Calculating how many solar panels you need is fairly easy if you have the relevant information. It all begins with the load you need solar to supply. If it’s a home, how many kWh does it use?
Use the following steps for solar panel sizing:
What is the load? How many kWh does your home use?
What is the irradiance in your location (Peak.sun-hours)
Use the load and irradiance to find theoretical solar system size
Calculate the number of solar panels your home needs by estimating the previous year’s energy bill and using your location’s irradiance value in kWh/m2/year (Peak-sun-hours) to calculate the theoretical solar production needed. Adjust theoretical solar kWh by the loss factor of 1.44 and divide by the individual solar panel watts rating.
Video – How Do You Calculate How Many Solar Panels You Need?
How many solar panels are needed to power an average house?
The average house size in the US is 2500 square feet, which should logically equate to the average energy usage of 11000kWh per year, or 30kWh per day.
However, there are variations in house size from state to state and also in solar panel power output. This is because the sun’s energy, or irradiance, varies by geographic location – very important when considering the cost of a solar farm.
Table – Average house size in square feet – 10 US States compared
U.S. State
Area (Square Feet)
Alabama
1800
Colorado
2126
Florida
1694
Kentucky
1750
Michigan
2000
New Mexico
1838
Pennsylvania
1700
Texas
2031
Wyoming
2052
Historical values for irradiance can be found for your location on sites like GlobalSolarAtlas.info. The average irradiance value for the USA is 5.322 kWh/m2/day, so I’ll use that value of peak-sun-hours for our calculation.
How many solar panels – how much solar do I need to power an average house in the USA?
Using average US values, you can find the theoretical solar power output by dividing the daily kWh by the irradiance value in daily peak-sun-hours:
Solar power required = 30000 watt-hours/5.3 peak-sun-hours = 5660 watts
If 300 watt solar panels were used, the number of solar panels for the average US house would be:
5660 watts / 300 watts = 18.86 (19) solar panels
However, all solar PV systems have losses of about 23%. This can be taken into account my multiplying the solar power required by 1.4:
Adjusted solar output = 5660 x 1.4 = 7924 watts
Using 300 watt solar panels, the actual number of solar panels needed would be:
7924 watts / 300 watts = 26 solar panels
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How many solar panels do I need to power a 3000 square foot house?
We know the average sized home requires 7924 solar watts with the average US irradiance of 5.3 peak sun hours/day, which equates to 3.17 watts per square foot.
Multiplying this number by 3000 square foot, we get 9510 watts of solar required.
9510 watts / 300 watts = 32 solar panels of 300 watts rating each
How many solar panels do I need for a 3 bedroom house?
The average size of a US home with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms is 1300 square feet. I previously worked out that solar requirements with average irradiance of 5.3 peak sun hours per day is 3.17 watts per square foot.
Cost of solar panels for 3 bedroom house:
1300 square foot x 3.17 = 4121 solar watts
If 300 watt solar panels are installed, the number of panels required is found by:
4121 watts / 300 watts = 14 solar panels
At just under $3/watt average installation cost, a 4000 watt solar solar panels system would cost $12000 excluding any incentives.
How many solar panels do I need to power a 4 bed house?
The average size of a US home with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms is 1700 square feet. In the last section I worked out that solar output needed with average irradiance of 5.3 peak sun hours per day is 3.17 watts per square foot.
Solar calculation for 4 bed home:
1700 square foot x 3.17 = 5389 solar output in watts
If 300 watt solar panels are used, then the number of panels needed is found by:
5389 watts / 300 watts = 18 solar panels
How many solar panels does it take to run a house off grid?
Solar panels, solar battery charger, batteries and an inverter used in off-grid solar systems
As a general rule, you need the same amount of solar panels as for a grid-tied system, but with extra panels depending on how much autonomy you require.
Let’s say you have a home that uses 30kWh per day and the irradiance in your location is the US average of 5.3 peak sun hours per day. A 5.7kW solar system would meet your needs in theory, ignoring PV system losses.
Calculating solar the right way
Most of your home’s energy usage, maybe 75%, is used in daytime. You need to make sure that your battery bank is fully charge during the day so that you have uninterrupted electrical supply through the night.
