How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?
Solar panels are a great addition to your home and an intelligent investment to raise your property’s value. Not only is solar eco-friendly, but it is also a reliable and efficient way to provide you with the power you need.
If you’re considering adding solar panels to your property, you may wonder how many solar panels you’ll need to power your property. Every home is different, and every homeowner has different needs. Read on to learn more about planning your solar energy system.
Determining the Number of Solar Panels You Need
The common belief that the size of a home determines the number of solar panels you need is wrong. Generally, most homes require about 20-25 solar panels. To know the exact number of solar panels that will need to power your home, you will want to consider the following:
- Energy usage: If your home needs more power to run appliances, you will need more solar panels to offer the amount of energy you need.
- The sunlight you get in your area: sunlight differs from one place to another. If your home is in a location where you get very few hours of daylight, then you need more solar panels. These should maximize the energy produced more than someone living in sunnier regions. For example, people in New Mexico enjoy several hours of daylight, making it an excellent area to install solar panels.
- Panel wattage: Every solar panel has a unique power rating. The ratings show the energy a solar panel can produce. Most solar panels today have power ratings of about 320 watts per panel. You will need a few panels when installing those with high wattage ratings.
Using these factors, you can calculate the number of solar panels you need for your home. Let’s find out how!
Calculate the Number of Solar Panels Needed To Power a Home
At Poulin Solar Pro, we make it simple for homeowners to get the right number of solar panels they need. We have a reliable solar panel cost and savings calculator to offer fast, easy, and accurate results to get the number of solar panels to meet your needs. You don’t do any math when you use our calculator. We will help you estimate the average cost of installing solar panels and how much you will save on your electricity bills. We work with all clients in New Mexico and its environs.
You can also use these four easy steps to determine how many solar panels you require for your home. These steps need you to do some homework and get the best results.
Step 1: Determine Your Average Energy Usage
To get the exact average energy use of your property, check your monthly electricity bills for the past year and divide the total energy usage of those months by the total number of months. This will give you the average energy use for that period.
Step 2: Find Out How Much Energy Solar Panels Produce in Your Location
Next, determine the amount of sunlight your area receives. The measure of sunlight intensity is called peak sun hours. You can find this information online.
Step 3: Get To the Solar System Size You Need
After determining the energy, a solar system will produce in your areas, select the size of solar systems you require to meet your energy needs. Simply divide your average energy usage by the peak sun hours in your area.
Step 4: Get the Number of Solar Panels You Need
So you know the size of solar systems you need. You can figure out the number of pales by dividing the systems in watts with the wattage of solar panels you want to install.
The final step shows you the number of solar panels you need.
Time to Go Solar
If you want to save on utility bills, join the green revolution, and start using sustainable energy, reach out to Poulin Solar Pro. We are New Mexico’s #1 rated solar panel installer offering expert services at affordable costs. Contact us today to start planning your future now.