In this article, you will learn how to create your very own solar panel pergola.
Adding solar panels to a pergola enables you to generate electricity in your backyard for free. This electricity can be used to supplement your home energy usage or deliver an off-grid power source to use in various ways.
A pergola often makes an ideal place to install an extra solar array as they are usually located in sunny locations. In addition, it is a clever way to create a roof for shading. Keep reading to find out the different options available, what you can expect to run, and how to go about your installation.
What is a Solar Panel Pergola?
A solar panel pergola is exactly as it sounds, it is an outdoor structure designed to provide shading which incorporates the addition of solar panels.
These two things are actually a match made in heaven. Pergolas are usually placed in areas that receive bright sunshine through the middle of the day. And solar panels perform best in direct sunlight. As you will be using a pergola to create shade whilst enjoying your garden, solar panels can block out sunlight while generating electricity.
Can You Put Solar Panels on Any Pergola?
You’re probably wondering if your pergola is suitable for solar panels. Well, it is very likely it will be strong enough and big enough for an array.
The main thing to consider is weight. So start by ensuring your structure is strong and not rotten or weakened in any areas. Solar panels can be big and heavy in larger sizes so I suggest not going for anything two large.
For example, 100 watt solar panels provide a nice balance of weight and power. They weigh around 15 lbs and measure about 32 x 26 inches. To save even more weight you could even go for flexible solar panels which weigh just 4 lbs and are low profile at less than 1 inch thick.
Off-Grid vs Grid-Tied Solar Pergola
Before getting started you need to decide how you want to connect up your solar system. There are two different types of systems – off-grid and grid-tied.
Grid-Tied Solar System – This system is used with permanent buildings like a house. The solar panels are tied to the main utility grid and can produce electricity to run home appliances. Excess power is sent to be used on the main grid. You will need a professional installer to complete this job, plus permission from local authorities and utility companies.
Off-Grid Solar System – This is where the solar panels run independently from another power source or utility grid. It is what you find on things like RVs and boats. The system uses a battery to store and deliver electricity produced by the solar panels. You can buy and install this type of equipment yourself to generate power anywhere you want.
Here is an example of what you can create with DIY:
For the rest of this article, we will concentrate on creating an off-grid solar panel pergola. You can complete the installation yourself and produce electricity in your yard without permission from the city or energy company.
What You’ll Need for a Pergola with Solar Panels
Solar panel systems need a number of components to work correctly. In addition, it is good to include waterproofing for the battery and controller to protect them from bad weather. Let’s go through each component you’ll need.
- Solar Panels (300 watts) – I’d look at 100 watt options. Something like 3 solar panels will produce plenty of power
- Solar Charge Controller – Buy a solar starter kit which includes a charge controller. This device is used to regulate current and voltage to safely charge a deep cycle battery.
- Deep Cycle Battery (100Ah) – This will store the electricity so you can draw consistent power or save the energy to use later. E.g. run lighting at night. With a 300 watt solar panel a 100Ah capacity battery will do a great job.
- Power Inverter (500 watts) – An inverter converts DC to AC power which is required to run most home appliances. It hooks up to the battery and enables plug appliances in just like a wall socket. A 500 watt inverter will give you plenty of power to run lighting, fans, speakers, charge electronics, and more
- Battery Box – A battery box can be used to house the battery and charge controller to protect it from rain and bad weather.
How to Install Solar Panels on a Pergola
With all your equipment ready to go it’s now simply a case of installing the solar panels on your pergola and connecting everything up. This process is fairly straightforward once you understand where everything hooks up. Let’s go through a step-by-step overview.
All components vary slightly so take the time to check how your own equipment works and adjust accordingly. When working on the battery you should wear safety gloves and glasses to protect from sparks and acid leaks.
Step 1. Pergola Solar Panel Diagram
The first thing to do is to draw up and study a solar panel diagram. Here is an example for you to work from. I suggest sketching out your own to your own required specifications.
Step 2. Mount Solar Panels
Start by carefully mounting your solar panels on top of your pergola. There are usually predrilled holes in the aluminum frame where you can attach z-bracket mounts. This can be a little tricky to line up the mounts with the wooden beams of the pergola. Once you get a nice fit carefully drill holes into the pergola and screw into place.
If you have multiple solar panels you can connect them up in parallel so you are ready to go in the future steps. Don’t hook up your power inverter just yet!
Step 3. Connect Solar Charge Controller to Battery
Next you want to connect your charge controller to your deep cycle battery. You should always do this before connecting the solar panels to avoid damage to your system.
Run battery cables from the controller to the battery. Wire the positive controller output to the positive battery terminal. Repeat this process with the negative side.
Step 4. Connect Solar Panels to Solar Charge Controller
With the controller and battery correctly wired you can now add the solar panels. Use MC4 adaptor cables (should arrive with a start kit) for this job. These adaptors will have MC4 solar connections on one end and stripped wires on the other.
Again, run the positive solar panel cable to the positive controller input. Repeat this with the negative side.
Your pergola solar panel system should now be connected up. Your solar panels will be charging your battery. You should see a voltage and charge reading on the controller.
Step 5. Hook Up Power Inverter to Battery
If you want to run AC appliances you will need to use a power inverter. I always find them useful as it makes plugging any electronics in super easy and you don’t have to worry about what you run.
The inverter attaches directly to the battery. Wire the positive battery terminal to the positive inverter input. Repeat this with the negative side.
Step 6. Waterproofing
It is important to note that the deep cycle battery, charge controller, and power inverter won’t be waterproof. If there is a chance it could get wet from bad weather then make sure to add protection. You could use a battery box or similar waterproof housing to hold this equipment.
The solar panels should be completely weatherproof so no need to worry.
What You Can Power is a Solar Pergola?
You can run a wide range of electronics in your solar pergola including lighting, speakers, pool pumps, fans, recharging tools, TV screens, motorized awnings, and much more.
The one thing you might be thinking about is an electrictic heater. Unfortunately, heaters will draw 1500 – 2000 watts which will quickly deplete most systems in less than an hour.
You’ll only be limited by the components you install. You should work out how much electricity your system will produce and store. Plus you can’t exceed the maximum wattage of your power inverter.
Let’s look at an example of how much electricity you could generate.
A 300 watt solar panel system will deliver upto 1200Wh of electricity per day.
Plus a 12 volt 100Ah capacity battery will store 1200Wh of electricity. So that’s a nice match up!
With 1200Wh capacity, you could run a 1200W appliance for one hour, a 120W appliance for 10 hours, and so on.
Let’s say you spend an evening in your pergola when there is no solar power being produced. You want to run lighting, speakers, a little fridge (keep the drink cold), and a fan. You’d probably only draw around 200 watts which would give you 6 hours of runtime.
Are Solar Pergolas Waterproof?
Every pergola will be different. To start with, a pergola on its own won’t be waterproof as they are designed for shading rather than keeping the rain out.
When installing solar panels you will create a certain amount of extra cover but it won’t always be waterproof. There will still be gaps between and underneath the solar panels. If you want it to be waterproof then you should install a roof. This could be very simple and made from corrugated PVC plastic sheets. Then you can mount the solar panels on top of this to build a waterproof solar pergola.
Solar Panel Pergola Summary
I hope you’ve found this guide to creating a solar panel pergola helpful.
If you’re looking to add electricity to your backyard or patio then solar panels are a very useful solution. In addition, you will build extra shading into your pergola while still gaining benefits from the sunlight. With an off-grid system, you can mount and hook everything up yourself to run low-powered electronics like lighting and speakers. A pergola can also be a great space to add to an existing grid-tied solar array you have on your home.
