If you want to cut down on your electric bill costs and lower your carbon footprint, switching to solar energy is a great option. One of the first questions we often hear people who are considering solar panels ask is “How many solar panels do I need?” Depending on your situation, the answer depends. Today, we’re going to go over the things you need to think about to figure out how many solar panels your home or business needs.
Find Your Average Monthly Energy Usage
The first thing you’ll need to do to figure out how many solar panels you’ll need is to figure out your average energy consumption. Different seasons have different energy needs, so the best way to get a full-picture of your energy needs is to calculate your monthly average kWH usage using a full year of your energy usage history.
To do this, look at your past energy bills. The easiest way to do this is usually to log into your electricity provider’s customer portal. From there, you’ll be able to view your billing history. Add together your kWH usage from the last year of bills to get your total kWH usage for that year. Then, divide by 12 to get your average monthly energy usage.
Find Your Average Daily Energy Usage
Take your total kWH usage for the last year and divide by 365 to get your average daily kWH usage.
Find Sunlight Hours in Your Location
The number of solar panels you need also depends on how much sunlight your area receives every day. This is often called your “peak sunlight hours,” the time during the day when the sunlight is strong enough for solar panels to generate maximum power. Search for your locations peak sunlight hours online. You can also use a sun hours map or a solar calculator to find this information. The peak sunlight hours for most areas is 4-6 hours.
Find Your Needed Solar Panel System Wattage
Now that you know your daily energy consumption and peak sunlight hours, you can calculate the size of the solar system you need. You’ll need to figure out the total wattage your solar panels need to produce to match your energy needs.
Divide your daily energy usage (kWH) by your average peak sunlight hours Then, multiply this number by 1,000 to convert from kWh to watts. This gives you the total wattage required for your solar system.
Figure Out the Number of Solar Panels You Need
Once you know the total wattage, you can figure out how many panels you’ll need. Solar panels come in various wattages, typically ranging between 250 and 400 watts. Divide the total system wattage by the wattage of the solar panels you want to use. This will tell you how many solar panels you will need.
Make sure to consider your roof’s space and layout before picking your panels. If you have limited roof space, you might need to choose higher-wattage panels. While they cost more upfront, they are more efficient and will require fewer panels to meet your energy needs.
Talk to Solar Experts
Using these calculations to find out how many solar panels you need is a good start, but you should always still consult with solar installation professionals, like Attyx, before moving forward. Our solar experts can give you a more personalized recommendation for creating a solar system tailored to your roof and energy needs.
