There are many things you should take into account when determining the number of solar panels needed to power your home. These include how many sun hours your home gets, how much energy it uses per day, as well as the costs. These numbers will allow you to determine the number of panels you'll require.
Calculating the number required for a home to be powered by solar panels
Depending on what space your roof has, the size of solar panels that you'll need to power your house will impact how big they are. An array of 20 solar panel will produce about 900 kilowatts-hours of electricity per month for an average American home. Because most American homes don’t get six hours of direct sun daily, it’s difficult to calculate the number of solar panels needed to cover your home.
A simple way to determine how many solar panels you'll need for your home is to analyze your past utility bills. Add up all your utility bills, and then divide it by twelve to find how much electricity you use each monthly. Once you have this information, you can get a rough idea of how many solar panel you will need to cover the entire house.
Peak sun hours
One of the most difficult questions to answer when building a system for solar power is "How many"? The answer to that question varies by location and season. The more sunlight you get during the day, the closer you are to your equator. California, for instance, has more peak sunshine hours than Washington. If you want to build a solar panel system for your Washington home, you will need to have a larger system that you would if you were building it in California.
Depending on where you live, you can expect between three and five peak sun hours per day. The time of the day and latitude will also affect the number of peak hours. However, the peak sun hours for most areas of the United States are around three to five hours.
Daily energy consumption
The average daily energy consumption of solar panels is based on the number of hours of sunlight that the panels receive. During the peak hours of sunlight, a solar panel can produce up to 1 kilowatt hour of energy. A 250-watt panel could produce 30 kWh per month. A 350-watt panel will produce 42 kWh the same month. These numbers are an average and may vary depending on the size and location of your house.
The average daily energy consumption of solar panels depends on where the panels are located. For instance, the average day in the northeastern United States is shorter than in those in the south. Residents living in these locations will need more solar panels than residents who live in more sunny areas. Also, the design of the panels will affect their efficiency. The efficiency of solar panels indicates the rate of conversion per square foot.
Cost
A home powered by solar panels can be expensive. A ten-kilowatt solar system can run you about $70,000. This system is affordable if you live where there is high energy use. Otherwise, the costs can run up to $8000.
You should speak with a reliable contractor to determine the cost for solar panels. To ensure that the contractor is aware of your energy requirements, it's a good idea to keep a copy of your monthly electric bill. The kilowatt-hours you use each month will be a good estimate for the number of panels you need.
Off-grid or on-grid?
There are many factors you should consider when looking at solar panels for the home. The system size and the type of solar panel can have a significant impact on both cost and return. You can get help from a good solar installer to make these decisions. Research can help you make an informed decision.
To store excess electricity, off-grid solar systems use batteries. This stored energy is easily accessible at night and in cloudy weather. These systems can generate enough energy for you to last the day. But, due to the unpredictable nature of the weather, systems that are off-grid can have a hard time meeting their initial goals.