To get the most out of a solar power system, most homes need between 19 and 23 panels, and this is based upon the average usage of electricity, which is at around 877 kwh. While having this number of panels installs could set you back around $15,000, with government incentives and the prospect of reduced energy bills, it’s a worthwhile investment that more and more American homeowners are choosing to make.
If you want to get a clearer picture of how many solar panels your home might need, here are a few helpful hints:
Take your energy usage into account
If you know the average amount of electricity you use annually, monthly and even daily, this can give you a much clearer understanding of how many solar panels your home might need in order to power it accordingly. This number can vary hugely from home to home, and a lot will depend upon how many people are living in the home, along with the number of electrical appliances and how often they’re used.
The best way of determining your usage is to look at your previous energy bills. To give you an idea, the average American home uses around 10649 kwh of energy every year, which is 29 kwh daily.
Think about the sunlight in your region
Some areas of the U.S. receive less sunlight annually than others, and if you live in one of these, you will likely require more panels to cover your electricity usage than homes in sunnier climes.
Talk to your solar provider about the type of panels you require
Some solar panels are able to produce more energy individually than others, and the amount of sunlight and shade on your roof will affect this. Panels are given a power rating, and this is measured in watts.
Calculating how many panels your home requires
Once you’ve assessed all of the above parameters, you’re in a much better position to be able to estimate how many panels your home might need to meet your energy needs, and here is one example:
If your home receives around 4 hours of sunlight every day, and you’ve bought panels with a 325W output, you can expect each panel to generate around 1.3kwh on a daily basis. Basing your energy usage upon the 29kwh daily average, this will mean that your home requires around 23 solar panels with a 325W output to generate enough energy to power your home.
With tax credits for new solar installations, and an increasing urgency to help protect the planet for future generations before it’s too late, could now be the time for you to make the clean, green switch to solar energy?
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