How Many Panels Does My Home Need?

Residential solar in Richmond is becoming one of the most popular ways to generate electricity for your property and reduce your reliance on the power utility grid. Before starting a solar power system installation, a lot of thought and preparation is required.  

One of the most frequently asked questions by homeowners is, “How many solar panels would I need for my home?” It’s a great question because the number of solar panels you’ll need has a significant influence on the cost of your solar panel installation.   

In this article, we will look at the aspects that go into deciding how many solar panels you will need to supply power into your home.  

 

Factors That Influence How Many Solar Panels You Need

Average Energy Consumption

To estimate the number of solar panels you’ll need, you’ll need to know how much power you consume in a day, month, and year.   

The amount of energy used in your home varies considerably based on the number of people living there, as well as the number of appliances you have and how often you use them. You’ll need additional solar panels to offset your power expenditures if you use a lot of them.    

Examine your previous year’s energy bills to see how much electricity you used throughout each of the four seasons. Once you have figured that out, you can calculate how much solar power you’ll need to meet your demands.  

Amount of Sunlight in Your Region

There is more energy that can be transformed into electricity when there is more sunshine. If you reside in an area with plenty of sunlight, a modest solar power system will suffice.  

However, if your area has less sunshine, you’ll need a more extensive system to generate the same quantity of power. The amount of solar panels you require also depends on the orientation of your roof and how much shadowing there is.  

Efficiency of Solar Panels

Solar panels, like your houses and needs, are unique and not all the same. Because high-efficiency panels may produce more watts per square foot, you’ll need to buy fewer of them to meet your power generating goals. Solar panels are divided into three types:      

• Monocrystalline   
• Polycrystalline   

• Thin-film   

Monocrystalline panels are the most efficient solar panels in general, with polycrystalline panels coming in second. The least efficient are thin-film panels. Depending on what type you choose, you may expect a solar panel’s efficiency to range from 250 to 350 watts per hour.  

How Many Solar Panels Are Needed for Common Appliances?

When you look at the various kilowatt per hour needs for common household appliances and items, one thing becomes clear. Some add-ons may drastically alter your monthly energy use and can significantly influence the size of the solar panel system you should install.   

Connecting an electric-powered automobile with solar panels, for instance, is a terrific method to cut carbon emissions and increase energy efficiency. Still, it should be planned carefully since it may quadruple the size of your power system.  

Though it is feasible to construct a solar system and then add extra panels later to meet rising energy demands, the most practical alternative is to size your system as precisely as possible based on your anticipated purchases–such as an electric engine or central air conditioning system.  

  

Looking for the Best Residential Solar in Richmond?

SuperGreen Solutions will make you see the sunny side of things. We provide a variety of home solar panel services around the United States.   

Want to request a quote, or are you interested in learning more about the services we offer? Contact your local Solar Panel Cleaning experts here. 

Richmond VA  

Curt Nuenighoff   

(540) 239-9235  

cnuenighoff@supergreensolutions.com