Solar energy is becoming increasingly popular in the world due to its sustainable and renewable nature. Some people are switching to solar energy because it lowers the electricity bill, while others are choosing solar power because they want to play their part in conserving the planet.
If you have decided to go green, you probably have two questions: how much do solar panels cost, and how much solar power do I need for my home. In this article, we will help you with the latter because only when you know how much solar energy you need for your house you will be able to figure out the total cost.
Key Takeaways:
· The first solar panel was invented in 1883
· There were over 2 million solar panels installed in the US in the year 2019
· An average house of 1,500 square feet requires 16 solar panels
· An average US home uses 10,400 kWh of electricity each year
For a more in-depth explanation, continue on below.
How Many Solar Panels Do Houses Generally Require?
A 1,500 square feet home generally pays $100 for electricity each month. Such a house requires 16 solar panels to cover its needs.
Here’s one more way to understand how many solar panels houses generally require:
The average home in the US uses 10,400 kWh of electricity per year. So, if you go with an average 250-watt solar panel, you will need around 28 to 34 solar panels to power your entire house.
The three main factors that impact how many solar panels you need are:
Sunlight: If the area you reside in receives less sunlight, you will require more solar panels to eliminate the electricity bills.
Electricity usage: The more electricity usage you will want the solar panels to cover for, the more solar panels you will need.
Panel wattage: You will require fewer solar panels if you choose solar panels with high wattage ratings.
Step by Step Guide to Determining How Many Solar Panels Will You Require to Power Your House
Here are the steps you can follow if you want to exactly know how many solar panels do you need to power your house:
1. Refer to your electricity bills for the past 12 months to determine your electricity consumption in kWh.
2. Next, calculate your daily kWh use by dividing your monthly usage by 30. So, if your average kWh per month is 1,200, you can determine the daily kWh use by dividing it by 30. In this particular example, your daily kWh will be 40.
3. Estimate how much sunlight your location receives each month. For this purpose, let’s assume that a 310W solar panel produces 1.35 kWh a day, and you receive 6 hours of sunlight every day.
4. Determine, in percentage, how much solar of your energy consumption you want the solar system to account for. For example, if you want solar panels to cover 60% of your energy consumption, you will multiply the daily kWh usage by 0.60 (40 kWh x 0.60 = 24 kWh)
5. Finally, to determine how many solar panels you will require to account for 60% (or whatever % you choose) of your consumption, divide the daily usage by the daily kWh produced by an average 310W solar panel. So, if you will divide 24 kWh daily by 1.35 kWh per solar panel, you will know that you require around 18 solar panels to account for 60% of your daily energy consumption.
We hope that you now know how many solar panels do you need to power your house.
Solar energy can help you save a significant amount of money and increase the value of your property. It is low maintenance and gives you control over your electricity. For many, it can be one of the best decisions they make for their property.