range?”
 To do this, I go to Weather Channel’s site, weather.com, and enter the location
where the system will be built.
 Let’s say we’re in Boise, ID. Search for the location in the search bar:
 We use the coldest day on record to account for the worst-case scenario in our string
sizing calculations.
 We find that the absolute coldest day on record in Boise is -33.3° C.
 Now look for the temperature coefficient of Voc, which measures the change in
voltage per degree Celsius away from the Normal Operating Cell Temperature (NOCT).
 NOCT measures the panel’s voltage at a given temperature, when it’s tested in a climate-
controlled environment.

 For the Mission Solar 360W panels in our example, the NOCT is 44° C.
 We take the difference between the NOCT and the coldest day on record (-33.3° C) for a
value of 77.3° C below the standard conditions.
 The temperature coefficient on these panels is 0.280%/°C.
 This means that for each degree Celsius away from the NOCT, the panel will produce .28%
more voltage.
 We first need to multiply the Voc of the panel (48.08) by the temperature coefficient of Voc
(0.28%).
 Since the temperature coefficient is a percentage, move the decimal 2 places to the left to
account for this in the equation:

48.08 ∗ 0.28/100 = 0.134624

 This gives the voltage change per degree Celsius, so we need to multiply by the

0.134624 ∗ 77.3 = 10.406V

temperature difference we found above (77.3°C):

 On a record-cold day in Boise, each panel will produce about 10.406 volts above its rated
Voc of 48.08. We need to add those values together to get the true panel voltage on a
record cold day:
48.08V + 10.406V = 58.486V
 From here, multiply the true panel voltage by the max number of panels in the string (12) we

58.486 ∗ 12 = 701.83V
calculated in step 2:

 The total voltage of the array can peak at 701.83V on a record cold day! This is well above
the max operating voltage of 600V,
 so we need to make adjustments to max string size to bring this down to an acceptable
level.
 You want to start subtracting panels off the string until you fall within the operating range.
Take the array voltage (701.83V) and subtract the true panel voltage (58.486V):
701.83V – 58.486V = 643.346V
 Not good enough: it’s still above the 600V limit. We need to subtract one more panel:
643.346V – 58.486V = 584.86V
Since we’ve removed 2 panels from our starting point, we arrive at a final max string size
of 10 panels.
This is the magic number. Under these conditions, your string size should be capped at 10
panels. Any larger has the potential to permanently damage your array in extreme
temperatures.

Extreme heat will affect minimum string size,

check that your minimum string size still falls within the MPP range for optimal efficiency.
To do that, you follow the same calculations as above, but you need to use different values:
 Use the panel Vmp in place of Voc.
 Use the panel Temperature Coefficient of Pmax in place of Temperature Coefficient of
Voc.
 When it comes to calculating the true voltage of the panel, subtract the voltage
compensation from the panel Vmp (instead of adding it to the panel Voc).
For example, the record high in Death Valley, CA is 56.7°C, which is 12.7°C above the NOCT.
The Vmp is 39.28V and the Pmax temperature coefficient is -0.377.

Vmp ∗ temp coefficient of Pmax = voltage change per ° Celsius

39.28 ∗ 0.00377 = 0.148

0.148 ∗ 12.7 = 1.8796V

Total voltage difference for 12.7° C above NOCT

Subtract from Vmp to arrive at true panel voltage on record-hot day

39.28 – 1.8796 = 37.4004

37.4004 ∗ 7 = 261.8028
Multiply by minimum string size for total input voltage

you can see 261.8V falls slightly below the MPP range (270V) .
The ideal would be to bump the minimum string size up to 8 panels.