4.4 kW Off-Grid Solar Panels, House with Garden

Short answer

Solar Nexo is a solar company in Antalya based in Kepez. This reference project is a 4.4 kW off-grid solar panel system installed at a house with a garden. The panel array, off-grid inverter and battery bank are installed to supply loads such as the house, garden lighting and a garden pump independently of the grid.

Project summary

This reference project, installed at a house with a garden, is a 4.4 kW off-grid solar panel system. It meets both the house's and the garden's electrical loads with a battery system, independently of the grid. Location and date information is not given on this page.

System components

Power: 4.4 kW (taken as panel power)
Panel array: photovoltaic panels on the house roof or on a structure in the garden
Inverter: off-grid inverter
Storage: battery bank; type and capacity are not specified
Accessories: DC protection, earthing, AC distribution board

Why was this system designed this way?

Load profile of a house with a garden

In houses with gardens, loads fall into two groups: fixed household loads (refrigerator, lighting, television) and seasonal garden loads (irrigation pump, garden lighting, electric garden tools). Garden loads increase in summer, which coincides with the period of highest production and is a good match for the system.

Flexibility in panel placement

In addition to the roof, the garden offers the option of ground-mounted panels. On a ground structure, tilt and orientation can be chosen optimally; for Antalya city centre the PVGIS optimum tilt is 33°. If the roof orientation is not suitable, ground mounting can increase efficiency. Trimming shading trees or positioning the panels away from trees is assessed at this stage.

Relationship between size and production

For 4.4 kWp, the PVGIS reference gives a daily average production potential of about 20 kWh, with roughly 14 kWh in January and roughly 24 kWh in July. If loads such as the pump are matched with production during the day, the number of battery cycles falls and battery life is preserved.

Points to note for the garden pump

The motor power and starting current of well or garden pumps must be compatible with the inverter's surge power. Running the pump in the middle of the day is the most efficient solution.

Seasonal usage balance

In houses with gardens, the garden load increases in the summer months, which is also the period of highest production; in winter, the garden load falls while the need for home heating rises. When these two curves are compared, the off-grid system works in balance throughout the year. In the design, production in December and January, the weakest months, is taken as the basis.

Estimated production

In the PVGIS calculation (European Commission JRC, PVGIS 5.3) for Antalya city centre conditions, assuming optimum tilt and 14% system losses, the annual specific yield is 1,656 kWh/kWp. With the PVGIS reference for Antalya city centre conditions, this means a theoretical production potential of about 7,286 kWh/year for 4.4 kW of power.

Period	Specific yield (kWh/kWp)	Estimated production (kWh)
January (lowest)	99	436
July (highest)	168	739
Annual	1,656	7,286

As garden and household loads are shifted to daytime, a larger share of production is used directly. The values in the table are theoretical potential. The "4.4 kW" value in the table is taken as panel power. These values are a theoretical PVGIS calculation; actual production varies with roof or land orientation, tilt and shading.

Installation and commissioning process

During the site survey, suitable panel locations on the roof and in the garden, shading sources and the motor details of loads such as the pump are noted. In the design, panel location and battery capacity are determined according to the loads. During installation and commissioning, the ground structure or roof mounting, cabling and inverter settings are carried out. Maintenance and 24/7 technical support continue afterwards.

For a similar system

It is suitable for detached houses with gardens, vineyard houses and holiday-type homes where a grid connection is difficult or costly. Listing the garden loads beforehand makes the design easier.

Questions about this project

Does a garden pump work with an off-grid solar system?

Yes. It works if the pump's motor power and starting current are compatible with the inverter's surge power. The most efficient method is to schedule the pump for the middle of the day and power it directly from panel production, so that the battery goes through fewer cycles. Scheduling the pump's running time for the production peak both protects the battery and increases the total efficiency of the system; for this reason a timer relay is recommended.

How many kWh does a 4.4 kW system produce per year?

For Antalya city centre conditions, using the PVGIS reference value of 1,656 kWh/kWp, a theoretical potential of about 7,286 kWh/year is calculated. The actual value varies with orientation, tilt and shading. In an off-grid system, production is curtailed once the battery is full, so the energy actually used may be lower. This value is only a theoretical potential; because tree shade in the garden can reduce production, the panel location is chosen during the site survey with a shading analysis.

Should the panels be installed on the roof or in the garden?

Both are possible. If the roof orientation and tilt are suitable, the roof takes up less space. In the garden, tilt and orientation can be chosen optimally with a ground structure. The decision is made during the site survey by assessing shading, orientation and load-bearing capacity. With ground mounting the tilt can be chosen optimally, whereas on a roof the orientation is fixed; these two options are assessed side by side during the survey.

Related guides

Estimated yields are theoretical values based on PVGIS 5.3 data (EU Joint Research Centre); actual output depends on roof orientation, tilt, shading and temperature.