How Many Solar Panels Do You Need?
One of the most important questions to ask when you’re considering solar panels for your home is, “how many solar panels do I need?” This question is fundamental because you want to make sure your solar panels can provide enough electricity to counteract your power bill, pay back your investment, and help you save money in the long-run.
Your House Needs Customized Attention
It’s important to know that every house is different. So if someone says to you, “well the average American home…” no, don’t base your decision on that. Your house may be average, but it’s different than the other average home down the street.Several factors go into this calculation that determines how many panels your home needs. To get those variables, you have to answer a few other questions before resolving a final number of how many panels you need.
While we don’t recommend only taking the information in this blog into consideration when figuring out how many panels you need, this is all information you will most likely be asked.
However, we recommend calling a solar power company such as Fun in the Sun and speaking to an expert before making any final decisions.
5 Questions You'll Need to Answer Before Installing Solar Panels
- How much energy do you use daily or monthly?
- How much sun does your home get?
- Does your utility offer net metering?
- Calculate your solar panel needs
- Will the calculated amount of Solar panels even fit on your roof?
Energy Use
To calculate how many panels you need, you’ll need to figure out how much energy you use monthly:- We recommend looking at your electricity bills for the past 12 months.
- Calculate your average usage (kWh) over that period. If you need help with this, contact your electricity company.
Daily Usage
After you figure out your monthly usage, you’ll need to figure out your daily KWH usage as well. You can estimate your average daily kWh usage by dividing your monthly usage by 30.Amount of Sunlight for Solar Panels
Next, you’ll need to estimate the amount of sunlight your panels will receive because sunlight determines how much energy your solar panels will generate. While you may obviously not know the exact amount of sunlight, you should pay attention throughout the day when the sun is hitting your house directly.You will then be able to determine how many solar panels you will need. It’s important to keep in mind how much of your average consumption you want your solar panels to account for.