How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?
You can’t just install one solar panel. Then how many solar panels do I need? To reap the financial rewards of a solar panels system, you’ll need several. Although the answer may not always be so clear, we have provided some examples to help you understand at a high level how many solar panels are needed.
Top Solar Panel Key Takeaways
- An average home needs between 20 and 25 solar panels to fully offset electricity bills with solar
- This number depends on a few key factors, including geographic location and individual panel specifications
- Compare solar quotes on the EnergySage Marketplace, customized to your property and energy needs
What Number Of Solar Panels is Required To Power My Home?
On average 20-25 solar panels will cover 100 percent of the electricity used. The number of units you will need depends on several factors. Geographic location? Where can I get solar panels near me? Panel efficiency? The panel rated power your personal energy consumption habits.
How To Calculate The Number of Solar Panels That You Need
Three key factors are the basis of our formula to determine how many solar panels your home will need to run. Annual energy usage? Panel wattage And production ratios. What does this mean? These are our assumptions and how we did the math:
Annual Electricity Consumption: Your annual electricity consumption is the total amount of electricity used in your home for a full calendar year. This number is measured in kWh (kilowatt-hours). It is affected by which appliances you use and how often. Electricity is used in all appliances including refrigerators, air conditioners, small kitchen appliances, and lights as well as chargers and chargers. The average American household uses approximately 2.3 kWh of electricity, according to the U.S Energy Information Administration (EIA).10.649 kWh per year of electricity we’ll use this number to determine the ideal size of a solar panel system. This would allow you to offset 100 percent electricity consumption with solar panels. In practice, however, it’s not as neat but we are trying to be patient.
Solar Panel Wattage: Power rating panel wattage refers to the power output of a particular solar panel in ideal conditions. Wattage is measured as watts (W), with most panels falling between 250 and 400 watts. We will use 320 wattsThese calculations use an average panel.
Production Ratios: The production ratio of a solar panel system is the product ratio of its estimated output. The energy production system’s actual size in W is the ratio of its production over time (in kWh). These numbers are not always 1:1. Your system’s production ratio will vary depending on how much sun it gets (which is primarily dependent on where you live). A system of 10 kW that produces 14 kWh per year would have a production ratio in the region of 1.1.4(14)/10 = 1.4 – This is a real production ratio that you can see in the real world. The U.S.Production ratios range between 1.3 to 1.6 We’ll use those numbers for our calculations as high and low estimates.
Let’s Finish The Math
Now that we have three assumptions (energy consumption, solar panel wattage, and production ratios), how can those numbers be converted to an estimate of the number of solar panels needed for your home? This is the formula:
System size/production ratio/panel wattage = number of panels
We get the following results by plugging in our numbers from above:
Number of panels = 10,649kW / 1,3 or 1.6/ 320W
This gives us 20 to 25 panels depending on the production ratio (20 for a ratio of 1.6, 25 for a ratio of 1.3). A total system of 25 panels at 320W results in an output of 8 kW. This is the same as the average EnergySage customer. Tada!
How Many KWH Could Your Solar Panels Produce? Complex Production Ratios
Your production ratio determines how much solar energy your roof gets. This affects the amount of power your solar system can produce (kWh). The amount of sunlight that you receive in a given year will depend on where you live and when it is. Florida, for example, has more sunshine per year than New England. You can still produce enough energy in both locations. If you live in an area with less sunlight, you will need a bigger system. Production ratios vary depending on where you live. A lower production ratio, due to less sunlight, means that you will need more solar panels in order to produce the energy you require.
Here’s an example. Two households of similar size in Florida and Massachusetts use the same amount of electricity as an American household. This is 10,649 kWh per year, as previously mentioned. To cover their entire energy needs, the Florida household requires a 7 kW system. Comparatively, a Massachusetts household would need a nine-kW system to meet their energy needs. Florida’s solar panels are smaller than Massachusetts’s, but they can still produce the same amount of power due to their greater exposure to sunlight each year. Massachusetts homeowners who live in areas with less sunlight can compensate by using smaller panels or increasing their solar energy system’s size. This will result in slightly more solar panels on the roof.
