Here''s Exactly How Many Solar Panels to Buy to Power a House
To figure out exactly how many panels are required to run a home, you will need to consider your annual energy usage, the solar panel wattage, and the production ratio.
Determining how many solar panels to power a house is a personalized process, influenced by several factors including your household's energy use, local climate, and the efficiency and wattage of the solar panels you choose. As we've learned, an average U.S. home requires between 17 to 25 solar panels to meet its energy needs.
Look at different panels and see what the wattages are. The solar panel wattage is also known as the power rating, and it's a panel's electrical output under ideal conditions. This is measured in watts (W). A panel will usually produce between 250 and 400 watts of power. For the equation later on, assume an average of 320 W per panel.
Next, you'll need to know how much electricity one solar panel can produce. Solar panels come in different sizes and power outputs, typically ranging from 300 to 450 watts per panel. The power output (wattage) of the panels is rated based on how much power they can generate per hour under optimal conditions.
You can calculate how many solar panels you need by dividing your yearly electricity usage by your area's production ratio and then dividing that number by the power output of your solar panels. To put it simply: Number of panels = annual electricity usage / production ratio / panel wattage
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