Once you’ve decided you want to take the plunge into solar, you might then be asking yourself “how many solar panels are needed to power my home exactly?”. To answer this question, begin first by asking yourself why you’re going solar. Is it for the reduction of your environmental footprint? Is it to save money on your electric bills? Or is it both?
No matter the reasoning behind your interest in adding solar power to your home, you’ll need to gather the following information in order to calculate how many solar panels your house will require: how much energy your household consumes; your roof’s usable surface area; peak sunlight in your area; the efficiency and wattage of the solar panels you are leaning towards; and if net metering is an option for you.
Review your previous utility bills to figure out a ballpark average energy requirement for your home. You can usually find it written as “Kilowatt Hours (or kWh) used”. To clarify, average daily energy use is the target daily average for you to calculate your solar power needs. On your statement, keep an eye out for the time period too (normally 30 days). Ensure that daily and hourly usage are accounted for. If your bill doesn’t include the daily average, divide the monthly or annual average by 30 or 365 respectively. You can divide again by 24 to figure out the hourly average. As a point of reference, the average U.S. home consumes 900 kWh per month, meaning 30 kWh a day or 1.25 kWh per hour.
Recognize that solar panels don’t always operate optimally. Weather is one of the factors that impacts solar panel efficiency. That’s why solar power experts advise leaving yourself a 25% cushion for your daily average to make sure your energy needs are accounted for.
Peak sunlight hours also affect how much energy your solar power system is able to create. Fortunately for SCV residents opting for solar, Santa Clarita is a great location due to the year round sunlight. To get data on sunlight, visit the Renewable Resource Data Center website. To calculate for the amount your energy panels need to produce per hour, start by multiplying hourly usage by 1,000. This converts hourly power generation to watts. Then, divide your average wattage requirement per hour by the number of daily peak sunlight hours for Santa Clarita. For example, a home that requires 900 kWh per month in an area that gets about 5 hours of peak sunlight hours a day will need 6,250 watts.
It’s important to keep at the forefront of your mind that efficiency of solar panels is a crucial element to look into. The more efficient a solar panel, the more power it is able to make. What this means for you is you’ll need less solar panels to meet your household energy needs.
Related: The Commercial Uses For Solar Process Heating
Roof sizing and shape are two other aspects to consider. A larger roof will allow you to purchase larger panels at a lower cost per panel. However if you have a smaller roof, an unusually shaped roof, or a more shaded roof, going with fewer but higher efficiency panels may be a smarter option. Solar experts will still need to check out your roofing’s architecture and the angle of the sun hitting your roof among other factors to see how to physically arrange the correct number of panels for your home.
Net metering is another thing to look into when assessing how many solar panels your home needs. Net metering is how your electric company gives you credit for producing excess solar energy when the sun is shining and then how it allows you to use those credits when using a conventional power grid in the evening if your home doesn’t already have a solar battery storage unit.
If you want to find out how many solar panels you need to power your home without doing all the calculations on your own, contact your local Santa Clarita Valley solar experts.
The solar power experts from HomeLink Pros Solar provide homeowners with Santa Clarita solar panels designed to lower their electricity bills and improve their home life. The Santa Clarita solar company offers customized solar energy solutions tailored around each homeowner’s house and the way they live. If you’re in need of a solar company, Santa Clarita residents can read the solar reviews and contact Home Link Pros Solar today to get more information about solar ownership, solar lease, Santa Clarita solar installation and more.
Home Link Pros Solar
18954 Soledad Canyon Rd
Canyon Country, CA 91351
833-538-7546
650-395-7665
Info@HomeLinkPros.com