What Number of Solar Panels Are You Able To Use For Different System Sizes?
We found that an 8 kW system would likely cover an average American household’s energy consumption if it has a production ratio of 1.6. This might be realistic for most homes in Florida. Let’s look at some more examples to expand on that. In the table below, we’ve compiled some solar panel estimates for common system sizes. The only problem is that we are using 1.6 as our production ratio. This might seem realistic for Florida shoppers. However, it might not be so realistic for those living in the Northeast and areas with less sunlight. These estimates may be too high on the production side and low on the number required.
What Number of Solar Panels Will do I Need To Power My Home? – Comparing System Sizes
| SIZE OF THE SYSTEM | NUMBER OF PANELS REQUIRED | ESTIMATED ANNUAL PRODUCTION |
| 4 kW | 13 | 6,400 kWh |
| 6 kW | 19 | 9,600 kWh |
| 8 kW | 25 | 12,800 kWh |
| 10 kW | 32 | 16,000 kWh |
| 12 kW | 38 | 19,200 kWh |
| 14 kW | 44 | 22,400 kWh |
This table assumes you are using a 320-watt solar panel. The number of solar panels required to power your home will depend on whether you use high-efficiency or low-power panels. This will affect the space your system takes up on your roof. Below is a table to give you an idea of how much space your solar system will take up on your roof depending on which power output you choose.
What Number of Solar Panels Can I Put On My Roof? System Size In Relation To Square Footage
| SIZE OF THE SYSTEM | LOW POWER PANELS (SQ. FEET | SQ. FEET | HIGH POWER PANELS (SQ. FEET |
| 4 kW | 240 | 203 | 179 |
| 6 kW | 367 | 305 | 269 |
| 8 kW | 490 | 406 | 358 |
| 10 kW | 612 | 508 | 448 |
| 12 kW | 734 | 610 | 538 |
| 14 kW | 857 | 711 | 627 |
The most challenging aspect of sizing solar panels is estimating your household’s annual energy consumption. You may need more panels if you have a lot of add-ons or consumer products that are larger than your annual kWh requirement. The size of your solar array may be affected by whether you have central air conditioning installed or if it is used to heat your pool. You can get an idea of the size you will need by evaluating the energy consumption of the products that you have or are thinking about purchasing for your home.
Solar Panels Needed to Power Common Appliances
One thing is certain: adding on to household appliances or products will drastically change your monthly energy consumption and could have a significant impact on how large a solar panel system you need. Pairing your electric car with solar panels can be a great way of reducing carbon emissions and improving energy efficiency. However, you should plan accordingly as it could double the size of your PV system. Although it is possible to add panels to your solar system later, it is not practical. The best option is to accurately size your system based on what you expect to purchase, such as an electric car, swimming pool, or central air system. A great idea for any new homeowner is to ask yourself how many solar panels I will need for my fridge, hot tub, and so on.
What Number of Solar Panels Are Required to Generate Individual Electricity Loads?
| PRODUCT | AVERAGE ANNUAL KWH REQUIRED | ESTIMATE NUMBER SOLAR PANELS REQUIRED |
| Refrigerator | 600 | 2 |
| Air Conditioning Unit | 215 | 1 |
| Central Air Conditioning | 1,000 | 3 |
| Electric Vehicle | 3000 | 10 |
| Heated swimming pool | 2500 | 8 |
| Hot Tub (outdoor) | 3,300 | 11 |
When looking for the best solar panels available, there are many factors to take into consideration. Although some panels have higher efficiency ratings than others; investing in the best solar equipment won’t always translate into higher savings. It is important to compare quotes for different equipment and financing options to determine the “sweet spot.”
For any homeowner in the early stage of shopping for solar that would just like a ballpark estimate for an installation from local contractors, contact us today.