Also, what if you have several days of cloudy days with low solar output? In this case the energy storage battery bank would have to meet the shortfall in energy production.
I would add another 25% to the estimated solar system size required, in this case making the system size 7.5kW and a battery bank sized to supply the home for 48 hours with no solar generation.
The average US house (30kWh day) running with off-grid solar would need 25 solar panelseach rated at 300 watts.
How many solar panels to power a house calculator
Is a 4kw solar system worth it?
With the average U.S. irradiance of 5.3kWh/m2/day (peak-sun-hours), a 4kW solar system generates about 21.2kWh of energy per day, or 7738kWh/year.
This is quite a lot less than the average energy consumption for a U.S. home is 11000kWh/year. A 4Kw solar system may or may not meet a home’s energy requirement, as calculating solar depends on the location and how much the home uses.
Whether such a system is worth it or not also depends on the electricity cost, which varies from state to state. The cost of the solar system must also be known, and this asset cost may be reduced by government or state solar incentives.
Example – Is a 4kW solar system worth it in Houston, Texas?
Calculate The Solar Payback For A 4kW Solar System In Houston, Texas
How many years to payback a 4Kw solar system in Houston?
What is the average solar payback period for a 4kW solar power system in Houston, Texas?
City: Houston, Texas
Solar system power output:4kW
Solar installation cost = $10960 – 26% federal tax credit = $8110
Irradiance level at Houston, Tx = 1552 Peak Sun Hours
Power generated by solar panel system = 1552 x 4kw = 6208kWhrs (kilowatt-hours)
Solar payback time in Houston, Tx= solar cost/annual savings = 8110/690 = 11.75 years
The payback period might well be less than this, down to 9 or 10 years. Professional solar installers will give you accurate estimates based on their historical data, and the irradiance level in your geographic location.
How much should I pay for a 4kW solar system?
The average cost of a solar power system installation in the U.S. is just under $3 per kW. There are variations according to state – see the table below:
Table 6 – Cost of a 4kW solar power system by US State
You can expect to pay about $24000 for an 8kW solar power system, based on the average price in the U.S. Use the table above to get a more accurate estimate (multiply the results fo a 4kW system by 2).
How many solar panels do I need for 5kW?
The exact number of solar panels needed for a 5kW solar power system will depend on the irradiance in the system’s geographic location.
The calculation is:
5000/300 = 17 solar panels 300 watt rating
5000/200 = 25 solar panels 200 watt rating
5000/100 = 50 solar panels 100 watt rating
How much should I pay for a 6.6 kW solar system?
Using the average U.S. installation cost for the USA, you would expect to pay about $19500 depending on your state.
How many panels does a 6.6 kW solar system have?
A 6.6kW solar system will have:
6600/300 = 22 solar panels rated at 300 watts each
6600/200 = 33 solar panels rated at 200 watts each
6600/100 = 66 solar panels rated at 100 watts each
How much power can a 6.6 kW solar system produce?
With an average irradiance of 5.3 peak sun hours/day, a 6.6kW solar power system will generate:
6600 x 5.3 = 34.98kWh/day or 12767kWh/year
This output can vary up or down depending on the irradiance value state to state.
How much power does a 7kW solar system produce per day?
Using the U.S. average irradiance of 5.3 peak sun hours per day, a 7kW solar installation will produce:
7000 x 5.3 = 37.1kWh/day or 13541kWh/year
This output could be more or less depending on the peak sun hours value from state to state.
How many solar panels do I need for a 6kW inverter?
In general, the solar system size should be the same as the inverter size, so 6kW of solar output. This is because inverters are most efficient when they are fully loaded.
A 6kW solar system will need:
6000/300 = 20 solar panels, each rated at 300 watts each
6000/200 = 30 solar panels, each rated at 200 watts each
6000/100 = 60 solar panels, each rated at 100 watts each
How Many Solar Panels Do You Need: Panel Size and Output
Calculate How Much Solar Do I Need? – SunWatts
How Much Solar Power Do I Need To Run My House
Average Cost of Solar Panels For a 3 Bedroom House
RENOGY are fast becoming the preferred source for solar panels, kits, batteries and solar control accessories. Based in the US, where the products are manufactured, they are widely known and respected for innovation and quality.
