There is no definite way to answer the given question. A proper answer lays in the quantity of consumed energy in a house: refrigerator, teapot, microwave, TV, washing machine, computers, air-conditioning, and dishwasher.
The number of solar panels in your best solar generator can be changed, the appropriate number of solar cells for SES can be calculated individually.
Some of the advantages of houses on solar power are obvious:
- the sun’s energy is infinite (the next 5 billion years for sure);
- it provides clean power;
- no greenhouse gas emissions, plus this can save people money.
Estimating how many solar panels to run a house are the best option, one should find out how much kWh is used per day according to bills.
A common solar panel unit produces up to 120 watts or 0.12 kW per day. To provide 7.5 kW, you need about 62 panels. One panel can be approximately 142 by 64 centimeters so the 62 panels will occupy approximately 65 square meters.
How to determine how much solar power I need
Using the energy given by the sun is quite eco-friendly. Thus if you want to use it, you obviously need to determinate your consumption, and this article will help you.
From the beginning, you need to decide on what size is necessary for you, how much energy one solar collector can give to determine the right amount.
And also you need to understand that in addition to the panels themselves, you need batteries, the best rated solar generator, a charge controller, and a voltage converter (inverter).
Solar power
To get to know the required power given by sun for your cells you need to know your energy consumption. For example, if your energy consumption is 100 kW/h per month, then you need solar collectors to produce this amount of energy.
Solar collectors themselves produce renewable energy only during daylight hours. And give out their declared power only when there are a clear sky and the sun’s rays at a right angle. When the sun rays fall at angles, the solar panels power drops noticeably, and as sharper the angle of incidence of sunlight, the more significant the drop in power. In cloudy weather, the power of solar cells drops in 15-20 times, even with light clouds and haze, the power of solar cells drops in 2-3 times, and all this must be taken into account.
Thus, the size of solar panels of 1 kW (1000 watts) for a sunny summer day will generate 7 kWh of electricity for a period from 9 am to 4 pm, and 210 kW/h per month. Plus, another 3 kW (30%) in the morning and evening, but let it be a reserve as it can be partly cloudy.
We think it is clear that if the array of panels will be at 2 kW, then the energy production will be 420 kW/h per month. And if there is one socket per 100 watts, then it will produce only 700 watts per hour of energy per day, and 21 kW per month.
It’s nice to have 210 kW/h per month from an array of the only 1kW, but it’s not that simple.
Firstly, there is no such thing that all 30 days in a month are sunny, so you need to look at the archive of weather in the region and find out how many roughly cloudy days by month. As a result, probably 5-6 days will definitely be cloudy.
You also need to understand that in the spring and autumn the daylight is shorter and cloudy days are much more, so if you want to use renewable energy from March to October, then you need to increase the number of solar collectors by 30-50% depending on the specific region.
How to calculate how many solar panels to run a whole house you need
To define the required number of solar batteries, add up several factors:
- The size of the roof;
- The quantity of electricity consumed per month;
- Amounts that are ready to invest in the project;
- The capacity that is specified in the contract for the use of electrical power.
A station only for personal use better to build according to the average monthly energy usage of the house.
We recommend a simple formula which helps to sum up how much solar panels you need for a house. For this you need:
- Taking into account the area of the roof, for example, let’s take 50 m²;
- The area of one solar battery, let’s take 1.63 m²;
- Nest goes the power of the solar panel – let’s take the average for the market at 275 watts.
How to calculate solar panels for a house using the formula:
- An area of a roof is divided by the area of one panel: 50 / 1.63 = 30.67, rounded down, we get 30 solar cells.
- Next, multiply the number of panels obtained by the power of one panel: 30 * 275 = 8250 W, again round off to the lower side and 8000 W or 8 kW per hour are released.
The result is a capacity of 8 kW with a solar panels quantity of 30 pieces, which will cover a roof of 50 m². Solar panels have no moving parts. They are part of a complete stationary system. Therefore, once they are installed, the only thing an owner should do is keep clean panels.
