Are you a nature lover, looking for alternatives to minimize your carbon footprint with maximum return on your investment, and even want to save as much money as possible? Then you are at the right place.
The notion of green energy to render power for our planet without using fossil fuels is constantly gaining popularity. As awareness of green energy options is increasing, more and more people are searching for alternative energy sources to power their homes, such as a rooftop solar system, which brings up plenty of questions with the most common being “How many solar panels do I need.” Unfortunately, there is no universal answer to this common question. The number of solar panels an individual will need for their home depends on a number of factors, so let’s begin:
- How much energy does your house need? To do so, you can look at past utility bills, where you’ll find your daily and hourly usage. Once you find this, you can calculate how many solar panels you need by multiplying your household’s hourly energy requirement by the peak sunlight hours for your area and dividing that by a panel’s wattage. You can also connect with our solar experts, who will handle all these calculations for you.
- Do you keep a log of your daily watt usage? Next, you need to find out your kilowatt-hours (kWh). Kilowatt-hours are the amount of power your home requires at any given time multiplied by the number of times the power is being used. Fortunately, electric companies include the number of kilowatt hours a household uses on your monthly billing statements, and to find this, just look for kWh used.
- Does the area you live in get enough sunlight? The peak sunlight time directly impacts the energy that the solar panel produces. For instance, if you live in an area with a greater number of peak sunlight hours rather than an area with fewer peak sunlight hours, then it means that the higher one definitely produces more energy than the lower one. We aren’t saying that the geographical area with lower sunlight hours cannot use solar panel energy; it just means that you would require more solar panels.
- Is your solar panel output efficient? Not all solar panels are the same. Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels (generally used in residential installations) come in wattages starting from around 150 watts to 400 watts per panel, depending on the area of the panel, performance, and cell technology. For instance, solar cells with no grid lines on the front consume more sunlight than conventional cells and do not suffer from problems such as delamination (peeling).
Due to the variety of high-quality and efficient solar panels available in the market, it is tricky to generalize which one is right for you or how many you will need for your home. The key takeaway is that if the panels are efficient, they can easily produce more wattage than before. You can get more information on this by reading our blog, “Solar System Designs for Your Home.”
Contact a Professional, Licensed Contractor
There is no hidden fact that a rooftop solar system can present a number of advantages to homeowners, but they’re also a major investment. That is why it is important to work with a professional solar installation company that is locally owned and will help you find a solution that suits your energy needs perfectly. At SUNSOLAR SOLUTIONS, we will work hand in hand with you to determine exactly how many solar panels you will need, engineer a design, and install them with care and precision. Contact us today to learn more.
